The Throwback Special: A Novel

Fiction & Literature, Literary
Cover of the book The Throwback Special: A Novel by Chris Bachelder, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Chris Bachelder ISBN: 9780393249477
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: March 14, 2016
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Chris Bachelder
ISBN: 9780393249477
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: March 14, 2016
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

**Winner of The Paris Review/Terry Southern Prize for Humor.

"Chris Bachelder is a witty, compassionate troublemaker, and we need more like him." —George Saunders**

Here is the absorbing story of twenty-two men who gather every fall to painstakingly reenact what ESPN called “the most shocking play in NFL history” and the Washington Redskins dubbed the “Throwback Special”: the November 1985 play in which the Redskins’ Joe Theismann had his leg horribly broken by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants live on Monday Night Football.

With wit and great empathy, Chris Bachelder introduces us to Charles, a psychologist whose expertise is in high demand; George, a garrulous public librarian; Fat Michael, envied and despised by the others for being exquisitely fit; Jeff, a recently divorced man who has become a theorist of marriage; and many more. Over the course of a weekend, the men reveal their secret hopes, fears, and passions as they choose roles, spend a long night of the soul preparing for the play, and finally enact their bizarre ritual for what may be the last time. Along the way, mishaps, misunderstandings, and grievances pile up, and the comforting traditions holding the group together threaten to give way.

The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

**Winner of The Paris Review/Terry Southern Prize for Humor.

"Chris Bachelder is a witty, compassionate troublemaker, and we need more like him." —George Saunders**

Here is the absorbing story of twenty-two men who gather every fall to painstakingly reenact what ESPN called “the most shocking play in NFL history” and the Washington Redskins dubbed the “Throwback Special”: the November 1985 play in which the Redskins’ Joe Theismann had his leg horribly broken by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants live on Monday Night Football.

With wit and great empathy, Chris Bachelder introduces us to Charles, a psychologist whose expertise is in high demand; George, a garrulous public librarian; Fat Michael, envied and despised by the others for being exquisitely fit; Jeff, a recently divorced man who has become a theorist of marriage; and many more. Over the course of a weekend, the men reveal their secret hopes, fears, and passions as they choose roles, spend a long night of the soul preparing for the play, and finally enact their bizarre ritual for what may be the last time. Along the way, mishaps, misunderstandings, and grievances pile up, and the comforting traditions holding the group together threaten to give way.

The Throwback Special is a moving and comic tale filled with pitch-perfect observations about manhood, marriage, middle age, and the rituals we all enact as part of being alive.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book The Age of Shiva: A Novel by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Affect Dysregulation and Disorders of the Self (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book The Science of the Art of Psychotherapy (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book The Wandering Jews by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Defiance: The Extraordinary Life of Lady Anne Barnard by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book The Intelligence Trap: Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Hello World: Being Human in the Age of Algorithms by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Hunting in the Shadows: The Pursuit of al Qa'ida since 9/11 by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book More than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City (Issues of Our Time) by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book The Inimitable Jeeves by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Mindful Anger: A Pathway to Emotional Freedom by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Revolution on the Hudson: New York City and the Hudson River Valley in the American War of Independence by Chris Bachelder
Cover of the book Too Good to Be True: The Colossal Book of Urban Legends by Chris Bachelder
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy