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Esalen Institute founder Michael Murphy's divine meditation on the royal and ancient game defied categorization when it was first published in 1972, and it still does. Instantly hailed as a classic, Golf in the Kingdom is an altogether unique confluence of fiction, philosophy, myth, mysticism, enchantment, and golf instruction. The central character is a wily Scotsman named Shivas Irons, a golf professional by vocation and a shaman by design, whom Murphy, as participant in his own novel, meets in 1956 on the links of Burningbush, in Fife. The story of their round of golf together culminates in a wild night of whiskey and wisdom where, as Shivas demonstrates how the swing reflects the soul, their golf quite literally takes on a metaphysical glow. The events alter not only Murphy's game, but they also radically alter his mind and inner vision; it's truly unforgettable. For a golfer, Murphy's masterpiece is as essential as a set of clubs.
From Library Journal
This book offers a view of golf in a more philosophical and even mystical light. This 25th-anniversary edition includes additional reflections by Murphy. Though golf is definitely a fanatic's game, half of this is written for laughs.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Read the first half, forget the rest,
By ScooterBob (OR, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Golf in the Kingdom (Paperback)
Murphy takes you on a magical and enlightening round of golf at the place where it all began, or at least could have: Scotland. His descriptions of the landscape and the golf course made me long for the links courses we have on our own coast. I enjoyed his attempt at mimicking the various dialects of the Scots and other characters in the book. After their round, Murphy and his new acquaintance, Shivas Irons, a sort of golf priest have a few shots of Scotch, and then go for a midnight stroll in search of Seamus MacDuff. We never really know if Seamus is alive or a figment of Irons' imagination. They find an ancient club that's suppose to belong to MacDuff in a cave and some featheries, and then they hit some perfect shots in the moonlight. Up until this point the book is about golf and the feeling many golfers have that golf is much more than hitting a little white ball around a nicely maintained park. But then the book goes off on some transparent pop psycobabble from the '60s while Murphy spends years searching for Irons and MacDuff. If this book were a round of golf I'd have to say it that Murphy shot par on the front nine and double bogeyed his way through the back. I'd recommend reading the first half and then just dreaming about what the last half could have been about. I'm sure you'll do a better job of finishing the book than Murphy did.
1.0 out of 5 stars
Golf in who's "kingdom"?,
By
This review is from: Golf in the Kingdom (Hardcover)
I'm surprised by the range of ratings of this book (ostensibly about golf, and its mental aspects). The book has little to do with golf, although Murphy's description of his mythical round with Shivas Irons does touch upon getting into "the zone" (golfers will know, and perhaps experienced, however briefly, what this is!). As indicated in the other reviews, he then gets into some kind of psycho-spiritual, new-age "babble" about life, not just golf. I found it difficult to finish the book. I'm also apprehensive about starting his sequel (The Kingdom of Shivas Irons), if it's going to be as bad. Luckily I didn't pay too much for them!
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow,
By Pedro Smith (Saint Louis, MO United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Golf in the Kingdom (Paperback)
I don't care how many times I read this book, I always walk away with something new. If you enjoy philosophy in a modern context without going to "new-age", this is a great book. I would also recommend Life of Pi.
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