Friday Night Lights

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Friday Night Lights

H. G. Bissinger

Literature

Jul 29, 2018

Even readers with no interest in football are likely to be fascinated by the surprising world that Bissinger describes so well—a world in which a lot of adults have a big stake in whether teenage football players win or lose. Those players, in turn, enjoy the indulgence of teachers and the adulation of the crowd, but soon find themselves lost in the off-field shadows once their youthful season is done; as the Permian coach, Gary Gaines, at one point tells them, “Gentlemen, the hopes and dreams of an entire town are riding on your shoulders. You may never matter again in your life as much as you do right now.” Bissinger carefully balances cultural concerns with human interest in his portrayal of a communal passion that is both seductive and scary; the result is a book that is compelling in every way.

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