The Southpaw

Mark Harris' first installment in the Henry Wiggen series (there are four books total) is one of the finest baseball novels written. "The Southpaw" is the story of left-handed pitching phenom Henry Wiggen and his early career as a professional baseball star.The novel is told in the form of Henry Wiggen's diary and the writing does take some getting used to as Henry's prose isn't particularly high caliber. It is, however, very real and its simplicity adds to the novel's sense of realism. Henry begins by talking about his father's (also a pitcher) career and then proceeds to discuss (briefly) his own high school career, his brief minor league career, and finally (in much more detail) his first season as a major leaguer.The novel takes place in the early 1950s and as you read Henry's account you will be transported back in time to when ball players' contracts were in the $1K range and pitchers pitched 16-inning ball games and pitched on two-days rest. It's a great baseball book in that it gives some insight into the art of pitching and being a ballplayer in general, but it's much more than that. And those without an extensive knowledge of the wonderful game of baseball won't be lost or confused in reading it (it's not overly technical). Henry's essentially a young adult (early twenties at the end of the novel) and his growth experiences are listed (by Henry) right alongside his baseball experiences. "The Southpaw" is a fascinating read and provides a nice glimpse into baseball life (and life in general) in early 1950s America.A great book and highly recommended reading--particularly for fans of baseball.

This is the first of four books that Mark Harris wrote about Henry Wiggen and the New York Mammoths. Better known, perhaps, is Bang the Drum Slowly, that was made into a remarkable movie, with Robert Di Niro and Michael Moriarty. There is a sweetness and uncomplicated self awareness to young Henry that is refreshing in this day of cynicism and ironic self parody. There is no denying that this is a book that deals with baseball. That being said, it is a book about a young man and how he relates to the world and the people in it. It tells the story of how people change us and we change them; how the world changes us and we change the world. I think that is why we read and why we are changed by what we read. This is a short book and so you won't have to invest a great deal of time in it. I found it very worth the time it took to read it and I was touched by the charactters that Mr. Harris brought to life.

This novel tells the tale of Henry Wiggen, 20 year old lefthanded pitching pheenom from the small town of Perkinsville, New York, and his journey through the bush leagues and farm clubs to playing for the New York Mammoths (Harris' fictionalized version of the New York Giants). Henry tells his own story in a loose, funny vernacular that is a hoot to read. Along the way he does a lot of growing up, and he learns that a man's goals in life should be higher than winning 20 games and pitching in the World Series (both of which Henry achieves). The book was written in 1953, and it offers a lovely picture of America's passtime just before big media and big money completely separated it from its humbler origins. (After winning 27 games, two World Series starts, and the league MVP, Henry is happy to get a contract for the next year paying him $12,250.) I'm not a huge baseball fan, but The Southpaw isn't really about sports - it's about adapting to life as it is rather than as you imagine it will be - and I recommend it to anyone who likes stories full of humor and humanity. I look forward to reading the three other books that Harris wrote about Henry Wiggen.

I've read this book and its three companion pieces maybe 6 times. It's hilarious, compelling, and deep in a way. The four books together are absolutely the best baseball stories I've read, and they would fall in the top five reading experiences in my life. As a former English major and English teacher, I've read a lot.I'm quite sure these gems are not widely known. The point of view is told by the main character himself, and his observations are poignant and hilarious at the same time. Henry Wiggen, the main character, narrates the book with a sort of ingeniously conceived non grammatical slang that in and of itself is pure delight. The first of four in a series, these books are the best books about baseball that are reallymore about life that I've ever read. Read these books!

I never played baseball myself, I'm a casual but loyal and attentive sports page and TV fan of my city's pro team. But that's all you need to be to know enough baseball to hop into this fine novel. And baseball doesn't change much so it feels perfectly contemporary in its description s of the game. How did I miss this great, (probably greates ever) baseball novel for the past fifty years? The use of language, written in the vernacular of a smart uneducated young player, is mesmerizing. Those two features : baseball as it really is, and the English language as IT really is, make this book a unique marvel.

"Bang the Drum Slowly" may be better known, and in some places more highly rated, but I enjoyed "The Southpaw" at least as much. Henry Wiggen is one of the most likable characters, even when he gets a little too big for his britches. And he is definitely a character, not far out of Mark Twain's central casting. Maybe things roll a little too easy for him and the Mammoths at times, but you're rooting for them all the way. If you like baseball fiction and haven't read "The Southpaw" yet, you owe it to yourself to order it. I've read it twice and will read it many more times.

I'm surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book, since I'm not much of a sports fan. The narrator is so engaging, and I found myself wanting to know how things turned out for him.

mark harris has written a classic sports novel with an unusual voice - that of a good, kind man in a more innocent time - which gives the book a realism of its own. i also learned a lot about baseball and how it stands in the american pshyce.