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(5.0) I want you to read this book

Oh my goodness, this was one of my favorite reading experiences ever. I'm not sure I can objectively explain it, but I laughed, I nearly cried, my palms sweated, I was just riveted (ask my wife). This memoir is so well written (Agassi gave effusive praise to J.R. Moehringer, who helped him record his history and transform it into this masterpiece, and I'm sure much of the credit must go to him) that I just couldn't handle it. It is such an emotional ride--perhaps only 0.01% of what it's like to actually be a professional athlete--that every free moment I had I wanted to return to Andre-world.

I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud while reading this. The coincidences, the juxtapositions, the ironies, the cute courtships....There was humor in so many forms. It was all so sincere though. I guess that's what struck me the most. How open, honest and sincere the book feels. And given what he reveals in it, I have little reason to believe that anything is exaggerated, stretched or glossed over.

But it's just so well written. I never had to guess who he was referring to at any point. He made so many connections between points in his life, but they were effortless to recall and connect. I've just never been able to follow a narrative so effortlessly, feeling I was completely on top of everything going on, past and present. It was just such a pleasure to read, even aside from the actual events taking place.

One interesting typographical note: (at least in the ePUB version I read) There was no use of quotation marks to set off dialog. Without having read the book, I would've thought this was insanity and ridiculed anyone playing any sort of editorial role in the production...but it totally works. I can't explain it, but it probably comes back to how perfectly written the book is.