tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265786450674734357.post2207014264649611079..comments2024-02-07T16:47:16.304-05:00Comments on Hockey Book Reviews.com: Gretzky's Tears by Stephen BruntJoe Pelletierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265786450674734357.post-46420569475797204992015-04-13T21:42:03.068-04:002015-04-13T21:42:03.068-04:00I've had this book for a while, and have just ...I've had this book for a while, and have just started getting into reading it. I'm a university educated professional in my late 40s, yet I am struggling to understand many of the big words that Brunt feels necessary to put in this book - In particular the 2nd chapter- The Prodigy Business. Wouldn't his target market be your average joe hockey/sports fan? Why would an author want to put in ridiculous, over the top vocabulary that most people won't get? Is it a need to demonstrate his superior intellect over ours? ie- when describing Peter Pocklington, he says he is 'duplicitous'. Really? Who really knows what that word means? You get my point- I guess I need to read more and expand my vocabulary. Hope I get to enjoy the book more than I am now. Tim Barsnessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265786450674734357.post-31565743020923963102011-04-04T14:17:58.329-04:002011-04-04T14:17:58.329-04:00I have just finished this book. A very interesting...I have just finished this book. A very interesting read. It's the first hockey book I have ever read. I come from a non-hockey culture in New Zealand and while the opening introductions were very hard work... I very much appreciated the detailed character introductions - I needed them.<br />I felt Stephen got a little wordy at points - but I just figured it was me struggling to quickly pick up on brand new concepts/assumptions in a new sport, and a new country.<br />Anyway, I thought it was a very interesting book - and I feel I have a much more rounded understanding of the hockey landscape on North America now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265786450674734357.post-47315979953083214072010-01-13T20:13:18.378-05:002010-01-13T20:13:18.378-05:00This book is crap. An 'awkward' start? No,...This book is crap. An 'awkward' start? No, the first hundred pages are simply unnecessary.<br /><br />Anyone who is reading this surely has enough background information to know who the players are. Burnt just drags us through details that other people have already written about.<br /><br />Worth noting is that Burnt was unable to get an interview with Gretzky himself, stating that he'd just have to draw from the public archives on the matter. That seems fine, but Burnt then goes on to make a glaring statistical error. He recounts the story of Gretzky breaking Howe's "goal" record on October 15, 1989 and how it took the Great One only 780 games to scored 802 goals. Who edited this section? Seriously, a little simple math would tell you that 802 goals in 780 games would be more than one goal a game. Nothing against the Great One, but even he wasn't capable of that. If anyone is wondering, it was the career point total Burnt should have been referring to. The goal total would fall much later in Gretzky's career (Kings vs. Canucks).<br /><br />Mr. Burnt, if you're claim is that you're going to have to do your homework to re-tell the story, then please get the easy answers right.<br /><br />Thumbs down.nickthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11599440205445549690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265786450674734357.post-68003368789136600072009-10-12T23:08:21.474-04:002009-10-12T23:08:21.474-04:00I haven't received Pocklington's book yet,...I haven't received Pocklington's book yet, but I will be posting about it as soon as I can.<br /><br />One word of caution though - Pocklington's word is not nearly as respected in my books as is Stephen Brunt's. I'm not sure I am likely to believe a whole lot of what Pocklington has to say.Joe Pelletierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01906327400250923397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265786450674734357.post-21537410978429073862009-10-12T22:48:01.826-04:002009-10-12T22:48:01.826-04:00Interesting book, though Brunt does repeat himself...Interesting book, though Brunt does repeat himself once or twice in the process.<br /><br />It would be interesting, Joe, to hear how Brunt's tale differs from the one constructed by Pocklington and his writers (and apparently supported by Gretzky) and which holds up.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15335419015048655339noreply@blogger.com