Rating: 
Summary: Good Movie! Great Book!
Review: Do not dismiss this book if you have seen the movie, Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner. The book provides a much richer, poetical experience. Open this book and read a sentence, a paragraph, a page . . . the lyrical writing just strikes a chord inside. If you are looking for high adventure go back to Michael Crichton, page-turning see Grisham but if you want to read a fine writer who creates a world of its own on every page read Shoeless Joe. Baseball and farming and fathers and sons are addressed in such a way that makes you believe that your dreams can come true. This is one book where you will enjoy every word
Rating:
Summary: A delightfully touching tale of contemporary fantasy.
Review: On the surface, "Shoeless Joe" is a story about baseball. Ray Kinsella, a wannabe Iowa farmer, receives a vision telling him to build a baseball field; if he does, the legendary Shoeless Joe Jackson will return from the great beyondto play ball. Crazy as it may seem, Ray takes everything in stride and eventually builds a baseball field, and scores of dead ball players begin to appear, just for the enjoyment of playing the game. Thankfully, no explanation is given for this miracle, and Ray and his family form an excellent, grounded anchor around which all this wonderfully goofy nonsense takes place. What prevents "Shoeless Joe" from being merely a sports novel is that W.P. Kinsella has transformed Ray's quest to build his dream baseball field into a search for the magical in everyday life. Miracles can occur even today, the author says. And in finding his dream, Ray Kinsella finds himself. "Shoeless Joe" makes for heartwarming reading.
Rating:
Summary: Shoeless Wonder
Review: This book Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinnsela is a magical book about dreams and baseball. It is the that Field of Dreams was based on. In the book the main character, a farmer that lives in Iowa named Ray Kinnsela, is called to by a magical voice in the cornfield saying, "if you build it he will come." He knew right away that "It" was a baseball field and "He" was shoeless Joe Jackson. So he proceeds to cut down some of his cornfield and create a baseball field. He continues on fine-tuning his field and getting more messages from the magical voice in the cornfield. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone that likes baseball and wants to read a good book.
Rating:
Summary: A Diamond Gem; A Perfect Game...
Review: It was in the summer of 1987 that I wandered into a bookstore in Rockport, Mass. To this day, some 17 years later, I have no idea what drew me to the second floor of that bookstore. There, among the stacks, I found a fantastical book called the Iowa Baseball Confederacy by a W.P. Kinsella. It was summer outside and yet, I was drawn to this obscure book. I read it and fell in love. Two years later, Field of Dreams was released and it was based on Shoeless Joe by this Kinsella fellow. And I feel in love with that movie too. Life moved on and I never read the book, Shoeless Joe. I read a few Kinsella stories, but never had the chance to read his only other novel. THen, I was finally drawn to the book. Perhaps it was the 15th anniversary of "Field of Dreams." Nevertheless, I read Shoeless Joe in a single day (and what a pleasure it was). The book is indeed different from the movie. And that makes it a pleasure. The movie stays close to the spirit of the book, and works beautifully as a motion picture. The book is deeper, sweeter, and more magical. J.D. Salinger, Ray's twin brother, and others populate the cast. Annie is sweeter and more dreamy than in the Amy Madigan's protrayal. Enough about the film though. This is a story about life, love, dreams, and baseball (although baseball is indeed all of those things). It is, as Salinger says,the one constant in our lives. The books explores Ray's mania a bit more. The magic of Kinsella will touch anyone who reads the book. While I'm sorry I took so long to read it, I'm sure as heck glad I did. I read somewhere that Kinsella is no longer writing. I respect that of course, but we sure as hell miss him.
Rating:
Summary: Some People Just Don't Get It
Review: After reading all the reviews of Shoeless Joe, I think the title I chose for this review is perfect.
First, let me state the obvious: most of the people who panned this book outright had to read it for school, and write a report on it. I can honestly say that, in my opinion, this book is not for your average high school student. The ideas and themes in this novel, not to mention the ideals and dreams, are very difficult to comprehend if you're still in high school. Some of the life experiences, that are are required to understand what Mr. Kinsella is saying, are still years away. It's a shame that these students are forced to read something that, in my opinion, they are not yet ready for. If they waited until they were older, they would understand. And they would love the book.
This is not Field of Dreams. That movie is the result of Hollywood taking this story, clipping here and editing there, and coming up with a screenplay that, while outstanding in its own way, is severely lacking in the substance of what this book is about.
It's about life. It's about dreams and realities. It's about injustice and redemption. But most of all, it's about love and family.
Ray Kinsella is an anomaly in today's society. He is a 1960s dreamer in a world full of pragmatic realists. He sees things that most people overlook. He remembers things that most people consider insignificant. But, most of all, he hears things that others cannot hear.
"If you build it, he will come." A raspy, baseball announcer's voice in the middle of an Iowa cornfield says those seven words, and Ray Kinsella knows exactly what they mean. Build a baseball stadium, and Shoeless Joe Jackson, the falsely accused and disgraced 1919 Chicago White Sox star, will return to play again. If that sounds hokey, or corny, it's because, to most people, it is. But not to Ray. Shoeless Joe Jackson was the favorite player of his father, John Kinsella. Ray grew up hearing stories of the 1919 White Sox, and Shoeless Joe. As the story progresses, the pure love Ray feels for his father becomes more and more evident. While the movie makes it something different, in the book it is all about love and memory.
The love between Ray and Annie is as close to a perfect love as humanity can get. And if some find that unreal, it's because it is so rare that it seems unreal. This is the love we all dream about. This is the love we feel we all have. But in reality, this love is the ideal love. And though in many ways it is hard to believe such a love could ever exist, in some very rare and special circumstances, it can, and it does.
Why does Ray follow the voice he hears? Why does he plow under his cornfield, risking his farm, his home, and possibly even his family? Because Ray knows that sometimes you have to follow the voices you hear. He knows Annie will understand. Or if not understand, realize that he has to do what he has to do. From the first time Shoeless Joe appears in his field, Ray starts to dream. He dreams of seeing his father again. Seeing him in a way he never knew him: young and playing baseball, the game he loved. Shoeless Joe tells him to finish the field, to make it possible for all of the disgraced White Sox to come and play again. Then, and only then, he promises, will they consider having his father on the team.
So Ray begins his long, slow journey, finishing the field, learning the tricks of the trade from the experts, creating a perfect ball park. And still he waits.
And then the voice comes back. And Ray is off on a journey to take one of the most famous reclusive authors of our time to a baseball game. He plans his trip carefully, preparing himself so he will be ready to share his dreams, to open his heart and soul to a man who he is convinced needs him to come take him to a baseball game.
Along the way, we also meet Eddie "Kid" Scissons, the oldest living Chicago Cub (or is he), and learn the short, but poignant tale of Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham. The playing out of these stories, and the love of baseball, and all things pure and simple, tug at our hearts, and make us want to believe in the dreams.
And we do. And when Ray finally comes back to the farm, accompanied by a ghost from the past, and a mystery from the present, he discovers his long-lost twin brother has shown up, confusing Annie and their daughter. The differences between the identical twin brothers are enormous, but slowly, they begin to disappear as the dream, Ray's catcher, his father, finally makes his appearance.
The threats of losing everything to Annie's scheming brother, and his business partner, the reality of "Kid" Scissons, and the tragic heroics of Moonlight Graham bring the book ever closer to its climax, as we realize that some dreams, no matter how precious, are sometimes less important when the glare of reality blinds us, forcing us to make choices we thought we would never have to make.
This is a story of love, dreams and life that is worthy of any book collection. Read it. You will come away better for having done so.
Rating: 
Summary: Shoeless Joe Critic
Review: Shoeless Joe is a book I think most people should read. This book signifies the love and passion of baseball. I liked this book for many different reasons. First, the author was very accurate in the content of this book. He talked of real players at their exact time. This book was also well planned out. The structure is really easy to follow. The book was written in a "modern" type language, so there was none of the old english or hard to understand language in the book. Another point I liked was how the author explained the characters. He would write about a character to their exact description.
So what is the truth and how do you know it? In this book, you have to follow the storyline very carefully. This book is historical fiction so most of it is made up, but the truth does lie in the book if you find the persons, places, and times the event took place.
Do the times shape you or do you shape the times. In this book, for instance, the author shapes the times on you, and you on the times. I don't want to give the book away, but there is an instance where it is clear time is not a big factor. I encourage everyone to read this book about America's favorite past time, baseball.
Rating: 
Summary: Now you know what happeneed to j. d. salinger!
Review: Has it occurred to anyone else that W. P. Kinsella actually IS the old trickster himself in disguise? He's been writing and publishing all these years right under our noses.
Rating:
Summary: Much better than the movie!
Review: Don't get me wrong...I love Field of Dreams, but it doesn't compare to Shoeless Joe. I first read this in 1987 or so and have read it at least five times since then. My copy is tattered...my son also read it over and over and I've lent it out to friends.
GREAT book.
Rating:
Summary: A Diamond Gem; A Perfect Game...
Review: It was in the summer of 1987 that I wandered into a bookstore in Rockport, Mass. To this day, some 17 years later, I have no idea what drew me to the second floor of that bookstore. There, among the stacks, I found a fantastical book called the Iowa Baseball Confederacy by a W.P. Kinsella. It was summer outside and yet, I was drawn to this obscure book. I read it and fell in love. Two years later, Field of Dreams was released and it was based on Shoeless Joe by this Kinsella fellow. And I feel in love with that movie too. Life moved on and I never read the book, Shoeless Joe. I read a few Kinsella stories, but never had the chance to read his only other novel. THen, I was finally drawn to the book. Perhaps it was the 15th anniversary of "Field of Dreams." Nevertheless, I read Shoeless Joe in a single day (and what a pleasure it was). The book is indeed different from the movie. And that makes it a pleasure. The movie stays close to the spirit of the book, and works beautifully as a motion picture. The book is deeper, sweeter, and more magical. J.D. Salinger, Ray's twin brother, and others populate the cast. Annie is sweeter and more dreamy than in the Amy Madigan's protrayal. Enough about the film though. This is a story about life, love, dreams, and baseball (although baseball is indeed all of those things). It is, as Salinger says,the one constant in our lives. The books explores Ray's mania a bit more. The magic of Kinsella will touch anyone who reads the book. While I'm sorry I took so long to read it, I'm sure as heck glad I did. I read somewhere that Kinsella is no longer writing. I respect that of course, but we sure as hell miss him.
Rating:
Summary: Learn to love the game
Review: I'm not a baseball fan. I'm not even a sports fan. But I am a Shoeless Joe fan, and for this book I go to Red Sox games, and for this book I cheer on my dinky little highschool team, one of the few fans beside a field without bleachers. This book is beautifully written and paced, and wonderfully lyrical. It catches you at odd moments and makes you cry. And you're not sure why or how, but you're glad it did. This book is about baseball. Can you believe that?
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