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Double Fault

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"Double Fault" by Lionel Shriver revolves around the intense relationship between two tennis players, Willy Novinsky and Eric Oberdorf. The story delves into their competitive nature, marriage struggles, and the impact of their careers on their personal lives. The writing style is described as detailed and in-depth, offering a close examination of the characters and their actions, particularly focusing on the themes of ambition, jealousy, and gender differences.

Characters:

The characters are deeply flawed individuals, with Willy being a particularly complex and ambitious protagonist.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is straightforward and engaging, making it accessible to readers.

Plot/Storyline:

The narrative revolves around a couple of competing tennis players navigating the complexities of love and professional rivalry.

Setting:

The setting highlights the competitive landscape of tennis while exploring personal relationships.

Pacing:

The pacing maintains tension, although it may feel slow to some readers.
In the interests of storytelling, the tennis ranking system has been simplified in this novel. Readers curious about the complexities of national versus international rankings, or the WTA versus Virgi...

Notes:

The main characters are two professional tennis players, Willy and Eric.
Willy has been playing tennis since she was five, while Eric starts at eighteen.
The book explores the rivalry and tensions that develop in their marriage due to competitive nature.
The narrative is primarily from Willy's perspective, similar to Shriver's previous work, 'We Need to Talk About Kevin.'
The story discusses themes of ambition, competition, and the complexity of relationships.
Unlike some of Shriver's other works, the language in 'Double Fault' is more accessible.
The ending of the book is not traditional or happy, reflecting the ongoing struggles in their relationship.
Willy is characterized as a fiercely ambitious woman who values tennis highly.
Readers have mixed reactions to the complexity of Willy's character; some find her less sympathetic.
The book can be interpreted as a commentary on any strained relationship, not just marriages.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for Double Fault would include themes of jealousy, marital discontent, identity loss, and mental health challenges—all presenting a medium level of distress.

From The Publisher:

"This book is about the small and large ways we hurt each other in the greatest competition on the face of the earth: Love. Buy it. It belongs on that shelf of books you will return to again and again."-Harry Crews

"Shriver confronts some disconcerting truths that defy a pat, politically correct resolution."-"The New York Times Book Review"

"Love me, love my game" says twenty-three year-old Willy Novinsky. Ever since she picked up a racquet at the age of four, tennis has been Willy's one love, until the day she meets Eric Oberdorf. She's a middle-ranked professional tennis player and he's a Princeton graduate who took up playing tennis at the age of eighteen. Low-ranked but untested, Eric, too, aims to make his mark on the international tennis circuit. Willy beholds compatibility spiced with friendly rivalry, and discovers her first passion outside a tennis court. They marry.

Married life starts well but animated shop talk and blissful love-making soon give way to full-tilt competition over who can rise to the top first. In this captivating book, Shriver dissects the hazards of a two-career relationship in this brilliantly perceptive novel about the price both men and women pay for prizing achievement over love.

Born and raised in North Carolina, Lionel Shriver is the author of seven novels, a "Guardian" columnist, and a contributor to the "Wall Street Journal," "Philadelphia Inquirer," and "Economist." She lives in London. "We Need To Talk About Kevin" won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2005.

1997
349 pages

Reader Stats (4):

Want To Read (3)
Not Interested (1)
 
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