Rope Burns: Stories from the Corner

Let's get this out of the way right of the bat: To say Million Dollar Baby: Stories From The Corner is a book about boxing is akin to saying Moby Dick is a book about fishing. It touches on the truth but misses the point entirely. Sure, all the "stories from the corner" involve boxing. And they feature people involved in fighting. And yes, they take place in seedy gyms and boxing arenas. OK, OK, I admit, they really are about boxing. But there's so much more to them than that. If you saw the Million Dollar Baby movie, you'll get what I'm talking about. Boxing is the springboard for these stories because they were written by a man who was immersed in the boxing culture for decades. Jerry Boyd (aka F.X. Toole) was a fighter himself before moving on to "cut man," someone whose job is to stanch the flow of blood from wounds inflicted during a fight. He knew the fight game inside and out. But if that's all there was to him, these stories wouldn't be as wonderful as they are. Like Ernest Hemingway, Boyd followed that most essential rule: Write what you know. Hemingway wrote about bullfighting and hunting and chasing girls, but that's hardly what made his stories resonate with millions of readers over three generations. Likewise, Boyd writes about boxing but only as a means of delving into the hearts and souls of some unforgettable characters. On the surface, the six short stories are interchangeable. Each features fighters, trainers and cut men. Each takes place in the gym and in the ring. But once you dig in, you'll see each has its own unique flavour. Sometimes it's sweet, sometimes it's bitter, but it's always hearty. In The Monkey Look, a cut man takes what he's owed from a fast-talking deadbeat fighter in a classic revenge tale. Black Jew looks at money's role in the fight game, how it's used and misused, and how it's often more a symbol of honour than currency. Willie "Scrap Iron" Dupree (played by Morgan Freeman in the movie, which actually fused elements from three stories) is the narrator of Frozen Water. Scrap Iron tells us the story of a young fighter who bullies a mentally challenged man and, in turn, is taught a lesson in the true spirit of boxing by a more seasoned pugilist. And Fightin In Philly introduces us to a cut man whose unplumbed depths come to the fore when he sees works by Michaelangelo. The two powerhouses in the collection are Million Dollar Baby, obviously, and Rope Burns. MDB is about an aging trainer who all but adopts a fierce but gentle woman boxer as the two climb to the top level of the sport. Rope Burns, which was the original title when the book was first released in 2000, may be the most touching and compelling of the lot. In it, Boyd weaves a complex tale of love, friendship and loyalty, and how the spectre of racism and violence threatens them all. Stephen King, in his book On Writing, says great writers are born, not made, and I believe that. Boyd is a great writer. His punchy (sorry, couldn't resist) pro

Mr. Toole's short stories takes inside the ropes, in the gyms. His writing is so vivid that you can smell the linament and feel the punches. His style is filled with nuance. The stories are heart breaking. What a shame that he did not live long enough to enjoy his success and gives us more great writing.

One of the grittiest, heart pumping books I have ever read. 6 stories all related to boxers, their trainers, cutmen and the eerie lifes that surround them. From a crooked fighter trying to rip off a cutman, to a young woman trying to convince an older trainer to be the first woman to be trained, to a story in the backdrop of the L.A. riots of the early 90's. I felt anger, sorrow, pride and happiness throughout. Waiting for Mr. Toole's next book!

The story for which the book is titled, Rope Burns, is, indeed, an astonishing performance. And in all the stories every nuance is correct, authentic. Every piece of dialog frightenly accurate. Chillingly real. Toole has obviously heard these voices and altho like many Irish writers his stories are, well, not uplifting, they are incredible -- and moving -- slices of life. If you want to see, hear and feel what's it's like to hang out at the gym (not the spa or health club)and if you want to experience really good writing of this genre; read this book. Then take a shower.

Yes, its a book about boxing - mainly. But its much more than that. Toole - and its hard to believe that this is his first book - is a natural writer with a fantastic sense of drama, conversation, and place. I read a great piece in the New York Times about Toole - and I hope he's writing a memoir next. I highly recommend.