books 2009: A Sport and a Pastime, by James Salter
Sneaking in one last book post for 2009--I finished it on Wednesday but just hadn't posted it yet, so it counts for 2009, I swear! F bought this book because he heard it was really good and really sexy, and I saw it on his shelf and stole it before he could read it. I thought this book was excellent. First published in 1967, it's one of the first American novels that really gets into the subject of sex and describes sexual acts in detail. There are three main characters: a young American guy, Yale drop-out, cruising around France trying to figure out his life; the young French girl with whom he begins an intense affair; and the narrator, a 30-something American who observes and imagines their relationship. The narrator's interaction is what really makes the book amazing, I think. We can't be sure how much of this story is true and how much takes place in his mind, how much of it is simply his own yearning for a connection. It makes for a beautiful and haunting novel. Highly recommended (and the sex scenes are well written and pretty hot, too).