Four young caddies at a Boston golf course begin a friendship in the 1950s that will carry through into adulthood, with golf remaining the unifying force in their lives. By the author of Sex and Money. 15,000 first printing.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Spooner's latest (after Sex and Money ) attempts to illuminate a generation by ranging over a span of 40 years in the lives of four men: brash Red Singer, rich Freddie Temple, ambitious Duke Hennessey and insecure Dickie Rosenberg. Natives of the same Boston suburb but of very different religious and class backgrounds, they rise from jobs as golf caddies at age 13 to business success in their chosen fields of real estate development, film producing, investment banking and apparel manufacturing. In a series of anecdotes linked by periodic golf matches, the novel traces their years in high school and college, their struggles to reach the top (and the price paid by each) their marriages and divorces, business achievements and failures, dreams and ambitions--and, most of all, their efforts to best one another. While Spooner hints at discerning observations, his characters' competitiveness limits their appeal and keeps the reader from understanding what bonds them. Spooner buries any insights he might have in a string of anecdotes and unfocused dialogue, skimming quickly over an odd mix of tones and messages. Most damaging, the plot's pivotal event lacks credibility and thus narrative power.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In 1950 four boys become friends while caddying in the Boston suburb of Brookwood (a renamed but recognizable Brookline) and remain competitive buddies through the next four decades. We follow them through high school (prep school for the affluent WASP) and college, the service (except for the 4-F Irish jock), love affairs sweet and sour, marriages good and bad, and an obsessive pursuit of wealth. Every five years they meet to play golf and determine who is the most successful of the group. Along with their competitiveness they share a secret: their involvement as boys in a freak fatal accident. As they ascend into the worlds of Hollywood, high finance, real estate, and women's fashion, so, too, does their victim's younger brother ascend in the world of politics until he is poised to run for the presidency and becomes an inescapable presence in the lives of the foursome. Entertaining reading by the author of the nonfiction Sex and Money ( LJ 3/1/85), both as a trip down memory lane and as an examination of the male ego.
- Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Charles Michaud, Turner Free Lib., Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
John D. Spooner is the only investment advisor/writer in America. His best-selling nonfiction includes Confessions of a Stockbroker, Smart People, and Sex and Money, and novels including Class and The Foursome. His articles have appeared regularly in magazines such as Playboy, Town and Country, The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire, Time, and The Boston Globe. He has been a director of The Atlantic Monthly and David Godine Publishers, and has been a member of the Massachusetts Cultural Council which distributes all arts funding for the Commonwealth. He has been honored with the Literary Lights Award, given to New England's most distinguished writers by the Boston Public Library.
A Managing Director for a major investment firm, Mr. Spooner was the creator of A Book For Boston; a celebration of Boston's 350th birthday. He lectures widely and has appeared on numerous TV and radio programs including, Wall Street Week, Fox News, and NPR, on the philosophy of investing. Currently he is a guest commentator on Bloomberg National Radio. Spooner is on the board of the Harvard Alumni Association and was a co-founder of The Curious George Foundation.
Inc. Magazine has said about him, "Spooner, known nationally as the author of Smart People, and Confessions of a Stock Broker, is a phenomenon, as much a psychologist and futurist as an investment advisor." Robert B. Parker, author of the Spenser series, has said that "Spooner is one of the best writers in America," and The Boston Globe has said that he is "a national treasure." He has been a contributing editor for Worth magazine, and has been the Business Editor of Boston Magazine. His book, Do You Want to Make Money or Would You Rather Fool Around? has been a Boston Globe bestseller translated into foreign editions in Hungary, China, and Japan. The Improper Bostonian magazine voted him "Boston's best investment advisor." Barron's named him one of the '100 Best Investment Advisors in America.'
Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A tale of four friends who share a passion for golf and life,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Foursome (Hardcover)
The Foursome by John D. Spooner is an excellent book telling the story of four kids from a Boston suburb who grow up to be successful business men. They share a number of experiences but continue to return to each other using golf as the touchstone for their relationship. Duke,Red,Freddie,and Dicky all have their share of ups and downs but come out winners in the end. I would recommend this book to any reader but particularly to males with an interest in golf.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A story of four men who share a passion for golf and life.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Foursome (Hardcover)
The Foursome is an excellent book written by John D. Spooner that follows the lives of four friends from a Boston suburb from early adolescence to middle age. The central theme of the story is staying true to your friends and the many trials and tribulations that face people as they mature. The focus of the story is golf with the boys starting out as caddies and then joining together in a reunion type of golf matches to compare lives and successes. I truly enjoyed this book and consider it an excellent read for anyone, but particularly for male readers with an interest in golf.
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