Member Reviews
Wow, a great book! I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the copy of this excellent read TROPHY SON by Douglas Brunt. A story about a tennis prodigy, starting at a very young age, aggressively groomed towards a world championship career, without a choice. Very believable, can't believe it's not a memoir. Facing endless challenges, professionally and personally, growing pains so honestly described with great insight. This book was very difficult to put down and I highly recommend it!
I am really sorry but I struggled with this book, si I feel it would be unfair to review, thanks Juliet
An interesting read about life on the professional tennis circuit. This story was a real page turner and kept the momentum going through to the end - a great insight into gifted children in sports and how they are affected into their adult life.
This book came along at the perfect time as I wanted and needed a break from the mystery/thriller genre after being so disappointed in 3 of my recent reads. To say I'm surprised I liked this as much as I did would be an understatement because I actually really loved this book! I read it in 2 sittings only because I read late into the night when I started it and finally had to go to sleep. I think some people may read the blurb and disregard this book because they don't like tennis or sports etc. but it's really about so much more than that although tennis does play prominently in the storyline.
At its core this is a very unique coming of age story told from the first person perspective of Anton who's narrating the story from some point in the future. I thought this was a brilliant narrative technique that enables the reader to get to know Anton through many ages of his life but with the wisdom of his older self highlighting the way. This narrative structure can be tricky to pull off but Anton was such a likable character who I immediately connected with...I mean how could you not feel for a little nine year old kid who's being made to spend HOURS in the ninety degree heat doing tennis drill after tennis drill with his dad yelling at and berating him?? As a parent, I felt such a range of emotions for Anton who was missing out on being a kid; he had no friends, his social skills were lacking, and his loneliness was so deep and ingrained it really broke my heart. And don't get me started on my feelings about his dad and mom. I have nothing nice to say about their characters. Anton's saving grace in his family was his brother Panos who, despite being a secondary character, was very multidimensional and my second favorite character after Anton. As you can see, the author did a wonderful job creating characters I became thoroughly invested in and a storyline I just couldn't stop reading until I found out how it all turned out for Anton. Needless to say, I was rooting for him to defy his father, find his own way in the world and possibly even experience a sliver of happiness.
A major reason I think this book will resonate with so many people is because we're seeing this specialization of youth sports and extreme focus on achieving excellence in sports and academics with young children play out everywhere in our society these days. Tiger Wood's story is just one recent example. I've seen it firsthand in my own community time and time again, and quite frankly it's sad.
In the end, you don't have to love tennis to enjoy this book although I really like the game - playing and watching - so I found the tennis matches (as well as the whole story) to be riveting. Douglas Brunt writes in a literary way that's concise and well-paced, yet still manages to be compelling and almost conversational in its tone...can you tell this is 5 star read for me?! If you're in the mood for something a little different I think Trophy Son may be just what you're looking for.
Interesting views from a Dad who js sort of a stage Dad. Having been a swimmer he transferred his "need to win" attitude onto his son. Making the transfer from his own sports love to his son was sort of expected. Can I say living through his son even though the sport is different its just the winning his Dad cares about.
TROPHY SON by Douglas Brunt is the story of Anton Stratis, a young tennis star who's fulfilling a destiny his father dreamed of when he was born. His wasn't a normal childhood, rather it was filled with tennis lessons, practice sessions, and mental and physical conditioning. He's having some success at tennis, but at what cost? I found this book very compelling and read it quickly. It's a thought provoking story with a good storyline and even better characters. Even though this story revolves around tennis it could be about any sport these days. There's a lot to talk about so it would make a great book club selection.
Anton is the hope of his former Olympic athlete parents. They decided a child of theirs was going to be a professional tennis player and when his older brother was found to be lacking all attention turned to Anton. His life is consumed with tennis and his father tried his best to isolate Anton from everything else. This story focuses on Anton trying to discover what he actually wants in life and finding a way to get it. A story of focus, sacrifice, separating your life from your parents, finding yourself and the life you truly want.
A good book, not great but very good. If I knew anything about tennis it probably would have been a great book. I don’t play, don’t watch it because I don’t understand it. I recently saw it on TV while awaiting surgery, because that is what the surgery center had on in the waiting area. I thought one of the players may have been going into labor because every time she smacked the ball it was accompanied by an atrocious scream/grunt/death cry. But the book could easily be applied to the rigors of an athlete in training, a child really, one being pushed by a parent. His progress to a top player is marked with ups and downs one would expect of a professional athlete and along with aging comes all the other aspects of life. Love, success, failure, isolation at times and mental stress as well as physical stress. To overcome the physical beating his body takes from lengthy matches he eventually turns to steroids, banned substances. A lot of well-known names are dropped as the story progresses although I have never heard of this player. His association and reaction to those around him is interesting. His climb to the top is not a cakewalk by any means, but it is a well plotted story with interesting characters and situations and surely a worthy read for any sports minded person and especially a tennis fan.
One-note tale of agile son forced to compete and excel in sport he detests. The sport is tennis, the constant coach and all around bad guy is the father whose dreams of Olympic medals in a different sport were not realized; substitute son #2 whether son wants it or not. Son spends the first half of the book telling us why he doesn't want it and how his life has been robbed by the pursuit of someone else's dream. The book is an easy read and fast but could have used more complexity. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.
As I was reading I had the distinct impression Trophy Son was autobiographical rather than a work of fiction it felt so authentic. Not being a tennis fan I could easily have been convinced Anton Stratis the protagonist was a former world number one reflecting on his life growing up and being coached by his obsessive father, of the isolation and loneliness of being a teen up and coming player on the tennis circuit, of the physical and mental challenges he faced along the way, and the health risks he was willing to take to achieve his goals. If you're a tennis fan I'm sure you'd enjoy this book but you definitely should not be put off if you're not. I'm not a fan and I thought this book was terrific. Sure the tennis was there on every page just as it was in every moment of Anton's life but the book was equally about the relationships in his life. The lengths he had to go to to wrest some control over his own life, to make his own decisions and to overcome his inherent unhappiness. This was summed up as he came to the realisation that <i>"A person is happy in his life only if he finds meaning in it, and meaning in life is positively correlated with choice in life" </i>
Sincere thanks to St Martin's Press for the invitation to read Douglas Brunt's Trophy Son, a book I was totally engrossed in from start to finish and which won me over in straight sets. Can't wait to see what he comes up with next but in the meantime I'm going in search of his previous titles.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Douglas Brunt for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed delving into this book and into the world of professional tennis. Anton is the younger son in a Greek family where both parents were Olympic athletes who never medaled. That unfulfilled quest had a huge impact on both of them - the dad became the obsessive, driven parent that forced Anton into being the best. Mom, however, could not stand up to her husband, even while she was sad that Anton didn't ever have the luxury of being bored as she was in childhood.
There was no doubt that Anton was gifted in tennis but was certainly helped by the fact that his family was extremely wealthy and willing to devote everything to Anton's success. They had a tennis court in the backyard, hired coaches and trainers, unlimited ability to travel. Anton's father was harsh, belittling, emotionally abusive and Anton grew to hate tennis while he still strove to win. He quit school after 8th grade and had no life besides tennis.
This was a glimpse into the world of pro-tennis, the loneliness of the sport, the demands mentally and physically. It was also a look at the cost of pushing our children into being what we desire them to be. Anton's personal struggles caused him to lose himself and eventually try to fight for his life.
A great read!
TROPHY SON
DOUGLAS BRUNT
MY RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️▫️▫️
PUBLISHER St. Martin's Press
PUBLISHED May 30, 2017
An intriguing story a young man whose entire life has revolved around a domineering father and the sport of tennis.
SUMMARY
Anton never got to choose tennis, it was his father's plan for him from the moment he was born.
His dad had been an Olympic athlete, and wanted fame and glory for his son. Anton left school after eight grade to play tennis full time. He'd spend seven hours a day on their backyard court in Radnor, Pennsylvania, with dad slamming tennis balls at him. That would be followed by hours of tennis strategy, weight training and watching match films. In the winter, the family would rent a house in Florida so Anton could continue the same daily routine. By the time he was fourteen Anton could easily beat college players. Occasionally, his dad would take him to nearby college courts to hustle matches with college team players for money.
Anton aspires for greatness but detests the fact that the choice was not his to make. In his mind "tennis in only about hate and suffering" He grows up in isolation, without friends or any semblance of a normal life. When Anton was in his mid-teens, his dad hired an entourage: a coach, a trainer, and a stringer, who travel with Anton from match to match. Anton struggles to find the balance he needs to be happy. His road to greatness becomes even tougher once Anton becomes a top rated world player. Anton must make compromises to continue his rise. At eighteen, as his body starts breaking down he begins taking performance enhancing drugs. It's a decision that will cost him and ultimately force him to make his own decisions about his future.
REVIEW
An avid tennis player I really wanted to love this book. I have known and personally seen overbearing tennis parents and the impact on the child. No fun for anyone close to the issue. This story seems strikingly similar to a autobiography I had read about Andre Agassi several years ago.
Overall the writing was great and the book was a quick read. The descriptions of tennis matches and tournament were good and I loved reading about the behind the scenes at the tournaments. The story itself left me wanting something more. Anton's general unhappiness with his situation, but unwillingness to change it, got old really quick.
My biggest issue with TROPHY SON was with the doping issue and the pretense that "everyone on the tour is doing it". Bobby Hicks, Anton's trainer mentions the names of several real tennis players currently ranked in the top ten, as examples of player who use performance enhancing drugs. None of the players mentioned in the book have ever tested positive for performance enhancing drugs and in fact openly speak out against the issue. While the book is a work of fiction, the use of real names in this one part of the book angered me. In this day and age it is already hard to tell fact from fiction without someone purposefully muddying the water. The book really would have been just as powerful and more enjoyable had fictional names been used. To use real names in this manner crossed a line for me.
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I gave up without getting too far into this. The characters just didn't move me.
This is a quick read about a young boy who becomes a tennis pro.
He finds normal relationships hard to forge because mostly he is focused on this tennis....
The story tells us whats it like to grow up a child prodigy.
A solid read....
Thank you netgalley the Author and publisher for a copy of this book for an honest review.
Trophy Son is about the obsessive often destructive desire to play competitive sports. The sport in this case is tennis. Anton is groomed by his father from the age of six to be the best beyond the best in tennis. Raised by two VERY competitive athletes he doesn't stand a chance of being a normal child. His father doesn't allow any outside activities to come between Anton and tennis and that includes schooling. Anton's only escape is his older brother Panos who tries to help him have balance but it's simply not enough.
The story is not just about tennis life, it's about the dynamics of family. Family, you can't escape the pressures, the wanting to please everyone at risk to your own happiness, the sometimes overbearing parent or sibling who do or say things "because we love you and want the best for you." How many of us have heard that and thought "but you haven't asked ME what I want."
There's a seedy side to most sports and tennis according to this author is no different and it was quite disappointing to read how easily Anton was influenced to taking significant health risks just to be ranked #1. Was he doing it only to please his father or was the lure of being at the top just too much?
Even though I don't follow the tennis circuit, I knew most of the names that were mentioned. The name dropping did not add any value and for me it took away from Anton's story. The ending was also rushed and I think Ana & Anton's relationship deserved more of an ending.
I'm not quite sure what inspired me to want to read this book as I don't play or even watch tennis but all in all it was an okay read.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC.
This is a fascinating book on many levels. You don't have to know a lot about tennis or even be a tennis fan for this book to be engrossing. I kept having to remind myself it was fiction - and yet it rang so true that I couldn't help but wonder if there were child prodigy athletes reading this and saying to themselves 'this is me'. I'd be interested to hear what athletes who followed a similar path think about this book.
I found the narrative interesting and easy to read and the characters very believable. An enjoyable read!
This book was interesting and enlightening. I had no idea what it is like for a young person to be pressured into such a singular lifestyle. Apparently the protagonist was professionally accomplished and this was following a childhood full of pressure and loneliness. Loneliness follows him into adulthood and he is able to find fulfillment in his personal life. At the end of the book, I am feeling happy for him after such difficult years on the tennis circuit.
If you have ever wondered what life is like for an athletic prodigy, Douglas Brunt delivers a scathing reflection of just that.
The son of two Olympic athletes, Anton has been raised with one goal: become a tennis champion. His older brother lacked the drive and fire, so the burden falls to Anton. He's okay with it, for the most part. He likes being outside, he likes the thrill of victory. If his father is perhaps a bit too intense, Anton explains it away by recognizing that his father just wants him to be successful.
Not that Anton doesn't exact his pound of flesh. In one scene, he uses his skills to slam a ball directly at his father. He also moves out of his father's orb, believing that he will be more successful without him.
Brunt tells you a lot about tennis. You learn how arduous the practices and preparations are, not to mention the constant travel. You watch Anton try to establish relationships in infertile conditions. You see him make mistakes and misjudgments. Yet you also hope that he will become his own man and achieve his goals. If Anton wants tennis success, then you want it, too. If he doesn't, you hope he finds the freedom to make that decision.
Sometimes the tennis details feel a bit cumbersome. Brunt will place you within Anton's relationships, only to remove you and put you in the middle of practice. I liked when we saw how bizarre Anton's friendships are. Can you really claim someone as a friend if you're paying them for a professional service? There is also the issue of performance enhancing drugs. What drives someone, especially someone as young as Anton, to feel the need to use them? Brunt nails that sense of desperation. I also liked how Brunt fleshed out Anton's parents. Yes, his father is overbearing and almost cruel, but Brunt shows you what motivates a man to behave like that with his son.
What didn't work for me was the uneven pacing. Otherwise, this is an interesting book to read.
Though this novel is set inside the grueling world of elite tennis and the professional tennis circuit, it’s really a unique spin on a coming of age story, an indictment of the world of overbearing sports parents (check out this article Brunt wrote for Time on the topic!), and a story about a fraught relationship between father and son. It’s about the psychological and emotional side of professional tennis and the experience of a young and ill-equipped man trying to figure out who he is in the midst of the bubble. Brunt nailed the feelings of a young athlete with an overbearing sports parent and the panicked feeling that goes along with losing your mental edge.
"He shouldn’t have been here, but I knew why a guy like that stayed. Not the money. Not even the game. It was the lifestyle. And that’s the irony. The sick truth of it, for any top player, for any child prodigy gone pro, for me and my relationship with tennis. We hung on to this thing that crippled our humanity because now that our humanity was crippled, this thing was all that we believed could make us happy anymore."
Brunt’s writing is superb…not in the overly literary sense, but in the entertaining, snarky, and “yes, that’s exactly how it is” sense. And, he writes about tennis like a true, longtime fan rather than like a writer who researched tennis for his book. I was rooting for Anton to come out of it all without completely dying inside and I even got a little teary at the end! With the elite sports setting of You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott (my review) and the father/son dynamic of The Great Santini by Pat Conroy (my review), Trophy Son is a book you can fly through and is going on my Best of the Brain Candy list.
You don't need to know a lot about tennis to enjoy this interesting and well written, albeit predictable, novel of how a parent's intense focus on a child's talent can just destroy that child. Is Anton a fictionalized Agassi? Not entirely clear but he's certainly a stand in for other young people who were on an athletic grindstone because of a parent. I liked reading his inner thoughts, liked less other parts, but generally whipped through this with a lot of sympathy. There are some intriguing suggestions about the use of performance enhancing drugs by certain real players (am curious what the reaction to those will be!). Thanks to net galley for the ARC. I'd not read Brunt's earlier novels but I'm going to look for him in the future= he's got a nice writing style and more importantly, clearly cares about the character he has created.