![]() But the preservation of these ideals have also come at a heavy cost in other aspects of his life. ![]() If there's a strong element of self-denial about his prospects, chalk it up to Oak's passion and a warrior's sense of self-worth. Only in the minor leagues is fighting still a big draw. In this age of increased awareness of long term damage in collision sports, the National Hockey League has changed their rules so that enforcers are a decidedly endangered species. Regardless of his motivation, though, he's an addict.Ī cruel twist is that Oak's talent and value are in the role of a hockey "enforcer," a player who delivers punishment to opponents in response to their own violence and dirty play. For example, he doesn't self-medicate to get high it's simply what's required to get ready to play, and only by playing can he make it to the National Hockey League, which is what he considers his destiny. Oak is a marvelously drawn, complex and appealing character whose decisions can either frustrate readers or make them want to reach beyond the page to offer him reassurance. But there's an undeniable appeal to a hero we root for precisely because his or her flaws add a certain wounded nobility to what might otherwise be a mundane, even forgettable existence.Ĭonsider Tim O'Connor, the hero of Jeff Bens's moving new novel, "The Mighty Oak." O'Connor - or "Oak" as he's known to hockey fans in his hometown of Boston, throughout New England, and in a number of minor league arenas from Florida to Texas - is a once-promising player whose body and mind are crumbling in a relentless pattern of on-ice violence and the escalating chemical/alcohol regimen required to start it all over again the next day.īens will be the virtual guest Tuesday for The Day's November edition of our "Read of THE DAY" book club series, presented in partnership with Bank Square Books. To call them "beautiful losers" is probably a weary simplification. ![]() Jeff Bens discusses his new novel Tuesday for Day's book clubĪrtistic narratives are full of wounded folks - physically, spiritually, and/or mentally - who for one reason or another didn't achieve the success they dreamed about. ![]()
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