I can honestly say that I did not enjoy reading Shoeless Joe. In fact, the only reason that I completed it was because I had already started it when this blog was assigned, and needed a book to write about. At first, I disliked the book for its emphasis on baseball (I am not a sports enthusiast, but if it will earn me extra points, then go Bobby Orr/Ted Williams/Pedro Martinez/Tom Brady/Bill Russell/Larry Bird/ Mr. Bailey!). Upon finishing the story, I realized that I was very much confused as to what had been happening for 265 pages.

Ray Kinsella, the protagonist, is sitting on his back porch of a farm house in Iowa when he hears an announcer’s voice in his head say “If you build it, he will come.” Ray is suddenly inspired to construct a baseball field in the middle of his cornfields so that his favorite baseball player, Shoeless Joe, will come and play. Joe appears and Ray begins dreaming of his father, who implanted in his son his love of baseball. Ray then sets off to find J. D. Salinger, who he believes needs to be taken to a baseball game. On the way, he meets Eddie Scissons and Moonlight Graham, who both join Ray on the return journey to Iowa. There, on Ray’s meticulously cared-for field, they all witness a series of ball games played by famous old players.

It took me a while to even comprehend the plot, because I was unsure as to whether characters were real, or part of Ray’s ghostly baseball team. The confusing thing is that only a select few can actually witness the action that happens in Ray’s park. Apparently to see the baseball figures, you must be connected to Ray family or friend-wise (the exception is Richard, Ray’s brother, who is frustrated by all of the people sitting in the bleachers staring at nothing), or must believe in the magic of baseball. Because I generally don’t believe in things that aren’t concrete and don’t find baseball that interesting, this book didn’t have much meaning for me in that respect. However, I did grasp one idea through the story’s conflicts. Mark, brother of Annie (Ray’s wife), wants to buy the land to complete a high-tech method of farming so he can reap (pardon the pun) the profits. While dreams are precious to Ray, he must realize that real-life problems must be dealt with first.

One of the infuriating aspects of this book is the astronomical (fowl/foul) amount of similes. Open up to any page, and you’ll most likely find one or even two of these lovely comparisons. The following excerpts were selected by randomly opening the book and picking a simile off of that page: Page 182: “Dandelions brighten the outfield like egg yolks.” Page 59: “The leaves, delicately veined as a baby’s hands, are not full grown but are already gathering a film of dust.” Page 239: “The humid air surrounds us like a cocoon.” It’s not the similes themselves that are bad; it’s the overwhelming amount of them. In addition to this, Kinsella uses very descriptive language any time he gets a chance. As a result, the reader is constantly bombarded with flowery language that I think should be toned down a bit.