Trophy Son

April 3, 2017
Brunt’s (The Means) third novel chronicles the tennis career of Anton Stratis, which commences under his father’s thumb when he’s still a child and terminates before he turns 30. The younger son of two former professional athletes, Anton endures a brutal training regimen fueled by his father’s ample time, money, and ambition. Anton remains close to his older brother, Panos, who manages to slip the noose of his father’s control and live a normal life. Anton’s daily existence is lonely, a loop between the court and his hotel room. His attempts at being a normal kid are thwarted by both his father and his inability to connect with others. Anton tries to find his footing as a person and a player as he approaches his 20s, ditching his dad; pursuing Ana Stokke, a beautiful actress; and seeing a psychologist. Unfortunately, it’s at this point that the book loses its momentum. While there is there occasional skirmish with his father, it seems unlikely that someone who had built his entire life around his son would relinquish control as easily as Anton’s father does. The writing explains obvious things to the reader, which dulls the impact of the scenes. Brunt’s novel works as a glimpse into the lives of professional athletes—with all the politics and the moral greyness that results when everyone is on some kind of enhancement cocktail—but he misses an opportunity by mishandling the book’s established conflicts.

Sounding more like reality than fiction, TROPHY SON highlights the pressures an overbearing parent can place on a child prodigy--all in the name of success. Dan Bittner's narration captures the stress, anguish, and occasional joy Anton Stratis experiences during his ascent to the top of the tennis world under the thumb of his father, who controls every aspect of his son's cloaked life. Anton's rebellious nature and Douglas Brunt's well-honed dialogue differentiate the novel from similar books based on real life. But it is Bittner's delivery, especially his adroit pacing of the story, that enables this book to succeed in audio. Despite the stereotypes that permeate the book, it is an enjoyable listen, especially for those who want to understand how prodigies become public figures. D.J.S. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine