Review: Albatross

I've written before that I was late to the Terry Fallis reading game. I had heard of him and had sold a number of copies of his first book during my time working at a bookstore in university. I read No Relation back in 2014 (review here) and have since read most of his new ones (for some reason I missed One Brother Shy). Albatross was published last August and I was very much looking forward to it. Verdict: I really enjoyed it.

Here's the synopsis:

Adam Coryell is your average high-school student-well, except for that obsession with fountain pens-when his life changes forever. Based on a study by a quirky Swedish professor that claims that every human being, regardless of athletic inclination, has a body that is suited to excel in at least one sport, it turns out that Adam is good-very good, in fact-at golf. Even though he'd never even picked up a golf club.
Almost instantly, and with his coach, hard-nosed Bobbie Davenport by his side, Adam and his new-found talent skyrocket to a prodigy-level stardom that includes tournament titles, sponsorship deals, throngs of fans following his every move, and fodder for tabloids.
But here's the catch: Adam doesn't really like golf. And as the life he once knew slips away-including the love of his life, the dream of being a writer, and everyday normalcy-he can't help but wonder if all this success and fame is worth it...or if it's enough for him.

You kind of have to suspend your beliefs ever so slightly with this novel. If you can accept there's some mathematical equation that proves every person can be good at one sport, well, you're in for a great ride. I don't know how Fallis came up with such an idea but it works in the most outlandish way. And the Swedish professor is a total oddball (I pictured a weirder Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory) so his scenes were a lot of fun to read. Even though I knew it was a made up study, I couldn't help but wonder what sport I would excel at. I played basketball growing up (I'm 6' and yes, did play sports but no, the weather is no different up here) but maybe I'm better suited to...I don't know...curling or archery. I've tried golf. Not so successful.

The story takes place over a number of years. I wasn't expecting that so it threw me for a bit of a loop when I realized Adam's high school career is only a fraction of the overall story. Once I adjusted my mental timeline for the book, I found I was happy that it followed Adam's life through and past high school. It was a great coming of age kind of story about someone who really shouldn't have had much of a story to tell. You see, Adam would have been totally forgettable had he not been apparently born to play golf. I liked him and enjoyed the hell out of his story but he's an average kid who would have become an average adult. And I kind of really liked that.

I've been lucky enough to hear Fallis speak twice - once for Poles Apart (which I absolutely loved - read it!) and then again back in October as he discussed Albatross. Do yourself a favour, fellow Canadians, if you see a book event with Terry Fallis on the schedule: get a ticket. He is a wonderful speaker and is so engaging and funny. You'll learn more about his writing and where he gets his ideas. For example, there's always something personal about his books and with Alabtross it was that both Terry and Adam share a love of fountain pens.

If you have yet to read a Terry Fallis novel or if you've only read a couple, I highly suggest you check out his books - especially right now. Things are really, really hard for all of us at the moment and Fallis' books are a great antidote. They're funny without being ridiculous and they're full of heart without being overly dramatic. Start with his newest, Albatross, or read his backlist. The stories will make you smile and we could all use one of those right now.

*An ARC of this novel was provided by the publisher, McClelland & Stewart (Penguin Random House Canada) in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*