As a big fan of Les Canadiens who frequently took a weekend and stood in the Forum to watch Dryden and his teammates play, I was expecting a great book. Look at the glowing reviews.
But when I read this, I found it rambling, full of topics not explored. And the characters in the book come across as half-baked.
The Ken Dryden I see in this book is introspective to the point of being morose. He gripes so much about the pressures, the disjointed life he lives. True, his role during the Canadien dynasty was not to lose the game. Of course, when you have guys like Gainey, Lemaire, Robinson, Lapointe, Lafleur, all in front of you, it does take the edge away.
But I got no real feeling as to why he plays, with all the dislikes he has of it. The cameraderie? I am not convinced.
But you get no real feeling for the writer, for his family, or his teammates.
The book takes a bizarre turn 3/4 through on a history lesson, quite interesting but out-of-place. And his whining about the physicality of the game grinds on me.
Dryden got a lot of attention for being a law student. But he has left his law studies behind and you hear nothing of why.
The edition I have has a 20-year afterword. He is the president of the Toronto Maple Leafs now, with relatively little success.
I guess the overall impression of the book was to appreciate parts of it but to wonder why it was written. Dryden comes across as quite introspective, often unwilling to share his thoughts and feelings. No problem with that, but why did he write the book? |
The Game Used Books New.