Growing up in Belgium, soccer was Jean-Philippe Touissant s life, a passion not shared by his bookish family. Now an acclaimed novelist, essayist, and filmmaker, he reflects upon his lifelong love for the game with an intellectual s keen mind and a sports fan s heart. What, he ponders, has a lifetime of soccer fandom taught him about life and the passage of time itself. Soccer takes readers on an idiosyncratic journey that delves deep into the author s childhood memories, but also transports us to World Cup matches in Japan, Germany, South Africa, and Brazil. Along the way, it kicks around such provocative questions as: How does soccer fandom both support and transcend nationalism? How are our memories of soccer matches both collective and distinctly personal? And how can a game this beautiful and this ephemeral be adequately captured in words? Part travelogue, part memoir, and part philosophical essay, Soccer is entirely unique, a thrilling departure from the usual cliches of sports writing. Even readers with little knowledge of the game will be enthralled by Touissant s profound musings and lyrical prose.
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