The Art of FieldingThe Art of Fielding
Score Modern
What it's about
At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big-league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 51 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's a big-hearted novel about friendship, ambition and failure.
You'll love it if you liked
Middlesex
A Prayer for Owen Meany
The Secret HistoryGood to know
You don't need to love baseball. It's long and character-driven.
By the numbers
- Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller54 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #95 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #788 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1475 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
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Quick answers
Is The Art of Fielding worth reading?
Yes. It spent 51 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #1,475 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 68.4 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Art of Fielding about?
At Westish College, a small school on the shore of Lake Michigan, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big-league stardom. But when a routine throw goes disastrously off course, the fates of five people are upended.
How long does it take to read The Art of Fielding?
About 13 hours (525 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Art of Fielding?
If you liked it, try Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving or The Secret History by Donna Tartt.