A Gentleman's Game: A Novel [Hardcover]

Tom Coyne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2001

With a soaring, lyrical prose that grips you from the first page and never lets you go, first-time novelist Tom Coyne brings to life an unforgettable story of a young man and the game he loves that is like no other -- A Gentleman's Game. It is the summer of 1985, and on the shaded fairways and immaculate greens of exclusive Fox Chase Country Club in suburban Delaware, Timmy Price is a young man whose mastery of the game of golf inspires awe among the adult membership and envy among his peers. Under the tutelage of the enigmatic guru Foster Pearse, he is beginning to develop a complete game that will soon make him Junior Champion of the state and draw the attention of college recruiters. But when his self-made father forces Timmy to become a caddy at the club to teach him a lesson in humility, he is thrown into the hardscrabble world of the behind-the-scenes workers who make the game possible. The motley crew of loopers who inhabit the caddy hole introduce him to the other side of the game he loves. There is the braggart lothario Position A, who boasts of his sexual conquests of the member's wives; Jeffrey, the heroin-addicted misfit from West Philly; and above all there is Jamie Byrne, the secretive teenager from the wrong side of town who has lost his thumbs in a mysterious accident and quickly becomes Timmy's closest confidant. And when Jamie abruptly stops showing up at the caddy hole, it begins a series of events that will force Timmy to confront the dark secret that hides behind the community of Fox Chase. Lush with beautifully rendered scenes and unforgettable characters, A Gentleman's Game is more than a coming-of-age story. It is a story of fathers and sons, of class and the pressure to succeed in an era of envy, and of the timeless passion for a beguiling and bedeviling game.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The unsung, often downtrodden heroes of the golf world the caddies stand at the center of Coyne's ironically titled debut. In 1985, 13-year-old Timmy Price shows a mastery of golf that inspires awe in adults and envy among his peers, though his father can barely afford to play at the exclusive Fox Chase Country Club in suburban Delaware. Timmy becomes the youngest junior state champion in history, but is forced by his father to work as a caddy; through his foul-mouthed, eccentric co-workers or "loopers," as they are known he discovers a seamier side of the game he loves. He learns hard, disillusioning lessons when his opponent cheats in a tournament and the adults he meets, though rich and powerful, are dishonest, drunk and often morally bankrupt. Timmy becomes friends with a disadvantaged caddy, Jamie Byrne, who not only comes from a bad home, but has lost his thumbs in an unexplained accident. When Jamie suddenly and mysteriously stops coming to the club, Timmy discovers an even darker secret about one of its powerful members, a secret that changes his whole outlook on life and golf. There are a few unmet expectations in the plot, such as one concerning Timmy's violent and antisocial brother, who lives in the attic and is like a gun placed in a drawer in act one but not used in act five. Although Timmy's final decision about where golf fits in his life will leave some readers puzzled, this appealing first effort is a satisfyingly idiosyncratic coming-of-age story dealing with class, family and the elusive challenge and fickleness of the sport. Agent, Dan Mandel, Sanford J. Greenburger. (May)Sinise, directed by Mills Goodloe and shot where Coyne once caddied, is scheduled for release in late 2001.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In this believable, wrenching story, young Timmy Price learns in an ugly way that class and high social class are not the same. As both a caddy and the son of a member at the Fox Chase Country Club in suburban Delaware, he has a foot in two social worlds. At 12, he easily wins tournaments with a natural swing that members admiringly call "pure," but his friends are fellow caddies at the lower end of the social scale. The club members pride themselves on playing a "gentleman's game," but Jimmy sees the club's members too close up to believe in their honor. He knows which ones are drunks, cheats, or racists; which ones abuse anyone without the power to fight back; and which one is a child molester whose crime the members all agree to ignore. Timmy prefers purity to the tarnished championship (and complicity) such men can offer him. Coyne's debut novel is highly recommended for all fiction collections. Marylaine Block, Librarian Without Walls
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press; 1st edition (May 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871137917
• ISBN-13: 978-0871137913
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #352,991 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tom Coyne has written for Golf Magazine and Golfweek magazine. He is the author of Paper Tiger and the novel A Gentleman's Game, which was adapted into a movie starring Gary Sinise.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for anyone on your gift list, July 13, 2001

By 

Jill Griffin (Des Plaines, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Gentleman's Game: A Novel (Hardcover)

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I have since passed on this recommendation to others. Though not a golfer, Coyne's descriptive narrative actually increased my desire to try to experience the magic of a game that thus far, I have not attempted to play. Golf, like life, is a just as much a battle with yourself, as it is a battle with others. A Gentleman's Game superbly depicts the personal struggles of a young boy, both on and off the golf course. I've always felt that how one acts on a playing field is a true reflection of the character of the individual, and Coyne's characters echo this sentiment. I think Coyne also presents the idea that "success" is not, or at least should not be, measured by status or skill, but by being true to oneself. Foster Pearse, Timmy, and Mr. Price all know who they are and do not try to be anything different. Perhaps one of the best facets of the book is that the characters all seem real. And in his description, the surroundings come alive and the dew on the grass and the heat of a humid August afternoon all seem tangible. The book is a great read and it made me want to wake at 7 am on a Saturday, walk down a fairway, socks soaked from the dew of the wet grass seeping through my shoes. I am looking forward to Tom Coyne's next.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars HOLE IN ONE!!, April 20, 2001

By 

Thomas J. Donnelly (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Gentleman's Game: A Novel (Hardcover)

Tom Coyne got it right his first time out! He grabbed my attention in the first line and held it through his surprising conclusion. I actually lost sleep the first night reading, as I rounded the turn, and lay awake wondering what would unfold on the back nine.

In "A Gentleman's Game", Coyne vividly sets an affluent Country Club as the backdrop for a cast of diverse characters. He takes you into the world of Golf in a way you've never seen it before, crossing social barriers and commenting on the struggles of each class. He uses a likeable, 13 year old, golf prodigy to delve into the lives of characters we all know and characters we've never met. Using dialogue that is real and to the point, Coyne makes you feel like you are involved in the conversation. Words are never wasted. He makes you laugh, cry, and think!

"A Gentleman's Game" is entertaining, disturbing, sensitive, and soothing. It's a must read for Golfers and non-golfers alike!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must read for men and woman alike...., July 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Gentleman's Game: A Novel (Hardcover)

As a woman and non-golfer, I did not expect "A Gentleman's Game" to interest me -- but to my surprise, Tom Coyne has written one of the best novels I have read in a long time. Although the story evolves in and around the golf course, this book is more about the people who play (and those who love them) than the game itself. "A Gentleman's Game" speaks to a universal audience, a story written for both men and women alike involving such important issues as race, class, and gender. Tom Coyne has written an excellent first novel-- I highly recommend it!