Having first viewed the film of the same name, I found this book to be disappointment. It lacked the mythic and Arturian aspects of the film. Roy Hobbs is a coarse, unpleasant and not too bright character whose downfall is painful to follow. After finishing the book I felt the urge to take a shower, there was a feeling of being defiled, and certainly saddened by this account of a unfulfilled and wasted life. For once, a film adaption was better than the book.