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Lädt ... Going Fastvon Elaine McCluskey
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Melde dich bei LibraryThing an um herauszufinden, ob du dieses Buch mögen würdest. Keine aktuelle Diskussion zu diesem Buch. An enjoyable read filled with quick quips, quirky characters and witty one-liners inhabiting the wide world of boxing and sports reporters. Of the two, the boxing content was far superior, and I found the sections featuring journalists dragged and distracted from the main plot. But a worthy read nonetheless. Zeige 2 von 2
McClusky is a vigorous, colourful and often humorous writer, with a sharp and sometimes wicked eye. If this novel cannot comfortably embrace its many characters and stories, perhaps her next book will focus just on those it might, and let them play out to our undivided attention.
In this punchy, uproarious romp of a novel, the Halifax boxing world -- peopled with has-beens, wannabes, and posers dressed in spandex, leopard prints, and tie dye -- touches gloves with the colourful world of sports reporting. Both groups need something hot with speedy delivery. Enter a cast of misfits. There's Turmoil Davies, an enigmatic Trinidadian heavyweight poised to storm the Halifax boxing world. There's Ownie Flanagan, an old-school trainer who scans the obituaries for odd names and trains men with more ambition than talent. He's looking for "one real fighter" before he retires and believes Turmoil is it. And then there's Scott MacDonald, a journalist assigned to the boxing beat -- a grotty but welcome getaway that promises to let him relive his own glory days through other men's sweat. With a wicked sense of humour, Elaine McCluskey conjures a larger-than-life world where spotty turf is defended with klutzy bravado down to the final, unpredictable ten-count. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Ownie is working with Scott MacDonald, a reporter at the local paper, The Standard. Scott’s a former athlete himself, but he’s let himself go to seed without really knowing why. His involvement with Turmoil (and what a great name that is for a boxer!) has Scott re-examining his past. Scott and Ownie believe that Turmoil has a real shot at greatness, and they both want to come along for the ride. The newspaper provides more fascinating characters: Garth Mackenzie, the editor on the brink of a breakdown; Katherine Redgrave, hired gun brought in by the folks at corporate; Glenda, whose engagement is really going to cause problems. Everyone in this novel has a strange story to tell, or to hide.
As Turmoil’s fame grows, his stories and behavior grow more and more outrageous. He shows up at a politicial function, explaining to the assorted bigwigs that everyone is really here to see Turmoil, and someday they will be proud to tell people that they shook his hand. He convinces Ownie to come to Florida and help him train, but once there, he’s cut off from contact with his wife and subject to Turmoil’s strange, late-night visitations. He assaults people working with him, laughs when another of Ownie’s fighters is knocked out – this is a big, dangerous guy who is seriously off-balance.
The book is a bit of a hodge-podge. Lots of interesting stories, stitched together in a general sort of order, but I sometimes found it difficult to follow. If I put the book down for a stretch, I had to turn back and check names to be sure I knew what was happening. The second half of the book flowed a little better than the first, or perhaps by then I was familiar enough with the cast of characters to stay on track. Still, it was definitely an interesting read. Elaine McCluskey tells a good story and her debut novel will keep you turning the pages, because you don’t want to miss the twists and turns.