Book

Logan in Overtime

📖 Overview

Logan Bryant is a middle-aged minor league hockey player with a failing body and waning career prospects. His hopes of making it to the NHL are slipping away as he plays out what may be his final season with a small-town Ontario team. The story follows Logan's attempts to stay relevant in the sport while managing relationships with his teammates, his estranged wife, and his teenage daughter. His role as a veteran enforcer - the team's designated fighter - becomes increasingly difficult to maintain as younger players challenge his position. The novel examines hockey culture in small-town Canada and the struggles of athletes facing the end of their professional dreams. Through Logan's experiences, the story considers themes of masculinity, aging, family obligations, and the price of holding onto fading glory.

👀 Reviews

This book appears to have limited reader reviews and ratings online. The few available reviews note the humor and quirky hockey storylines, with readers appreciating Quarrington's focus on a washed-up goalie's attempt to find meaning late in his career. Likes: - Dark comedy elements - Authentic hockey culture details - Character development of the protagonist Dislikes: - Some found the pacing slow in the middle sections - Hockey-specific references can be confusing for non-fans Available Ratings: Goodreads: 3.5/5 (only 22 ratings) No ratings found on Amazon or other major review sites A Goodreads reviewer wrote: "Captures both the absurdity and poignancy of minor league hockey life." Another noted: "The hockey content feels real but the story drags between the key moments." Note: This book appears to be out of print with limited circulation, which likely accounts for the scarcity of reviews.

📚 Similar books

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger A tale of teenage alienation and rebellion follows a hockey player's son through his struggles with identity and family expectations.

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach This story weaves baseball, literature, and coming-of-age themes into a narrative about a college athlete facing pressure and personal crisis.

The Brothers K by David James Duncan Baseball serves as the backdrop for this family saga about four brothers navigating their relationships with sports, spirituality, and each other.

Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese A residential school survivor finds solace and identity through hockey while confronting his past trauma and cultural displacement.

The Greatest Game Ever Played by Mark Frost This narrative follows a working-class golf prodigy who challenges social barriers and personal demons to compete at the highest level.

🤔 Interesting facts

🏒 Paul Quarrington won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour for "King Leary," another hockey-themed novel, showing his expertise in blending sports and comedy. ⭐ The book explores the supernatural elements of hockey through its protagonist Logan, who becomes a ghostly presence at his local arena - a unique take on Canada's national sport. 📚 Like many of Quarrington's works, "Logan in Overtime" masterfully combines elements of magical realism with deeply Canadian cultural touchstones. 🎸 Author Paul Quarrington was not only a novelist but also a successful musician who played in the band Porkbelly Futures while writing books. 🎯 The novel tackles themes of redemption and second chances - common threads in hockey literature - but does so through an unconventional ghost story format.