BICYCLE RIDER

by Mary Scioscia ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1983

A brief, fictionalized narrative in which young black bike-whiz Marshall Taylor (no age is given) wins the 1892 Indianapolis ten-mile bike race--without ever having raced before. The epilogue tells us that Taylor went on to become ""the fastest bicycle rider in the world,"" and won international championships. The narrative, however, can hardly be classed as a story: though divided into chapters (which only emphasizes its deficiencies), it has almost no dramatic structure, interplay of characters, conflict, or suspense. No reference is even made to Marshall's being black (we learn that from the pictures, and the epilogue)--not even by the nasty boy who disparages his bike tricks, calls him ""runt,"" gives him trouble during the race, and generates the one bit of (hokey) conflict that the book musters. Otherwise resolute Marshall gets a job when he stops looking for one, from the bike-store owner who sees him doing tricks; the owner takes him to the races, encourages him to enter the mile event (where he comes in seventh), and then to enter the ten-mile, capstone race, which he inexplicably wins (by, it appears, not giving up). The only thing to be said for Young's illustrations is that they too are fuzzy.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Harper & Row

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1983

Categories: FICTION