Balling the Jack [Hardcover]

Frank Baldwin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1997

A thrill-seeking college graduate ends up racing through New York's underworld to support a $40,000 bet on a dart game and with his life on the line, finally realizes what it is that he is really looking for. A first novel. 25,000 first printing."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"Betting all you have cleans the system," says young Wall Street paralegal Tom Reasons as he hands over $400 of his weekly $447 paycheck to his bookie, Toadie, in bets on baseball games. But it's the low-profile sport of darts that gets Tom into real trouble, in this raucous, raunchy thriller. When he loses $40,000 on the toss of a feathered sliver of steel, Tom has to outsmart Mafia loan sharks to stay in one piece. Along the way, Frank Baldwin manages to tap into the energy of ambitious, amoral, and frighteningly fascinating 20-somethings.

From Library Journal

"Balling the Jack"?to risk everything on one attempt?is exactly what Tom Reasons is doing in Baldwin's exciting debut novel about life in the fast lane. Tom's work as a paralegal in a prestigious Wall Street firm is not a career but a means of earning betting money. He thrives on the adrenaline rush of risk-taking and turns a blind eye to duty. Then he risks everything on a wager that changes his existence and shows him a darker side of the "high life" that is more than he bargained for. Baldwin is gifted at exposing Tom's character. Simultaneously showing his irresponsibility and his subtle compassion, he makes it easy to like Tom, although we never really understand his motives. Readers will enjoy the fast-paced story and the thrilling, unpredictable ending. Baldwin is working on the screenplay for this work. Recommended for most contemporary fiction collections.?Stacey Reasor, ITT Technical Inst. Lib., Tampa, Fla.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st ed edition (July 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684833603
• ISBN-13: 978-0684833606
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,588,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic read., March 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Balling the Jack (Hardcover)

This book is incredible. I've heard a lot of people complain that the book is shallow, but come on, that's real life. Tom Reasons, the lead guy, is more human than many of the "deep" characters that you read about. Sure, he drinks a lot, he objectifies women, he gambles, and he doesn't do anything of any worth, but doesn't that describe us all? This character is truer to most guys I know than any I have ever read. If you're looking for deep symbolic meaning and extended metaphors look elsewhere. If you're looking for a real-life character in a great plot, without a ton of pretentious attitude this is your book. If you're not buying this book you're sitting in your beret, discussing existentialism, and reading books by Hume and Foucault that you really don't understand. Tom Reasons is the True american male.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Funny, October 18, 1999

By 

Justin Warnick ([e-mail]) (Blacksburg, Virginia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Balling the Jack: A Novel (Paperback)

While I often find it hard to laugh out loud at a novel, Frank Baldwin manages to get me to crack on numerous occasions with his first novel. While reading the philosophy espoused by the main character, Tom Reasons, I found it hard not to laugh. I highly reccomend this book to anyone in need of the best medicine.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging, energetic book, September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Balling the Jack: A Novel (Paperback)

"Balling the Jack" is a perfect example of a light, summer read. The novel is fast-paced, thick with interconected plot lines, and it just feels real. Perhaps the greatest thing about the book is the sympathy we feel for the main character even though he is a perpetual loser who does it to himself. "Balling the Jack" won't win any awards or praise for its depth or importance in the world of literature, and I'm sure it won't end up in any University's canon anytime soon, but that is what makes it such great fun. The book doesn't take itself to seriously. It is funny, it is moving, it paints a very real picture of a young single man's life in NYC. Speaking of which, the setting is marvelously handled as are the supporting characters including various bar owners, dart buddies, and girlfriends. All of the supporting characters are given enough depth to make them round, but none is given so much weight that they distract from the main character. Despite all of the exciting window dressing, this book really boils down to a story of a young, single man coming to terms with his own immaturity. Balling the Jack is a fantastic read and the kind of book you will want to lend to your friends. As my friend did for me. That being said, I definitely think that men will enjoy this book more than women. It is certainly a "guy" story, but I think both genders will get a good, fun read out of Balling the Jack. Hopefully, Frank Baldwin will get another book out to us very soon. By the way, toward the end there is a great moment between Shakespeare and Keats. You have to read it to believe it.