Something Rising (Light and Swift)
By Haven Kimmel
I just finished reading this book and thought I would share a couple of brief comments. First, for those expecting pool action cover to cover, you should pick up Hustler Days instead – pool is more of a strong undercurrent here than the main flow of the story. None-the-less, the pool theme is represented credibly, in my opinion (you know how nit-picking message board posters can be
). As a pool player, I found nothing objectionable about how the pool theme was used in the book – the pool characters fit; pool terms weren’t abused, I liked the references to Centennial tables and the fact the main character got chalk in the crevices of her fingers, for example. I guess I'd rather the cue stick had been something a little more subtle than a Balabuska, that having been done a couple of times already you might say -- you know, maybe instead a Szamboti with a Burton Spain splice -- oh well...
A couple of reviews on the cover refer to it as a ‘coming of age’ story – although the final catharsis doesn’t happen until she is close to 30 -- I guess like real life these days Anyway, the main character, Cassie, is a likable hard-edged Indiana girl (used to call them tomboys – probably don’t anymore) from a fairly disfunctional family with an estranged pool hustler father. Cassie follows her father’s footsteps to the pool room – although he pretty much abandons her – it’s others that take her under their wing and teach her how to play the game – and apparently how to win money doing it.
Like Cassie says at one point in the book, she doesn’t gamble, but she apparently does bring home enough supplemental income from playing pool to help support her fairly helpless sister and mother.
I like the Cassie character – she really is a strong character, even ballsy you could say. Having worked in the carpentry and cabinetry business my whole life myself, I definitely noticed and appreciated the author’s references to wood and tools in her successful (imo) effort to convey a fiercely independent working girl (in the hammer and nails vein --- sorry, guys -- less sex here than at half time in the Super Bowl ) But she’s of course got a deep introspective side in her own tough girl way.
I enjoyed the book – I didn’t mind the philosophical ramblings that permeate the relationship between Cassie and her sister and mother – but guys expecting lots of ‘pool action’ are liable to get bogged down a little there. Being a little old-fashioned, I had a little hard time with the cryptic. Chopped. Sylvia Plath poetic style of writing that doesn’t always fall in complete sentences if you know what I mean… I actually bought the book at the airport on the way to the DCC, and read about 30 pages on the plane, but of course got way too swept up in the constant action at the DCC to read any more, so it sat ‘til this weekend -- so I did finish the book pretty fast, which coem to think of it says something about the book right there, because I'm not a big reader these days.
I’m curious as to how any of you women players might relate to the book.
ps. I noticed in her thank you section, the very first person she thanks is…Jeanette Lee
By Haven Kimmel
I just finished reading this book and thought I would share a couple of brief comments. First, for those expecting pool action cover to cover, you should pick up Hustler Days instead – pool is more of a strong undercurrent here than the main flow of the story. None-the-less, the pool theme is represented credibly, in my opinion (you know how nit-picking message board posters can be
). As a pool player, I found nothing objectionable about how the pool theme was used in the book – the pool characters fit; pool terms weren’t abused, I liked the references to Centennial tables and the fact the main character got chalk in the crevices of her fingers, for example. I guess I'd rather the cue stick had been something a little more subtle than a Balabuska, that having been done a couple of times already you might say -- you know, maybe instead a Szamboti with a Burton Spain splice -- oh well...A couple of reviews on the cover refer to it as a ‘coming of age’ story – although the final catharsis doesn’t happen until she is close to 30 -- I guess like real life these days
Anyway, the main character, Cassie, is a likable hard-edged Indiana girl (used to call them tomboys – probably don’t anymore) from a fairly disfunctional family with an estranged pool hustler father. Cassie follows her father’s footsteps to the pool room – although he pretty much abandons her – it’s others that take her under their wing and teach her how to play the game – and apparently how to win money doing it.Like Cassie says at one point in the book, she doesn’t gamble, but she apparently does bring home enough supplemental income from playing pool to help support her fairly helpless sister and mother.
I like the Cassie character – she really is a strong character, even ballsy you could say. Having worked in the carpentry and cabinetry business my whole life myself, I definitely noticed and appreciated the author’s references to wood and tools in her successful (imo) effort to convey a fiercely independent working girl (in the hammer and nails vein --- sorry, guys -- less sex here than at half time in the Super Bowl
) But she’s of course got a deep introspective side in her own tough girl way. I enjoyed the book – I didn’t mind the philosophical ramblings that permeate the relationship between Cassie and her sister and mother – but guys expecting lots of ‘pool action’ are liable to get bogged down a little there. Being a little old-fashioned, I had a little hard time with the cryptic. Chopped. Sylvia Plath poetic style of writing that doesn’t always fall in complete sentences if you know what I mean… I actually bought the book at the airport on the way to the DCC, and read about 30 pages on the plane, but of course got way too swept up in the constant action at the DCC to read any more, so it sat ‘til this weekend -- so I did finish the book pretty fast, which coem to think of it says something about the book right there, because I'm not a big reader these days.
I’m curious as to how any of you women players might relate to the book.
ps. I noticed in her thank you section, the very first person she thanks is…Jeanette Lee
