Trophy Son by Douglas Brunt, originally published in 2017, is a fictional coming of age novel that explores ambition, family dynamics, and the high-stakes world of professional sports. Set against the backdrop of competitive tennis, Brunt centers his novel around the internal psyche of his protagonist, Anton Stratis, a young athlete pushed to the limits by his overbearing father. As Anton navigates the cutthroat world of competitive sports, he grapples with the pressures of living up to his father’s expectations, while trying to forge his own identity. Along the way he forms relationships with fellow athletes, confronts the sacrifices required for success, and ultimately must decide what truly matters to him. By utilizing a deep point of view, Brunt is able to explore the inner world of Anton and display the most vulnerable side of him to the reader, making for a gripping novel that leaves the reader rooting for the protagonist’s success not just in the sport of tennis, but also in life.
The novel navigates themes of sacrifice, identity, and the pursuit of excellence and often dives deep into questions of the human condition and the price of success. Brunt focuses on the importance of relationships in one’s life. Anton struggles with a lack of relationships and a sort of chronic loneliness. As the novel progresses, his social circle grows and begins to form bonds with those around him. He learns that if he wishes to make a change in his life, then he needs to actively attempt to drive that change.
Brunt also tackles the complexities of becoming an individual in the mentally and physically demanding world of competitive tennis and under an overzealous father solely focused on absolute success. Anton struggles to find himself while trapped under the command of his father. His first step to becoming an individual was to break away from his father and play tennis under his own order. He then faced the challenge of who he would become after tennis was not his life. This is a challenge that many people face, not just professional athletes. This sense of an unknown future gave the reader a sense of relatedness to Anton.
Overall, Trophy Son is a thought provoking novel that often causes the reader to consider their own choices in life while following Anton on his journey to independence.
