Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Sports Fiction/Literary Fiction
Approximate word count: 305-310,000 words
Availability
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Author:
“Mark
Jacobs is an author, magazine columnist, and martial arts instructor whose
written work has appeared in numerous publications including Sports Illustrated and The Ring Magazine. The author of the
acclaimed instructional text, The
Principles of Unarmed Combat, he currently serves as a contributing editor
for Black Belt Magazine. He has one
other book, a poker-player detective novel, Pascal's
Wager.
For more
visit his website.
Description:
“A Bittersweet Science provides an epic
look into the world of big-time boxing from the perspectives of the many
individuals who make up this frequently brutal yet entrancing sport. From the
exploited fighters who bleed for pay, to the scurrilous promoters and slick
young television executives who make the backroom deals, to the sardonic
journalists who are there to record it all with a jaded eye, it's an insight
into a world most will never know. More than just a boxing story, A Bittersweet Science examines the
profound question of whether the ends really do justify the means in a world
without objective morality.
It's the
story of "Action" Jackson Hayes, the unbeatable but volatile
heavyweight champion who's suspended from the sport because he's just too
violent and then decides to make his vacation permanent when he discovers
Jesus. Enter promoter extraordinaire Abraham "Abby" Lincoln. A former
1960s student protest leader turned used car entrepreneur turned boxing mega
promoter known for his tie-dye tuxedos and love of Machiavelli, Lincoln needs
to appease his money men by bringing some excitement back to a moribund
heavyweight division. With the aid of charismatic televangelist Antonio Harper,
he lures Hayes out of retirement for a multi-million dollar showdown with young
Tommy O'Callahan. That O'Callahan can't fight very well is negated by the fact
he just happens to be a white heavyweight... and his family has a bitter
personal history with Hayes.
Caught in
the intersection of it all is brilliant but discontent sports columnist David
Goldman, whose disillusion with the amorality of the people he's tasked to
write about is mirrored by his own marital woes. But when events take an
unexpected turn, Goldman finds himself thrust into the middle of a legal
firestorm as both Lincoln and Hayes wind up in court facing off against
ambitious prosecutor Michael Bratkowski. Bratkowski is determined to make a
name for himself with this year's version of the trial of the century. The real
fight has just begun but Abby Lincoln is determined to score a knockout over
all his foes, even if it means sacrificing his favorite son, Jackson Hayes.”
Appraisal:
You’ll
notice the word epic in the first
line of the blurb for A Bittersweet
Science. What does that mean? Long (just over 300,000 words), for one
thing. That fits the dictionary definition that says, “Surpassing the usual or
ordinary, particularly in scope or size.” Another definition that at first
glance might fit, “Any work of literature, film, etc., having heroic deeds for
its subject matter,” probably doesn’t. Heroic deeds are few, if any, unless you
consider allowing yourself to get beat up (or being the one doing the beating)
as heroic.
At first
glance, the target reader would seem to be a boxing fan. Yet, I wonder with
Jacob’s portrayal of the seamy underbelly of the business of boxing. With
sleazy promoters using (often abusing and taking advantage of) fighters and the
most competition occurring during divvying up the spoils, a true boxing aficionado
might not take to the story, although I suspect many of them won’t be shocked
at how the boxing world is depicted. However, the non-boxing fan should enjoy
the story for the underlying questions it raises. As it turns out, the actual
boxing takes up very little of the story, with the negotiations and
behind-the-scenes machinations taking much more time than an occasional
twelve-round bout.
A
side-effect of this book being “epic” is that it will appeal to a certain kind
of reader and won’t to another. Those who like a fast-moving story that builds
to a quick conclusion will find the multiple, intertwined story threads, some
of which take the full book to come to fruition, too darn slow. If you prefer
detailed descriptions and a more complex story that builds more slowly to
completion, this should appeal.
FYI:
Adult
language
Format/Typo Issues:
A small
number of typos and other proofing errors. The most prevalent was homonym
errors.
Rating: **** Four stars
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