A fan's notes: A fictional memoir - Softcover

Review

Frederick Exley recounts his life as the son of a hero-worshipped high school athlete who is doomed to be a spectator not only of sports, but of life. From irresponsible drifter, to dreamer of impossible dreams, to drunkard, to frequent patient at an insane asylum, Exley carried baggage from his childhood through much of his adult life, never feeling he could escape the dark cloud of expectation that hung over him. When Frank Gifford, former New York Giants backfield star, is injured, Exley is jolted into painful realizations about his life, and a confession.

From the Back Cover

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"I have now lost count of the number of times I have read [A Fan's Notes], yet each time I reenter it I find something new, something surprising, something that moves and changes me."

--from the Introduction by Jonathan Yardley

"A Fan's Notes is strong, beautiful, American, one of a kind."

--Kurt Vonnegut

"The best novel written in the English language since The Great Gatsby."

--Newsday