5/13/2023 0 Comments Paula kurmanThe quote on the cover from David Halberstam says it's not a sports book. As I read the third epilogue I went back to Paula Kurman's introduction and had a better appreciation for her description of Jim Bouton and the man he became. Sadly it's true but the resulting update is beautifully written and deeply felt. The third epilogue opens with tragic news (which is especially poignant considering the update near the end of the second epilogue) and Bouton says he's not the same man who wrote Ball Four. Set in successive 10 year periods the three epilogues, written by Bouton, depict his life after the initial publication of Ball Four and they provide a level depth and range not seen in the book. The epilogues deepened the feeling to sorrow. With his death in mind I felt the same way after finishing the original book. She mentioned his death in 2019 from vascular dementia and I had that polite and distant feeling ("that's too bad") about people we really don't know. I read the last version with an update by Bouton's second wife Paula Kurman. 3.5 stars for the original book and 5 stars for the epilogues.
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