Again to Carthage by John L. Parker Jr. Summary and Reviews
|
Our Price: $25.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $3.05 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Again to Carthage
Book Review: Frustrated throughout - until Cedar Mountain
Summary: 4 Stars
I had to put this book down a few times because I did not believe that a sequel to OAR had little to do with running. However, as I was reading about his law practice, his vacation in Bermuda, his lack of relationships and on and on...I realized that this is the boring life of anyone. I realized that he needs purpose and significance and since he was once a runner, he returns to running. When this occurs is when I become captivated by Parker's explanation of why we run, how it makes us feel, and how we envy seeing someone run effortlessly and knowing the power and joy that carries them. Parker's explanation of this is what makes the book worth while.
I am mostly a trail runner and that is why I liked Parker's description of where Quenton trained. He went back to basics. And isn't that all running is.
Book Review: Glad I read; still not sure I liked it.
Summary: 3 Stars
Once a Runner is still my favorite book of all time, and I've always felt that most any page taken by itself contains more truth about competitive distance running than has ever been written in every issue of Runner's World. So, I was eager to dive into the sequel.
Parker's writing style has not changed; that's a good thing, but I thought the last race was more than a little over dramatized. Though entertaining, I found the chapter that occurred the day before that race to be extraneous to the plot of the book.
I did not care for the mixing of real people with fictitious characters, but on the other hand, Parker's giving props to real life atheletes was cool...the only guy who missed out was the one who Quentin displaced in the last race. I did not like the way he played with time and real people; Mark Stickley came along 2-3 years after the Shea sisters, not 10 years before.
My biggest gripe is that Once a Runner ended just after the Montreal Games. Again to Carthage starts the day after Once a Runner ends (apparently), but it could be no later than 1972 (as an aside, I didn't find Mizner's character believable in the sequel). Even then, I'm not sure the events of the book would fit into the timeline between the beginning and the end. Mr. Parker, you may have created this universe, but you still must abide by it's rules; you don't get to make them up as you go.
I suppose this is a pretty harsh review. If I had it to do over again, I would buy and read the book again but only because I'm such a fan of the original. I was afraid that might be setting me up for a disappointment.
Three stars for this book. Five and a half for the original.
Book Review: Good Things Come To All Who Wait
Summary: 5 Stars
Many moons ago, I was fascinated by "Once A Runner", like just about everyone else who read it. I think that being a runner greatly enhances the enjoyment. It was a long wait for the sequel, but "Again To Carthage" is well worth it. I'm a 63 year old who has been running and competing for decades, and this book hits the spot. It includes the life experiences that come along with the territory of aging, and overall is a more mature book than is OAR. Like just about everyone else, I'd recommend that you read the first book first. The continuity helps. Once again, Parker has written a gem.Book Review: Good follow up to a great book
Summary: 4 Stars
A little too descriptive at times, but overall the story is interesting and thoughtful. I felt that on occasion the author wanted to put so much in that the real guts of the story would be put on hold for a chapter or two. It's my personal opinion that the ending twist was a tad predictable, but not annoying. If you are a runner, this is a great book with parts that will sound very familiar to some. If not, then you may be a little disappointed. I'm bias, but I really love the characters and was very happy with the end result. Do not read this book if you haven't already read Once A Runner...Book Review: Good sequel, not great
Summary: 3 Stars
As a fan of Once a Runner, I was excited to find out what became of Quenton Cassidy and his return to competitive running. I won't say that I was disappointed, but Again to Carthage is more inconsistent than its predecessor and, rather annoyingly, littered with typos.
Parker indulges in many allusions to scenes or characters from Once a Runner which is hard to criticize in an author who is trying to pen a sequel to his one-hit-wonder sensation. But what I found less excusable was the large percentage of the pages that had little connection to the narrative. Most of the novel's first half is filled with detailed descriptions of a fishing trip in the Caribbean and tales of Cassidy's family in the mountains of the Carolinas. While some of these tangential forays are very pertinent and added to the narrative depth of the novel, many seemed like authorial indulgence, with Parker using the book to glorify the American Southeast and its hardy residents. Honestly, Parker knows that runners are his audience, so why relegate the actual running to the final third of the novel? I can't say that the novel is overly long or feels padded either; for instance, his love interest is never a focal point of the book, but the final scene centers around it. But despite debatable narrative flaws, I was most annoyed by the dozens of typos found in the text. For an anticipated book such as this, I would have preferred to have an editor give the book a look over before it became mass-produced.
All in all, Again to Carthage is an entertaining sequel to the vaunted Once a Runner. It won't disappoint serious runners or fans who crave to read more about Quenton Cassidy, but it could have been a great sequel given some better editing and more of a focus on the actual running.