The Dreyfus affair

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

This seriocomic second novel by the author of The Deal tells the offbeat story of baseball star Randy Dreyfus, whose life--on the surface, at least--seems a winning streak that will never end.thanks, paul; this image is much better/sss His manager tells him, ``You're 28 years old. You got the best swing since Ted Williams. You're the fastest white guy in the league. You've got a nice wife, a family, you're pulling down two point three a year, not to mention the TV and merchandising money.'' However, Dreyfus has one big problem--he has fallen in love with D. J., the team's second baseman--as well as a few smaller ones: his wife thinks he's sleeping with another woman, his shrink is driving him crazy and he wants to kill his unruly Dalmatian. When Dreyfus and D. J. are caught in the act under most bizarre circumstances, the political and professional fallout affects World series not a place, so can't be `reached'? the World Series and the White House alike. Lefcourt employs a smoothly smart-alecky tone reminiscent of Dan Jenkins's football fiction, albeit without Jenkins's expert together, `foot` and `hand` make awk mixed metaphor // good thing we didn't add an elbow/sss handling of the locker-room milieu. The tone grates after a while, but the novel we usually don't mention title in review, right? is not without moments of genuine wit. Although the finale is more whimper than bang, the book's zany charm has a cumulative impact. (June)

Publishers Weekly

This seriocomic second novel by the author of The Deal tells the offbeat story of baseball star Randy Dreyfus, whose life--on the surface, at least--seems a winning streak that will never end. His manager tells him, "You're 28 years old. You got the best swing since Ted Williams. You're the fastest white guy in the league. You've got a nice wife, a family, you're pulling down two point three a year, not to mention the TV and merchandising money." However, Dreyfus has one big problem--he has fallen in love with D. J., the team's second baseman--as well as a few smaller ones: his wife thinks he's sleeping with another woman, his shrink is driving him crazy and he wants to kill his unruly Dalmatian. When Dreyfus and D. J. are caught in the act under most bizarre circumstances, the political and professional fallout affects the World Series and the White House alike. Lefcourt employs a smoothly smart-alecky tone reminiscent of Dan Jenkins's football fiction, albeit without Jenkins's expert handling of the locker-room milieu. The tone grates after a while, but the novel is not without moments of genuine wit. Although the finale is more whimper than bang, the book's zany charm has a cumulative impact.

Library Journal

In this thoroughly likable novel, shortstop Randy Dreyfus is horrified to find he is falling in love with D.J., his (black) second baseman. Randy has the perfect wife and family, plus a brilliant career, but the more he tries to fight the attraction, the more he is willing to risk everything for it. When the men are caught kissing in a Neiman-Marcus dressing room, they are banned from baseball for life. Their team, having just lost its two best players, faces formidable opposition in the World Series. Outraged by the pair's dismissal, a sportswriter rallies fans and team members behind them with his column, ``I Accuse.'' Parallels with the original Dreyfus Affair are clear, and the novel makes a strong case for baseball's most important ideal: fair play.-- Marylaine Block, St. Ambrose Univ. Lib., Davenport, Ia.