Shoeless Joe

By: W. P. Kinsella

Narrated by: Grover Gardner

Shoeless Joe, the soul-stirring novel on which the movie Field of Dreams is based, is more than just another baseball story. Kinsella captures the spiritual dimension that baseball represents for its most determined devotees in this tale of love and the power of dreams to make people come alive.

“Shoeless Joe” is the great Joe Jackson, one of the eight members of the 1919 Chicago White Sox who were banned from baseball for throwing the World Series. One day, while out in his corn field, Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella hears the voice of a baseball announcer saying, “If you build it, he will come.” “He,” of course, is Ray's hero, Joe Jackson. “It” is a baseball stadium, which Ray carves out of his corn field.

©1982 W. P. Kinsella (P)1991 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Wild...romantic...unconventional....A triumph of hope.” ( Boston Globe)

A thoroughly American novel

The book is less streamlined than Field of Dreams - there's at least 1.5 times as much story here - and a lot of the stuff that didn't make the script is cut from the same cloth. It's thoroughly American, spiritual and unapologetically sentimental. Kinsella came up with all of the scenes you love if you love the movie. It's all his story. The only things I'd criticize is that it reads like he made it up as he went along, and that's especially apparent when it contradicts itself in one very important element of its mythology (what lies beyond the cornfield). It also wants the reader to respect baseball as a religion while showing an ugly contempt for other people's beliefs.

Real Fantasy Baseball

So much good stuff happened in this book. It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s sad, it’s heroic. This is the best portrayal of the magic and mystery of baseball I’ve come across. It is so well written and so representative of the unquestioned admiration men of that generation had for baseball and the men who played the game. Narrator hits a grand slam.

Oh what a Wonderful Surprise

It’s not often that you surprisingly bang into a masterpiece .. Like seeing the Mona Lisa in your own basement underneath a pile of old clothes. Shoeless Joe was that for me.

I loved baseball novels as I was growing up. And Kevin Costner’s role in Field of Dreams is still one of my favorite pictures of all time.

I just didn’t even know that this novel existed. It’s one that I guess Amazon is dusting off and to their wonderful credit, is giving away for free, at least for now.

I will give you six stars if I could. Not life altering. But just so much fun.

On an incredibly tangential note, this book probably wins the title for most metaphors and similes per hundred pages if that were, say, An Olympic sport. Quite an honor. If you like this kind of stuff, check out the book Shortcut by John Pollack. While it has nothing at all to do with baseball, Shortcut Is incredibly and wonderfully surprising story and history of the metaphor.

ok movie better

book was good and fills in a lot of holes from the movie. the book just got a little weird.

Good story, mediocre narration

I liked the story, very magical and nostalgic. The narration wasn’t great but it got the job done.

Field of Dreams is better

This is one of the few times the movie is better. Not a bad book but the ending was very blah.

Very good

This is, of course, the book that the movie FIELD OF DREAMS was based on. And although the book came before the movie, I'm afraid this is one of the rare times when the movie is better. All the elements are here, but there is a lot of things that the movie rightfully cut; such as the carnival barker twin brother, the dreamer elderly farm owner, and the stops at every ballpark in the road trip. Also, another major change is Terence Mann is actually J.D. Salinger, author of The Catcher In The Rye. From what I've researched, the change was made after the REAL Salinger threatened litigation. Overall, however, the book is well worth reading (listening to). The author has a great wit and natural talent.

Great memories for anyone who played baseball

Wow. So many great memories for anyone who is older than fifty or knows of the “good olde days” of baseball. Listen and enjoy.

Needs another listen

I came into this novel with false preconceptions based on the movie. But when I think about it, it’s still pretty good

it flows.

it's different from the movie, but the same
if you've seen the movie, this will put it into perspective. It answers a lot of questions. It gives you the rest of the story. The James Earl Jones character isn't Terrence Mann, but J.D. Salinger. Some of the other characters are different, too. It makes sense. It is a lot better, but books usually are. So read it and enjoy.