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A review of The Contender

by Robert Lipsyte

A young black man takes up boxing to escape the poverty of crime in the streets

Reviewed by: Paul A. Paterson
About Paul A. Paterson

The Contender Alfred Brooks lives with his aunt in a rough section of New York. Orphaned when he was young and having dropped out of high school to work at a grocery store, Brooks battles to stay on the straight and narrow even when he's surrounded by thieves and junkies. But when a friend gets arrested breaking into the grocery store where Brooks works, the hero finds himself the target of the criminal's rage. To defend himself, Brooks enters a boxing gym, where he meets Mr. Donatelli, the head trainer.

Donatelli tells Brooks that before he can become a champion, he must learn to be a contender, a message the young man struggles to understand throughout the plot. His battles outside the ring mirror his struggles inside, and he slowly learns that winning the fight to stay clean, sober and moral is far more important.

Lipsyte crafts the story carefully, making Brooks a flawed but ultimately honorable hero who struggles to overcome the forces that surround him. His portrayal of the boxing gym shows he's been around the sport and understands the personality and motivation of those involved. The theme of being a contender in boxing and in life is powerfully but slowly revealed as Brooks progressed from training to fighting and ultimately to ring retirement.

This novel is a terrific read for anyone, boxing fan or not.

Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: The Contender

Copyright © by Paul A. Paterson, 2002

Reviewed by Paul A. Paterson:
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