Reviews

The Natural by Bernard Malamud, Kevin Baker

achillesheeled's review against another edition

2.0

He remembered how satisfied he had been as a youngster, and that with the little he had had - a dog, a stick, an aloneness he loved (which did not bleed him like his later loneliness), and he wished he could have lived longer in his boyhood.

2.5
ok i only read this book bc my english teacher asked me to but i dont care about baseball so. o well

mandyfish's review against another edition

1.0

One of the most over-rated novels in all of American Literature. Malamud cannot write. Or he writes like a 13-year-old boy would write. It baffles me -- baffles me! -- why this book is considered a classic and why on earth we would teach it to high school students. It must be because it's about baseball. Big farkin' deal. Do yourself a favor -- skip the book and watch the movie. Redford is excellent in the film and gives the story more depth than the author ever could.

dlemmen's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

4.0

joannalouise's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

jtosi's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

tallyhotel's review against another edition

2.0

50.0% "This seems very different from how I remember the movie. But, I was 10 when I saw the movie, so maybe a lot went over my head? However, books aren't always represented well on film...
I don't remember Roy being so....smug? snotty? full of himself?"

80.0% "Still with the hubris. Just hit the section where he gets bad news.

Spoiler

I'm still astounded that he's chasing Memo.

"

Unfortunately, my opinion of this book was greatly affected by the movie. The imdb trivia says they changed the movie to be a feel good story. The book is not a feel good story. It's about a guy that is talented, has crappy things happen to him, and then it ends.

spikeanderson1's review against another edition

3.0

lionizes the magic in baseball, and the human potential through sport

colemanwarnerwriter's review against another edition

3.0

The twist in this book were unexpected and not in the best way. It was interesting until it wasn't.

"Without heroes w're all plain people and don't know ow far we can go."

mkaybaker07's review against another edition

4.0

Solid baseball read.

joe64louis's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0