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A Book Review
Reviewed by Marci G. Baun © 2004
Wild Child Publishing.com © 2004
When Charley first submitted his stories to us, we knew it was only a matter of time before some publishing house would snatch them up. Wild Child has published a number of the stories found in this collection. After reading them a second and third time through, I am still charmed by them.
What is it about these stories that appeals to me so much? Perhaps it is the understated, yet very apparent, humor. Or maybe it is that while Charley pokes fun at the foibles of human nature, he does so with kindness. The reader has the impression that perhaps Charley has experience with these foibles and is laughing, not just at others, but at himself too. It's this gentle humor that keeps this reader smiling and reading, wanting to know how the character will extract himself from his current, uncomfortable situation. This book also evokes memories of bygone days spent following my parents around the golf course watching them act like children and laughing at their antics.
The characters in this collection are a wide variety, men and women. The only constant character is Ernie Evans, the long-time golf pro, and sage, of the Riverdale Golf and Country Club. Having spent a deal of time on a golf course while growing up, I can vouch that these characters really do exist.
The hardest part about reviewing this book is trying to choose a favorite story. This is nigh impossible to do. Instead, I will share with you a few of my favorites:
A Gentleman's Game. The rules of golf are quite concise and painstakingly drawn out. My grandmother, also a golfer, was a stickler for the rules. She taught my father these rules and made others play by them. So when I read this story about a secretary forced to keep score for her boss of 22 years during a tournament, I had to chuckle. The secretary picked up a booklet on the rules of golf and studied them in order to be prepared as his scorekeeper. Well, the rules of golf are, as Mr. Rechlin so aptly describes them, "more complicated than the Internal Revenue Code." (I kid you not.) Learning the rules overnight was no mean feat. It is no surprise then, throughout the round of golf, the secretary and her boss are at odds. Her boss keeps bullying her into complying with the "score" he recites to her, even as he breaks the rules. You see, he obviously wants to win even if he has to cheat to do it. Eventually, she does give up trying to make him adhere to the rules, and he's happy that he's "won". However, in the end, well... I won't ruin it for you.
Why do I like this story as much as I do? Well, I have been on the links often enough to have seen this happen more than once. People are constantly trying to circumvent the rules of golf, just as they do in life.
Another story I really enjoyed was Coupled. About a married couple, one of whom was a much better player than the other, who compete yearly in a tournament, their story reminded me in many ways of my parents and their haggling on the golf course. Dad constantly would give Mom advice on how to swing her club. (My mother has a beautiful swing while Dad's looked like he was trying to cut the grass with a scythe.) I have also witnessed this behavior from many other golfers over the years, and I must say that it's amusing when I am not on the receiving end of the advice. So reading this story was like being transported back in time. Oh, what happens between the couple? Well, you'll have to buy the book to find out.
Do you have to know golf to enjoy these stories? No. These stories are truly more about humans and our desires than golf. Yes, they are set on a golf course with golf as their backdrop, but anyone can read them and relate to the situations, through either experience or observation or both, and laugh.
If you are looking for a book that will keep you chuckling, The Riverdale Chronicles is a must to have in your library.
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