Double Fault

Book Description

Critics

• Advantage, Miss Shriver

  Double Fault by Lionel Shriver Serpent's Tail £10.99, pp342 Because of the furore surrounding last year's Orange Prize-winning We Need to Talk About Kevin, her novel about the relationship between a mother and her spree-killing son, anything Lionel S ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• Anyone for tennis?

  Double Fault by Lionel Shriver 336pp, Serpent's Tail, £10.99 Lionel Shriver had written six novels before We Need to Talk About Kevin won the Orange prize last year, finally bringing the kind of attention and acclaim that had eluded her for so long. ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

3 Reviews

• *** This comment contains spoilers! ***

  

  I read Shriver's previous novel We Need to Talk About Kevin which although a difficult read due to its subject matter, was extrememly well written. I have to say that Double Fault is equally of such a high standard. This is a much more comfortable story although it still challenges the reader to d ... (continue)

  I read Shriver's previous novel We Need to Talk About Kevin which although a difficult read due to its subject matter, was extrememly well written. I have to say that Double Fault is equally of such a high standard. This is a much more comfortable story although it still challenges the reader to draw their own conclusions and observations. The leads are poles apart in upbringing. Willy comes from a Jewish family, her father an english teacher and failed author. Her mother trained as a dancer but gave it up for family and works in a nursing home. Willy has an average sister, the household is shown as brown in decor and in their clothing. Eric is one of four boys, his father a doctor who both dotes on and wants the best for his eldest son. Eric is confident and self assured without being cocky, he is very single minded. Unlike Willy he does not love tennis, he wants to win because whatever he does, it is to be the best. Willy loves tennis more than anything else and it is this that comes between their marriage. Once married Eric's game takes off and runs up the rankings ladder in 200 leaps, whereas Willy struggles to jump 30 places at a time. Inevitably he outranks her and as he continues upwards, Willy's game starts to decline. Willy cannot cope with her husband's success and this has a destructive and disastrous effect on their marriage. I can empathise with Willy to an extent. After all she was used to beating her opponents but once Eric beat her she realised that she could not win them all, even though she was playing against a man. Her confidence was knocked and her self belief goes down. Yes, Eric is single minded but a very understanding husband. Perhaps his kindness and forgiveness made her fall into even further decline, after all you can kill with kindness. If you didn't like 'Kevin', don't be put off reading another by this author. This one is worth it.

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  Booketta said on Mar 10, 2011 | Add your feedback

• 

  
  Although this novel was first published in the USA in 1997, it was only published in the UK in 2006 after the success of ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’. It has similarities in style but I do not think it should be unfavorably compared as it was written much earlier in the authors career before her ... (continue)

  
  Although this novel was first published in the USA in 1997, it was only published in the UK in 2006 after the success of ‘We Need To Talk About Kevin’. It has similarities in style but I do not think it should be unfavorably compared as it was written much earlier in the authors career before her writing style had fully developed.

  Tennis is the dominate theme in this novel based on a relationship between two ambitious tennis players.
  The female protagonist is Wilhelmina Novinsky a professional tennis player whose life has been devoted to the game for as long as she can remember. Tennis has also been the only love in her life until she meets Eric Oberdorf a gifted player come late to the game but determined to make a success on the international tennis circuit. They marry and at first seem deeply in love but ambition and determination soon begin to affect the relationship as the competition between them causes tensions between them. Loyalty is well tested in this battle of the sexes on and off court.
  What could have been a great relationship is ruined by the demands of both Willy and Eric who at times were both in my mind rather unpleasant characters.

  Using tennis as the vehicle to write a relationship novel was for me a very interesting one, but somehow I doubt I would have enjoyed it quite so much if I was not a fan of tennis myself.

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  Lindyloumac said on Jan 26, 2010 | Add your feedback

• 

  nice game, but boy has Shriver improved

  I loved Shriver's last two books (Something about Kevin and the Post Birthday world) so much that I wanted to read her earlier works - this was okay, tennis, ego, love, ego... felt like watching a b movie. Okay for beach or airplane reading but Go for her later work, much better

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  Gail Paris said on Jan 28, 2009 | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
• Paperback 320 Pages
• ISBN-10: 1852429119
• ISBN-13: 9781852429119
• Publisher: Serpent's Tail
• Pub date: Aug 01, 2006
• Dimensions: 1355 mm x 903 mm x 129 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Hardcover

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