Not without flaws but an appealing, intriguing read for those fascinated by poker, chance and unique father-son...
A man ponders his son’s pokercentric life.
While studying for a college degree, Isaac Haxton decided to leave school for a year to play professional poker. With all the excitement that implies, Isaac’s father, poet Brooks Haxton (English/Syracuse Univ.; They Lift Their Wings to Cry, 2008, etc.), doesn’t focus simply on the poker angle. Instead, the narrative moves through a series of twists covering every aspect of the author’s son’s life. While many of Haxton’s flights of fancy fit the subject matter—e.g., his son's early interest in math problems, lifelong love of games in general and childhood ability at chess—some simply do not, as when his daughter had to give up gymnastics. Other tangential tales are related to each other but still seem out of place in the larger context. For instance, both the author and his son were hospitalized around the same time, and Haxton relates both accounts. While both medical tales begin with serious intrigue, they also fizzle out in similar manners. In an instant, Haxton has moved on, and readers are left to assume that all ended well and to wonder what made the stories worth telling. The author also introduces other elements of the overall gambling story but doesn’t fully flesh them out—e.g., a government seizure of Isaac’s winnings. One compelling factor to which Haxton frequently returns is the idea of chance. He puts his poetry skills to excellent use, spinning out language that is often beautiful and evocative. The book is not just about his son’s competitive gambling career; it’s also a poetic memorial to the poignant moments in his life, his son's life and their shared life. Haxton also includes a helpful glossary of card-playing terms.
Not without flaws but an appealing, intriguing read for those fascinated by poker, chance and unique father-son relationships.Pub Date: May 20, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-61902-325-3
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Counterpoint
Review Posted Online: May 6, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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