[.ca] Every Time I Talk To Liston (ISBN 1582345775)

You don't have to love (or even like) boxing....:
...to appreciate this straightforward and well told story. The characters' outward actions and innnermost thoughts are both profound and entertaining. In the background is scary Sonny Liston and his heroic wife - who knew that Liston could be made to be so sympathetic? The plot progresses along at a good pace, with chapters designated as "Round 1" "Round 2", etc - very clever. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Great storytelling:
This book is full of movement, and it never lets up. The characters are one's we remember--flawed, good hearted, all of it. The writing, too, is just flat out good. You won't put this one down.

GET IN THE RING WITH THIS ONE:
Sports novels have been a favorite genre of mine since I was a boy. Whether baseball, poker or golf, the subject sport itself has a built-in dramatic framework of conflict. And so, I was eager to read Brian DeVito's debut novel about boxing. Mr.DeVito knows his boxing - he was a Golden Gloves heavyweight champ - and it shows in EVERY TIME I TALK TO LISTON. Full of pugilistic craft and insights, ETITTL should be required reading for any young man who wants to enter the sport. DeVito is also a sure-footed writer who can change scenes faster than a Sonny Liston jab, which keeps the story moving forward. The author, who is white, manages to convincingly portray black characters. There are a number of well-etched fight scenes for the ring-side boxing fan and interesting bits of Sonny Liston lore for the history-of-boxing fan. I never thought of Sonny Liston in a very favorable light before I read this book, but now I see him much more sympathetically. If you like sports novels, put on your gloves and get in the ring with this one.

Doing Justice to the Sweet Science:
Brian DeVido has written a great book! With more interesting characters and plot twists than you will find in most summer movies, this is a boxing novel for folks who are fans of the sport and for those who are simply fans of good books. DeVido's own boxing background gives this book a real feel of authenticity. Life in the ring comes alive as DeVido injects each chapter with the exhaustion and exhilaration of the sweet science. Life outside the ring is also described with a careful eye as we move from the margins of the boxing world (the sparring partners, trainers, promoters and reporters) to the center of a run for the championship of the world. Finally, DeVido's decision to weave in the story of Sonny Liston, who becomes a kind of patron saint of this and perhaps every boxing story, provides another level of depth, feeling, and tragedy to the book. This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read in a long time. Don't wait for the movie, read it now.

Coming Off the Ropes:
Every Time I Talk to Liston is one of the most unusual sports novels I have ever read. Anyone who is interested in an exciting, genre-breaking book should consider this one. Amos "Scrap Iron" Fletcher has never been knocked down in a heavyweight fight. He has lots of boxing savvy to go with his hard head. But neither quality has done him much good during a long career as a fighter and sparring partner for the greats. From his "hard knocks" career he's learned to walk the straight and narrow in most ways . . . and to put away a little extra cash into his mutual fund shares. He's also learned to appreciate the difficulties of being a fighter, and has developed a spiritual relationship with the memory of Sonny Liston . . . someone whom most people felt little sympathy. Scrap Iron realizes that everyone has a good side and would like to show that side more often to the outside world. Following a series of unexpected events, Scrap Iron finds himself outside of boxing . . . looking in. How can he redeem himself? What does the future hold? This book will remind many people of the Rocky saga, except that the Rockies here are African-Americans. The tale is told with enthusiasm and vigor, which will keep you up late reading the book. Mr. DeVido has a way of describing training, sparring and matches that can take a neophyte like me into the head and body of a fighter or trainer. The resulting story is a compelling read. But don't forget. This is a book that will mostly appeal to men. Women are portrayed in very simplistic ways (as strippers, groupies and "angels" who want to redeem their men). Although the book doesn't glorify violence, it certainly deals centrally with that theme and the attraction of fighting to those in the profession. The references to Sonny Liston give the book grounding in reality that makes the book more interesting. I loved the quote that opened the book from Mr. Liston: "Someday they're gonna write a blues song just for fighters. It'll be for slow guitar, soft trumpet, and a bell." I would have rated the book as a five-star effort except that by page 143 the rest of the story was pretty easy to anticipate. That transparency stole some of the power from the tale. As I finished the book, I wondered what other well-known sports figures had a better side to them that was largely hidden from the public. Perhaps there are more legitimate role models in sports than we realize.