Rafa

Subject: I found that this book was written in a very unique way. Since it is an autobiography (written with the help of comedian George Carlin), I expected it to focus completely on the life and personal experiences of Rafael Nadal. But what I found was that it focused a lot on a man named Toni Nadal. Toni has been and still is Nadal’s coach ever since he began playing tennis. 

Occasion: Rafa is the life story (so far: he is only 27) of the world class tennis player Rafael Nadal. He was born in Majorca, Spain and began playing tennis intensely when he was 3 years old. Nadal is currently the number 1 player in the world, and his book shows his journey from where he began to the place that he has reached, and the things that he achieved in his career. 

Audience: The audience of this novel is adults and young adults. I think that it would be somewhat boring for kids much younger than I am. It talks a lot about feelings and learning experiences and how certain things built Nadal as a player and a man. The book includes (obviously) information and facts about Nadal’s career in tennis, his grand slam wins (13!!) and other data that would be a bore to children. It is a story of growth and becoming great as a result of hard work. 

Purpose: It seems to me that Nadal wrote this book in order to share his story with the world; and the main point of that story is that he was not born being great. He does not consider himself a natural talent, and he is willing to admit that in this book. Nadal describes in detail the many struggles that he went through; mainly at the hands of his extremely harsh uncle and coach, Toni Nadal. 

Style: This autobiography has a noticeable style, and it works well. Since it was written with the help of author and comedian George Carlin, it is well done. It include many comparisons and metaphors, such as this one:  “You have to cage yourself in protective armor, turn yourself into a bloodless warrior. It’s a kind of self-hypnosis, a game you play, with deadly seriousness, to disguise your own weaknesses from yourself, as well as from your rival”. The book is obviously written by someone who is passionate about tennis, and the descriptive and intense words used to describe the sport portray that. 

Tone: The tone of the book is somewhat mixed. It really focuses on his uncle and coach Toni Nadal, and we can tell that Rafa is still somewhat conflicted about his experiences with Toni. He was incredibly harsh on Rafa, to the point that Rafa hated him and felt as though he was being tortured by his uncle. But Rafa attributes his successes much to his uncle as well. He knows that without enduring those pains, he wouldn’t have the mental strength and physical abilities to do what he does now. 

The autobiographical novel Rafa has a fairly high level of diction; advanced word choice. I would call it advanced casual. The book is obviously written by smart, knowledgable and experienced people, but they are purposely creating a casual tone in order to make the book more enjoyable. Who wants to read a scholarly book about tennis? The syntax is well developed; the sentences in the book vary with the storyline. At time, in intense moments, they mimic the rapid intenseness of a tennis game. At others, they represent the slow, calculating mental piece of the game. The main arguments in the book are fairly clear: that any regular person can achieve anything if they are willing to dedicate themselves fully to it, endure great pain, and work their ass off for a very long time to reach that place. It takes work, but you don’t have to be a prodigy. 

The book puts a lot of emphasis on Rafa’s coach and uncle, Toni. It explains their relationship from many aspects. “Cruel to be kind, as Toni saw it, he would play games with Rafa in which the winner was the first to twenty points. He would allow the excited child to get to nineteen, and then he’d raise his game, beating him to the post, ruining his nephew’s day just as he was beginning to savor the thrill of an unlikely little victory. The blows to morale and the relentlessly harsh discipline to which he submitted Rafa all had a grand strategic purpose: teaching him to endure” Toni was very harsh on Rafa, but he also made him into the superstar that he is. Nadal certainly acknowledges this, and also attributes the pain that he endured to Toni. This book is almost a tribute to Toni, since he is the main figure in it. Rafa was born in Majorca, Spain, in 1986. He is 27 years old, and is the number 1 player on earth. Nadal’s coach and uncle Toni used to be a professional tennis player as well, and began coaching Nadal intensely at the age of 3, when he saw Nadal’s potential for becoming a great player. Nadal is called the “king of clay” and many think of him as the best player ever. He has made the second most money of a tennis player ever: about 66 and a half million dollars. He also has Nike as a sponsor, and assumably makes a fortune from them as well. As wikipedia says “Nadal has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles, the 2008 Olympic gold medal in singles, a record 26 ATP World Tour Masters 1000[23][24] and a record 15 ATP World Tour 500 tournaments. He was also a member of the winning Spain Davis Cup team in 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2011. In 2010, he became the seventh player in history and youngest of four in the Open Era to achieve the Career Grand Slam. He is the second male player, after Andre Agassi, to complete the singles Career Golden Slam.” This shows what an unbelievably good player he is, and his novel explains these wins from his perspective, but puts most of the emphasis on his childhood and coach Toni. 

I give this book a 5 out of 5 for ‘inspirationalness’.