One of my favourite novelists is back with another great story set between 2013 and 2022. It is told in the first person singular by Adam James Coryell, a Toronto teen who dreams of becoming a writer. But instead he is pushed into an unhappy though very lucrative career as a professional golfer by his high school phys-ed teacher and a grumpy Swedish university professor of kinesthesiology; the latter is forever banished to Adelaide because of a rather hilarious deficit of social skills. He simply has “no filter.” The description of him reminded me of Fredrick Bachman’s A Man Called Ove.
The central premise is that a series of detailed body measurements, when fed into an algorithm developed by the professor, can predict which sport any subject will be best suited for and likely to excel in, a perhaps weak proposition, (well, a seven foot tall lanky teen’s sport of choice is easy to predict), yet Fallis makes it seem logical. I won’t reveal the consequences of the narrator’s career in golf, but there are lots of adventures around the world, eccentric characters, an attempted kidnapping, a tragic death, and a tender sweet romance. Anyone who thinks modern novels are enhanced by graphic descriptions of explicit pornographic sex scenes needs to read this story to be disabused of that premise- there is really no sex at all here, except for vague hints of some teenage groping. There are endless double entendres, witty quips, and lots of dry humour in the lush fluid prose. The discussions of the joys of writing with various luxury fountain pens with different vintage inks are a little over-the-top but will resonate with some writing aficionados. I once owned a Montblanc and enjoyed writing with it immensely.
I can readily relate to the difficulties of getting books published. Like the main character, I had the contract with a publisher for my second book cancelled because the publishing house went broke, in my case after all the hard work of writing, editing and design had been done. As a non-golfer, I probably missed some nuances of the game described here, but I am confident that most golfers will love this story.
The implied serious advice here is to pursue your dreams rather than what others think you should do or what seems easy or most lucrative. In this respect, this book conveys a more profound message than any of Fallis’ previous comedic novels. And that advice must resonate with the author who found the work he loves in his 40s after a variety of less fulfilling jobs.
There are so many great quotes that I chose to publish two. “Sure, watching paint dry is boring. But if golf were the only other option, it wouldn’t necessarily be an easy call.”
“If you want to make a small fortune, start with a big fortune and become a novelist, or open a book store, or better still, both.”
I am not sure where to place this book in the lineup of seven Fallis novels, all of which I have enjoyed immensely. But it is near the top, maybe on a par wth The Best Laid Plans. And I hear that Angus McClintock may make a comeback in a future Fallis novel.
The Passionate Reader 