Feb 23, 2017 a sport and a pastime is a seductive classic that established james salter s reputation as one of the finest writers of our time. James salter was the celebrated author of six novels the hunters, 1957. A sport and a pastime 1967 is a novel by the american writer james salter. Checkerboard film foundation a britannica publishing partnersee all videos for this article. Chris crowley, author of younger next year, was a friend of james salter and wrote a moving tribute to him.
Originally a career officer and pilot in the united states air force, he resigned from the military in 1957 following the successful publication of his first novel. Last summer, salter was announced the winner of the rea award for the short story an honor he shares with updike, joyce carol oates, grace. It is remarkable for its eroticism, its luminous prose and its ability to explore the boundaries between what is dreamt and what is lived, between body and soul. James salter, the veteran american novelist and short story writer, reads a story by lydia davis, winner of the 20 man booker international prize podcast published. Philip dean, a footloose yale dropout, is touring provincial france and sometimes paris in a borrowed, once elegant car. If there exists a work of literature in english as well regarded as this book is, which has more sex in it, i am not aware of it. James salters blue, indolent corner of burgundy the. He also had a successful hollywood career, most notably as. Before becoming a writer, salter lived an energetic life as a west point graduate and a fighter pilot. I read this book because i loved salters novel light years, which was his next novel after this one. Apr 18, 2020 salter, james james salter discussing his childhood and interest in books, from the documentary james salter. Unusual, for a book written by an american in the 60s, the title is derived from a verse in the koran.
A sport and a pastime is a pretty good definition of how a certain kind of man treats women in relationships. Reading this book fifty years later, im testament to that statement with a reputation in the writing community as a writers writer, each of james salters sentences reads like an instruction guide for how to write the correct sentence. Salter grew up in new york city and was a career officer and air force pilot until his midthirties, when the success of his first novel the hunters, 1957 led to a fulltime writing career. He was known as a writers writer with critical, but not commercial success. James salter s depictions of sex as a glorious, writhing inevitability in a sport and a pastime divulge certain truths about companionship. Jun 20, 2015 james salter, the prizewinning author acclaimed for his sophisticated, granular prose and sobering insights in light years, a sport and a pastime and other fiction, has died at age 90.
Salters short, compressed novel, the story of a love affair. Having never heard of salterdespite his many critical accoladesi decided to get a few of his books. His recent passing inspired me to finally read one of his novels that i have heard so much about. This 54minute documentary traces the writer james salters lifelong love affair with france, unforgettably expressed in his 1967 masterpiece, a sport and a pastime. A sport and a pastime by james salter and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Salter s potent, lyrical prose has earned him acclaim from critics, readers, and fellow novelists. The fifth in a series of essays on reading as personal experience.
A sport and a pastime was supposedly salters personal favorite and his view of a perfect novel. After salter s death in 2015, the novel has continued to receive critical attention. He begins a mismatched affair with a young shop girl named annemarie. With nick antosca, sonya chung, reynolds price, robert redford. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Dec 19, 2019 a sport and a pastime by james salter fiction paperback. James salters a sport and a pastime is published as a picador classic. There is the seen and the unseenand pages that burn with a rare intensity. Touring paris and provincial france in a handsome borrowed car, philip dean, yale dropout, has an affair with a young french woman named annemarie. A sport and a pastime a documentary focusing both on that most wellknown of his novels, as well as his lifelong love affair with france premiered in new york city. A sport and a pastime is a luminous depiction of the making of a writer and the genesis of a classic novel.
Remember that the life of this world is but a sport and a pastime koran, lvii19 1 september. A sport and a pastime is a seductive classic that established james salter s reputation as one of the finest writers of our time. A sport and a pastime by james salter, paperback barnes. The city, which was almost empty during august, now is filling up again. This is a brilliant, probing and very subtle depiction of. His third novel, a sport and a pastime, became an immediate classic on its publication in 1967 and has since remained continually in print, in various. A sport and a pastime was supposedly salter s personal favorite and his view of a perfect novel. August 23, 2015 by jesse kornbluth leave a comment. Having never heard of salter despite his many critical accoladesi decided to get a few of his books. Since its publication in 1967, during the decade of sexual revolution, a sport and a pastime has set the standard not only for eroticism in fiction, but for the principal organ of literature. James salter is one of those authors i had only ever heard good things about, so when i found a sport and a pastime in my local secondhand store i live a few doors down from elizabeths bookshop in fremantle, i couldnt resist buying it first published in 1967, it tells the story of a love affair between an american college dropout and. Feb 17, 2017 james salters a sport and a pastime is published as a picador classic.
A sport and a pastime has at least three things going for it from my standpoint. Fragments of the novel, read by the late author, reynolds price, are intercut with ralph gibsons photographs, conversations with robert. James salter, author of a sport and a pastime, dead at 90. Sep 26, 2012 you could say that the book a sport and a pastime is a long poem to provincial france. May 29, 20 james salters depictions of sex as a glorious, writhing inevitability in a sport and a pastime divulge certain truths about companionship. A sport and a pastime 1968 is the third novel of the american writer james salter b. A sport and a pastime established james salters reputation as one of the. To celebrate, joe fox, salters editor at random house, hosted a dinner at a french restaurant on madison. Uncommonly good collectible and rare books from uncommonly good booksellers. In this video, author james salter speaks about his experience visiting france for the first time, in 1950. Set in provincial france in the 1960s, james salters a sport and a pastime is the intensely carnal storypart shocking reality, part feverish dream of a love affair between a footloose yale dropout and a young french girl. Fragments of the novel, read by the late author, reynolds price, are intercut with ralph gibsons photographs, conversations with robert redford for whom salter wrote the screenplay, downhill racer. James salter is one of those authors i had only ever heard good things about, so when i found a sport and a pastime in my local secondhand store i live a few doors down from elizabeths bookshop in fremantle, i couldnt resist buying it. Find a sport and a pastime by salter, james at biblio.
Released in 1967, james salters a sport and a pastime, which has become something of a cult novel, doesnt seem to fit in with the summer of love ethos of its time. I read salters classic a sport and a pastime, in 20. Beautiful and haunting, a sport and a pastime is one of the first great american novels to speak frankly of human desire and the yearning for passion free of guilt and shame. Their liaison is imagined with candour and sensitivity by an unnamed narrator, whose fantasies become compellingly and hauntingly real. Salters comments on the novel describe a different book than the one he actually wrote. This ebook features an illustrated biography of james salter including rare photos from the authors personal collection. The film traces writer james salter s lifelong love affair with france, unforgettably expressed in his 1967 masterpiece, a sport and a pastime.
You could say that the book a sport and a pastime is a long poem to provincial france. The film captures the great purity of salters prose and the essence of his power to evoke the erotic. A sport and a pastime by james salter reading matters. While it partakes of some of the boho freespiritedness of the beats and henry millers raw sexuality, it also is a more crafted, poignant work in which the sex and the freedom. A sport and a pastime by james salter pan macmillan. Fiction survives through minor novels like this one.
As nearly perfect as any american fiction i know, is how reynolds price the new york times described this classic. Video of interviews with robert redford, robert ginna, nick antosca, and james salter on the latters works, from the documentary james salter. In 2017, sarah hall writing for the guardian observed that. With a reputation in the writing community as a writers writer, each of james salters sentences reads like an instruction. Set in provincial france in the 1960s, james salters a sport and a pastime is the intensely carnal story. North point press san fransisco 1985on the surface this is a love story. James salter, acclaimed author of a sport and a pastime. Horowitz, born june 10, 1925, passaic, new jersey, u. Released in 1967, james salter s a sport and a pastime, which has become something of a cult novel, doesnt seem to fit in with the summer of love ethos of its time.
James salter, the prizewinning author acclaimed for his sophisticated, granular prose and sobering insights in light years, a sport and a pastime and other fiction, died friday in sag harbor. James salters depictions of sex as a glorious, writhing inevitability in a sport and a pastime divulge certain truths about companionship. The film traces writer james salters lifelong love affair with france, unforgettably expressed in his 1967 masterpiece, a sport and a pastime. James salter, the prizewinning author acclaimed for his sophisticated, granular prose and sobering insights in light years, a sport and a pastime and other fiction, has died at age 90. Salters own reflections on his writing and life offer rich insights for reader and writer alike. The second, james salters a sport and a pastime, slowly explodes. Set in provincial burgundy in the early 1960s, a sport and a pastime, the 1967 novel by the american writer james salter, depicts a love affair between an aimless yale dropout named dean and.
The second, james salter s a sport and a pastime, slowly explodes. James salter is the author of numerous books, including the novels solo faces, light years, a sport and a pastime, the arm of flesh revised as cassada, the hunters and all that is. A sport and a pastime by james salter remember that the life of this world is but a sport and a pastime. James salter 1925 2015 was a novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Jul 22, 2015 the full 54 minute documentary, produced by checkerboard films, captures the great purity of salter s prose and the essence of his power to evoke the erotic. Phillip dean, an american dropout from yale, and annemari costallat, a french shop girl, live and love, love, love. James salter, author of a sport and a pastime, dead at.
A sport and a pastime by james salter narrative magazine. A sport and a pastime established james salter s reputation as one of the. In 1995, modern library published a hardcover edition of a sport and a pastime. James salter 19252015 was a master of the short story, an exquisite novelist and memoirist, an accomplished screenwriter, essayist, and journalist, the recipient of numerous awards, and a member of the american academy of arts and letters. Following a young couple in 1960s france, a sport and a pastime asks how we make sense of romance and tells the truth about sexual love.
A sport and a pastime a novel by salter, james and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. The full 54 minute documentary, produced by checkerboard films, captures the great purity of salters prose and the essence of his power to evoke the erotic. A sport and a pastime is about the brief romance between philip dean, a college dropout, and annemarie, a young french girl, in the early sixties. Arching gracefully, like a glorious 4th of july rocket, it illuminates the dark sky of sex. Reading this book fifty years later, im testament to that statement. A sport and a pastime this 54minute documentary traces the writer james salters lifelong love affair with france, unforgettably expressed in his 1967 masterpiece, a sport and a pastime. Jun 05, 2018 set in provincial burgundy in the early 1960s, a sport and a pastime, the 1967 novel by the american writer james salter, depicts a love affair between an aimless yale dropout named dean and.
James arnold horowitz june 10, 1925 june 19, 2015, better known as james salter, his pen name and lateradopted legal name, was an american novelist and shortstory writer. The novel, a transcendent examination of sexual desire, follows an illfated love affair between a yale dropout and a young french girl, played out in the villages of burgundy in the 1960s. So this was a shotinthedark sort of purchase, and im glad i made it. A sport and a pastime by james salter free book pdf. Jun 19, 2015 james salter 1925 2015 was a novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Jun 19, 2015 james salter, the prizewinning author acclaimed for his sophisticated, granular prose and sobering insights in light years, a sport and a pastime and other fiction, has died at age 90. Together they burn in an everyday but stunningly sensual paradise.
1642 344 1352 1246 77 1674 550 1592 96 33 460 71 334 1471 828 766 1630 159 712 1141 324 1095 46 103 763 770 1341 656 408 552