PDA

View Full Version : Will Blythe's book: To Hate Like This Is To Be Happy Forever reviews



houstondukie
12-25-2010, 04:07 PM
Just got this book as a Christmas present and was wondering what Duke fans who have
read the book think of it given that it was written by a Carolina fan.

DukeGirl4ever
12-25-2010, 04:53 PM
My brother bought it for me 2 Christmases ago...I have yet to get past the first 100 pages (re-reading Twilight 3 times has taken up my time - yes, I'm a TwiMom).

I think if it was written from the "Duke perspective", I would have enjoyed it, but I just couldn't get in to his story-telling.

wk2109
12-25-2010, 05:54 PM
I read the book this past summer. Even though the author is an obvious UNC homer, the portions of the book with his Duke interviews (Shavlik, JJ, Crazy Towel Guy, etc.) are generally well written and enjoyable (the UNC parts aren't bad either). He actually spent a considerable amount of time interacting with people from both sides of the rivalry, which is what you have to do for a book like this. Also, I never felt like he went out of his way to bash Duke -- he made it clear that he hated Duke, but he still wrote fairly objectively.

Blythe wrote it during the 04-05 season, which obviously did not end well from a Duke fan's perspective, but I still liked the book overall. I think he gives a good in-depth picture of the Duke-Carolina rivalry.

strawbs
12-25-2010, 05:56 PM
i started reading it in june and still haven't finished. I never really got into the first two chapters (if i remember correctly) and put it down for a while. i picked it up again a few weeks ago and have enjoyed reading a chapter here and there especially since it got into talking more about the mid 2000's duke and carolina teams. Even though he makes it VERY clear that he is a carolina guy, i think blythe does a pretty good job.

oldnavy
12-26-2010, 09:36 AM
I have read about 1/3 of the book. I have to be in the mood to read it, but despite his pro UNC slant, I think it is ok. Like many of the readers, I read a little and then sit it down. Definately not a page turner, but ok.

brevity
12-26-2010, 01:19 PM
Yikes. I read the book a few years ago (checked out of the public library, of course) and did not care for it at all. I didn't mind that the author was biased toward UNC, but I wished he were a better writer. There were stories about the rivalry I did not know, especially in the early days, so that information was at least appreciated.

I'm still waiting for a much better book about the rivalry. Doesn't need to be pro-Duke; in fact, I'd prefer evenhanded over a slant in either direction.

moonpie23
12-27-2010, 09:37 AM
i don't like it.....mainly because it was too close to my own feelings. I've recently found (last 2-3 years) that if i DON'T watch unc, read about them too much, or visit IC, that my life is much better...

i got way to wrapped up in hating unc, and my love for duke suffered from it....I've got my priorities str8r now..

:)

30scheyer
12-27-2010, 11:08 AM
C'mon now...READ IT! The book is funny with some great tales of Duke and UNC fans/characters. I mean Will's mom watches Duke games just to scout them!! Will goes to see (SPOILER ALERT...don't keep reading this if you are going to get pissy for me telling you parts of the book) a pastor trying to reconcile his hatred for Duke.

I recommend you reading this...I'm originally from Houston (Sugar Land) but now live in Greensboro, NC. This books helps explain some of my Gboro neighbors and friends. One day the kid at Harris Teeter would not bag my groceries in my Duke Blue Devil cloth bag...he was such a Carolina fan he opted for plastic rather than touch my bag.

Jason W
12-27-2010, 11:33 AM
Hated it!!!! Kept looking at that pic of Coach K as a rat, and never got through.

Billy Dat
12-27-2010, 01:45 PM
I think it's really really good. Blythe is a solid and fun writer and totally fair in they way he spells out his pro-UNC biases. Both fan bases are generally completely irrational when it comes to the rivalry and I think Blythe does a better job of admitting that irrationality and describing its many dimensions than anyone else who has ever tried to write the same story. As wk2109 points out, he spent a lot of time with Duke fans, players and K and describes his angst at finding them to be pleasant, agreeable people. I understand that having not grown up in NC and not living in NC, I am not surrounded by obnoxious UNC fans so I understand if tackling this book is a bit much for you natives to take. For everyone else, it's totally worth your time.

On a side note, if you are looking for a quick, basketball-themed, holiday-time inspirational read, I recommend Buster Olney's new book about Don Meyer, the greatest hoops coach you've probably never heard of..."How Lucky You Can Be". Meyer, a career NAIA coach, was a few wins shy of passing Bob Knight's men's college hoops wins record in 2008when he was in a head on car accident with a semi and, during the operation to save his life, the discovered terminal cancer all over his liver and colon. Bottom line, as of this typing, he's still alive...and he broke the record...and how that all happened, and his life before and after the accident, are really interesting.