Customer Reviews

Two in the Field

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is good stuff, just not as good as "If I Never Get Back," which remains one of my favorite recent novels.

I guess my one real concern about the book is that it's more of a continuation than a sequel. I doubt that it would stand well on its own, as there are characters and events that would just seem to come out of nowhere if you don't have the background of the preceeding novel.

Just a few, brief comments:

1. It's a worthy follow-on to the original novel, but you should definitely have read If I Never Get Back first. (Or heck, just reread it; it stands up really well!)

2. There is definitely less baseball, and less focus on baseball, although it does recur throughout.

3. The ending seems a bit hurried, and less carefully crafted than the rest of the novel. I still haven't decided whether this is just because I didn't want it to end, or whether I'm not pleased with the ending.

It's well-written, well-researched, and well worth the time to read it.

Darryl Brock's problem, quite frankly, is that he hit a grand slam with "If I Never Get Back" (1989), a classic baseball adventure, time travel book.

So what does he do for an encore?

Well, if you're Mr. Brock, you send Sam Fowler back to the past to search for his beloved Cait, then get him involved with a little bit of baseball (unlike his first book in which baseball dominated), Mark Twain (delightfully again), Gen. George Custer, the American West and an interesting group of new characters.

A grand slam? Well, maybe not, but a two- or three-run home run at least. In other words, Mr. Brock has written a sequel worthy of IINGB. A must read - but start with IINGB first. You won't put either of them down.

When I first read "If I Never Get Back", I was completely enthralled with it. I reread it many years later, and still enjoyed it. I looked forward to "Two In the Field", and zipped thru it, but in the end found myself thinking, "Is that it?". It was enjoyable, and I liked meeting historical characters like Twain and Custer, but overall found the book a little disappointing. Two of my favorite topics are time travel and baseball, which is why I liked the first one so much. I have to wonder why this one is titled as it is, since baseball is such a miniscule part of the plot. And I agree with those who say it ended abruptly.

"If I Never Get Back" was the greatest baseball novel I have ever read. When I heard that the sequel had come out, I ordered it immediately. I was not disappointed. Darryl Brock brings back most all of the main characters from the first novel.These were a group of characters with depth, and I cared about them. As the other reviewers have said, this book was a continuation of the first. Its as if Mr. Brock wrote this book specifically for fans of "If I Never Get Back", which number many. Baseball is less of a theme in this book, but it never strays far from the main theme. I also thought the book ended a bit abruptly, but I really didnt want it to end.

A must-read for fans of the first book and lovers of time travel fiction. Sports fiction fans may be a bit disappointed by the lesser role the national pastime takes in this book, but may appreciate the cosmic significance it is accorded.

Many moons ago, knowing of my love for Jack Finney's great Time and Again, a friend (and former sports reporter) of mine turned me on to If I Never Get Back. I loved the story and found Brock's writing style easy to read and compelling, although not particularly lyrical. I duly added the book to my roster of fave reads, even though the lack of closure at the end was disappointing. I was pleasantly surprised to discover the sequel a few weeks ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although Sam's adventures are pretty far-fetched (newsflash: it's a fantasy!), it's a fast-moving tale peopled by well-drawn (even if sometimes one-dimensional) characters. And best of all -- closure! It was a satisfying read, I was delighted to revisit some old friends (Mark Twain, especially), and really delighted to find out what happened.

After reading "If I never get back," I immediately ordered "Two in the Field." While some disparage this sequel because of the comparative lack of baseball scenes, I found that a plus. I'm not a big baseball fan, and could do without extended descriptions of ball games, as occurred in "If I never get back." I found "Two in the Field" to be exciting, a real adventure story with enough plot twists to keep me glued to the page. I appreciate Brock's attention to detail, and this made the characters seem real and believable. This is the best book sequel that I've ever read. I do agree, however, that to fully enjoy this book, you need to first read "If I never get back." I would love to read a continuation of Sam Fowler's adventures in the past. He's quite a likable character.

The author made you feel as if you were there, back in that period of history. Great adventure with a good ending, and the hero getting the girl. I loved it.

As a sequel this book does a good job on answering questions that may have lingered. I really enjoyed reading this book. You have to be prepared that this is not a baseball story but more of a part 2, or even western. Still wonderfully written. Anytime the book may slowdown a little nostalgia comes along.

Being a fan of baseball and historical fiction, you can't really go wrong with reading this series. I would recommend to anyone who wants to escape back in time, while meeting up with Mark Twain, General Custer, among others. Ready for some more Mr. Brock.

When I read the first book, 'If I never get back' I was thoroughly captivated. Very interesting work. Not sure what ten years does to a man, but boy oh boy is this one sorry bunch of sappy crap. It's books like this that create 'nice guys' who actually believe this overly-romantic fantasy world. The time-travel is actually the most believeable part. While the first book was a creative novel with A LITTLE romance, this book is filled with cheezy lines and overly do-goody stuff - like the idea that a former-slave who Sam Fowler (the main character) meets would IMMEDIATELY trust a white man. Brock plays this book like it's a baseball novel to suck in men who get ultimately duped into believing it has a good plot line only to find out it's really one precarious step from a trashy dime-store novel. Brock's first book is wonderful, but his work here took a decidedly 'Kevin Smith'-Jersey girl turn, representing a man who had a lot going for him until this enormous bump in the road. I would not purchase this book - check it out from your library if you have already read the other 100 (or maybe, 1000) books on your 'must read' list. Interesting history stuff but can't overcome the sappy phrases throughout.