I'm thrilled with the review of "The Tour" that came out today on xtri.com:
http://www.xtri.com/article.asp?id=1772
At one point the writer says:
The principal theme of the book is performance-enhancing drugs, a subject which is depressingly topical in today's sporting world. However, rather than tread a tired path about the dangers of drug use and the immoral nature of the cheats, Shields turns the angle on its head as he highlights the enormous pressures pro cyclists can come under and the easy justification available to them should they take this step. At times, the logic is so compelling that the reader is actually egging Barnes on to take that fateful step.
That's precicely what I'd hoped to convey. It makes me happy that this particular reader saw it. I'm as turned off by the drug issue as anybody, but the problem isn't going to go away until we address it differently. (Don't get me started on the mess **** Pound and the World Anti Doping Agency are making of things.)
The greatest potential outcome for my novel would be that by educating readers it gives more athletes the power to say, "No." I hope it also forces athletes to consider the real consequences of their actions. Cheaters are often skilled at constructing complex justifications for what they do, but the bottom line is that they are creating a great deal of harm, and I did my best to show that in the book.
Dave Shields
http://www.DaveShields.com
http://www.xtri.com/article.asp?id=1772
At one point the writer says:
The principal theme of the book is performance-enhancing drugs, a subject which is depressingly topical in today's sporting world. However, rather than tread a tired path about the dangers of drug use and the immoral nature of the cheats, Shields turns the angle on its head as he highlights the enormous pressures pro cyclists can come under and the easy justification available to them should they take this step. At times, the logic is so compelling that the reader is actually egging Barnes on to take that fateful step.
That's precicely what I'd hoped to convey. It makes me happy that this particular reader saw it. I'm as turned off by the drug issue as anybody, but the problem isn't going to go away until we address it differently. (Don't get me started on the mess **** Pound and the World Anti Doping Agency are making of things.)
The greatest potential outcome for my novel would be that by educating readers it gives more athletes the power to say, "No." I hope it also forces athletes to consider the real consequences of their actions. Cheaters are often skilled at constructing complex justifications for what they do, but the bottom line is that they are creating a great deal of harm, and I did my best to show that in the book.
Dave Shields
http://www.DaveShields.com