I will be a guest on That’s how I Blog on March 16th (available on iTunes). If you are not familiar with Nicole’s podcast she interviews a guest each week. Each episode consists of an interview followed by a book discussion.
I’m not sure how she manages this schedule (reading a book a week for the show plus all the other reading she does), she’s amazing! I selected Double Fault solely based on author name. After reading We need to talk about Kevin for the EDIWTB book club (hosted by Gayle), I really wanted to read another book by the author.
About the Author: Novelist and journalist Lionel Shriver won the coveted Orange Prize in 2005 for We Need to Talk about Kevin, a gripping literary page-turner that delves into the tragic possibilities of motherhood gone awry. Her features, op-eds, and reviews have appeared in such publications as The Guardian, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, and the Economist.
Synopsis: Tennis has been Willy Novinsky's one love ever since she first picked up a racket at the age of four. A middle-ranked pro at twenty-three, she's met her match in Eric Oberdorf, a low-ranked, untested Princeton grad who also intends to make his mark on the international tennis circuit. Eric becomes Willy's first passion off the court, and eventually they marry. But while wedded life begins well, full-tilt competition soon puts a strain on their relationship—and an unexpected accident sends driven and gifted Willy sliding irrevocably toward resentment, tragedy, and despair.
From acclaimed author Lionel Shriver comes a brilliant and unflinching novel about the devastating cost of prizing achievement over love.
Links worth visiting:
- Author Q&A
- Shriver is a regular contributor to the Guardian, below are a few recent articles: Author Junket and My Obese Brother
- An interview about We need to talk about Kevin
- Guardian's review of Double Fault
Type: Fiction, 352 pages, Trade paperback
Quick Take: Did you read We need to talk about Kevin? The format for Double Fault is similar, the book moves along with a lot of detail , the plot thickens and about 50 pages before the end of the story, BANG! Filled with loose facts about the life of tennis players from work ethic to coaching, family dynamics to the player personalities, I think most people will enjoy this novel. At first glance I might say I didn't find Willy to be a likable character but she is glue that holds the book together. She is extremely competitive (often times to a fault). I read this book over a month ago and am still thinking about the characters.
I appreciate Shriver's writing style and like Kevin, there is A LOT to discuss. I'm looking forward to discussing this with Nicole in March. A good book club selection.
Source: Library (Audio)