Catherine Harris (4)

As the mother of two football mad young boys, I found this book quite disturbing. I read this book back to back with anna Krien's Night Games during AFL finals season - way to be a wet rag! Anyhoo, back to the review

Although I didn't love the prose, and the story was fairly predictable, it was nonetheless compelling - like watching a car crash in slow motion.

The book is about sexism in sport. The main character, afl dynasty son Harry Furey, participates in the sexual assault of a young woman show more as part of a Sportsman's night. In contrast to his team mates, he is haunted by his conscience and so begins his struggle to disentangle himself from the world of football culture and the unasked for attention that goes with inheriting the footy mantle.

Harry's dad is a washed up, pathetic ex-champion whose sad life ultimately leads Harry to walk away from the game.

Even though none of the characters were developed to their potential, I still cheered for Harry in the end. Perhaps it was the feminist in me, that wanted to see a lesson learned and be inspired to hope that football wont turn my boys into bullish, insensitive men. show less

There is something to be said when I cannot sympathize with or pity any of the characters in this book and that makes for a very hard read.

The story as a whole feels stagnant to me, while scenes are jumping from place to place which I guess is suppose to feel like it's building up to something, it ultimately didn't feel like it went anywhere to me.

I guess it also doesn't help that I know nothing about, nor care much for sports culture and the various scandals that follows it.

So as my first show more introduction to it via this book, if real life sports culture is anything like what was described here...then I'll continue to stay away~



[Disclaimer: Copy received from Giveaway.] show less

Harry's success as a footballer is predestined, the territory that comes with a superstar father, and all the Club asks in return is loyalty and the occasional code of silence. But when his home-town media scrum dredges up an old scandal of his father's, and Harry becomes embroiled in one of his own, he starts to question the reality behind the glittering facade of the trophies he wins and the pretty young things who mob him.With piercing insight, The Family Men subverts the usual choices show more between winning and losing, guilt and innocence, courage and cowardice.

Publisher's description. show less