The Art of Fielding

You don't have to love baseball to enjoy “The Art of Fielding” by Chad Harbach, but it helps. Ultimately, this is a book about the struggle to balance work and play, and the challenges of early adulthood when our hobbies start carrying more responsibility and obligation. Though centered on baseball, it's really about those formative college years when we strive to separate ourselves from our parents and childhood, discovering who we are as adults, and deciding what to hold onto, let go of, and pursue. The novel follows Henry, whose talent initially goes unnoticed but then shines in his first two years of college, and how he handles the ensuing pressure. With a rich cast of characters and deep reflections on age, the novel echoes the recurring cycle of reevaluating our place and desires throughout different life stages. It prompts us to question and reflect on our own lives, marking it as a thought-provoking and transformative read.

I thought I wouldn’t like a baseball book, but this one captured me body and soul. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book where I still clutch my chest and think about a set of characters in bittersweet memory. Absolutely fantastic.