1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not his best effort ..., October 7, 2004
This is the fourth W.P. Kinsella book I've read, after "Shoeless Joe", "The Iowa Baseball Confederacy", and "The Thrill of the Grass". I loved the first three. The author blends wonderful writing with mysticism, magic, and baseball to create mind-bending stories you can't forget.
"The Dixon Cornbelt League and Other Baseball Stories" disappointed me. "Searching for January", "Eggs", and the title story are memorable; they sparkle with imagination and fine writing. The remaining six tales are just average, below Kinsella's usual high standard.
Baseball fiction is Kinsella's arena. He ranks with Ring Lardner and Mark Harris as best in the genre. If you are new to Kinsella, start with the novels or "Thrill" to catch him at the top of his game.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
More than just baseball..., August 9, 2003
W.P. Kinsella comes back with another great collection of short stories in this book. His stories are not just about baseball. They are about life itself, with a touch of magic and fantasy. My favorite is the title story, which has a very interesting twist to it. Ever since I found "Shoeless Joe", Kinsella has never ceased to amaze me, and I can read his books again and again without putting them down. Another classic that you should add to your library.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kinsella speaks to the baseball loving child in us all., November 2, 1996
By A Customer
W.P. Kinsella is a man with magic in his hands and baseball
in his heart, and that's one of the best combinations there
is. Kinsella fans who have read "Shoeless Joe" and suffered
Joe Jackson's heartbreak right along with him, or those who
have been through the wonderful story of the "Iowa Baseball
Confederacy" and really believe that once the Cubs were
locked in a two thousand inning ballgame with a bunch of
farmboys, are in for yet another treat here.
"The Dixon Cornbelt League" is a collection of Kinsella's
short stories designed to grab your attention, scare you a
little, but in the end, to gladden your heart. The topics
of the stories range from a baseball player who happens to
be a part time werewolf, through a modern day team manager
who gets calls from the long-dead pitcher, Christy
Matthewson, on the dugout phone, to the story the book is
named for. It is probably the most heartwarming of the lot,
but to tell you any of it might spoil the beauty and the
surprise.
All in all, this is one of Kinsella's better efforts. Any
baseball fan should definitely have it in his or her
collection, as should anyone who simply enjoys a really
good story.
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