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The Natural
The Natural
Author: Bernard Malamud
The Natural is a 1952 novel about baseball written by Bernard Malamud. The book follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked when he is shot by a woman whose motivation remains mysterious. Whether she is acting alone or is part of a plot can be debated. Most of the story concerns itself with his attempts to return to basebal...  more »
ISBN: 375890
Publication Date: 10/1974
Pages: 217
Rating:
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Publisher: Pocket Books (Simon & Schuster)
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Write a Review

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reviewed The Natural on + 7 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
Powerful, mythic, wonderful use of language.
reviewed The Natural on + 552 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
THE FINEST NOVEL ABOUT BASEBALL SINCE RING LARDNER LEFT THE SCENE.
reviewed The Natural on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Malamud's prose does a wonderful job capturing the essence of what baseball is: brief moments of chaotic action amid long stretches of patient passivity.
reviewed The Natural on + 2 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
As a fan of baseball I eagerly anticipated reading "The Natural" by Bernard Malamud. I, personally, was disappointed. Not that the writing was bad, it wasn't but I do not believe that the author has ever watched a game of baseball or if he has then he doesn't know enough about the game to write intelligently about baseball. There are just too many instances where the story lost me because the time wasn't taken and experts consulted to get the rules of the game straight.
nursenancy avatar reviewed The Natural on + 51 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Liked the movie so much better, which is not usually the case for me.
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reviewed The Natural on + 29 more book reviews
This is supposed to be a classic novel. I just couldn't get into it. Probably because I have the edition w/movie stills plastered all over it and that really turned me off to the book.

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