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Summary and Reviews of On the Fringe by Gregory Barton

On the Fringe by Gregory G. Barton

On the Fringe

and Other Uncommon Tales of Golf

by Gregory G. Barton
  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Paperback:
  • Jun 2001, 324 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

These extraordinary stories will please readers of short fiction, particularly if golf takes up a part of their lives.

From The Ryder Cup to the Bermuda Triangle. Fly with an RAF pilot as he buzzes a golf course that no one else can see, come across a magical golf club that can change one's entire life, have your bag carried by a clairvoyant caddie, play a round for the hand of a beautiful girl, find out what heaven's really like, ride the devil's own train, and get caught on a haunted links after dark. These are just a few of the adventures in this extraordinary collection of fifteen tales about golf, life, and the uncommon nature of both.

From The Girl With The Swing

The shimmering curtain of late summer heat maintained an uncertain distance as I raced along the narrow ribbon of pavement. I had long since tired of the mirage and its equally illusive accomplice, the maddeningly flat terrain that stretched on forever in all directions. Together they poked and prodded at my imagination until I began to wonder whether I was really moving at all or simply frozen to the spot as the unchanging world rushed past.

So when the billboard loomed out of the haze inviting me to Grab a cold one at Walt's General Store and Feed Emporium (just five easy miles east of the highway) I took the exit without the slightest regret for the detour. There was nowhere I needed to be, no one waiting anxiously for my return; just the end of another long and mildly fruitful sales trip through the farm belt.

The wind swept through the open window as I sped past fields of corn and soy and sunflower, leaving a long trail of dust to ...

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Reviews

Media Reviews

Egolf Weekly
Certain to entertain and surprise. Well worth the read.

Golf Today
The author is indeed a master storyteller who loves the game of golf. These extraordinary experiences will please readers of short fiction, particularly if golf takes up a part of their lives. Thank God for imagination. Congratulations to the author on this one!

Author Blurb Bob Spear, The Book Barn
I just finished On the Fringe, a book of short stories about golf. I read the first story and almost cried it was so touching. Every single tale was exquisitely crafted. The quality of these stories reminded me of the 1950s - the hay day of magazine short stories. Each one was a work of art. It was difficult to believe this author is a professional architect and not a creative writing instructor. Whether one is a golf aficionado or not, this book is well worth the read. Wonderful!!!

Reader Reviews

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Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked On the Fringe, try these:

  • The Majors jacket

    The Majors

    by John Feinstein

    Published 2000

    About this book

    More by this author

    Shows us the greatest golfers of our time under the greatest pressure they ever experience.

  • Cinderella Story jacket

    Cinderella Story

    by Bill Murray, George Peper

    Published 2000

    About this book

    One of the funniest, most beloved, and most often quoted entertainers in the world tells his tale of Life and Golf and somehow surviving both.

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