Fat City - A Review by Behrouz Saba

Fat City by Leonard Gardner is a singular masterpiece of modern American literature. I was introduced to the book by the John Houston film of 1972 which in its own right is a work of wonder. Gardner, who has regrettably not written another novel since, tells the story of an over-the-hill boxer in Stockton, California, his brief affair with an alcoholic woman, and the last chance he is given at a bout. In a spare, flawless prose, the novelist depicts the starkness of this life which unfolds in cheap hotel rooms and bars, in third-rate boxing arenas and in the agrarian fields where he has to work as a picker to eke out a living. A scene of onion picking is often cited as an example of supple, kinetic writing at its best. By being so specific and immersing the reader in this small world, the author manages to make devastating statements about the mercilessness of American life and even the ultimate futility of life's many struggles. As the veteran boxer mentors a young contender who is getting married and starting his own life, the reader is given every reason to believe that the travesty is open-ended.