The Sport of Kings by C.E. Morgan

 The Sport of Kings by C.E. Morgan

For an important part of this long, complex narrative, a reader could enjoy, appreciate the complex structure, the fresco depicted with great talent, follow the stories of intriguing characters and expect a fulfilling read.

Alas, when it comes to the stage where incest is not just mentioned in one of the side yarns, but it becomes the core of the plot, some, including this reader, could look at the many pages left and wonder-

Do they want to continue exploring this side of human character, which, even if it does occur, it is on the fringes of behavior and maybe not worth delving into for so long?

Henry Forge appears to be both the hero and antihero of this long novel, a personage that challenges his father,  a racist, retrograde, conservative individual, only to embrace so much of his thinking later.

The first part is gripping, interesting and promises so much more, with wonderful characters like the amazing cook who is so smart it reminds one of Hidden figures, the African American employee who has an extramarital affair with Lavinia, Henry’s mother and that appears to be the reason why the Klan kills him.

John forge thinks the Klan, in spite of having many white trash as members, uneducated white people, still serves a purpose, he has a heinous attitude towards the descendants of the former slaves that would be transmitted to his son.

This despicable man thinks of African Americans, whom he obviously calls using a different name, as children.

When his son asks him about the new disaggregation laws, he prophesizes that it will all fall apart.

Henry causes an uproar when he decides, when he is only a boy, to change the nature of the large property he would inherit and, instead of growing the same crops that have been in the fields for centuries, to raise thoroughbreds instead.

His father feels betrayed and humiliated, does not accept this preposterous, stupid, criminal idea and tells his son that this will be impossible and such a thing would mean to dishonor generations of ancestors and it is not something that could be envisaged for such an illustrious, noble family.

Studies suggest that the tendency to divorce is transmitted genetically and Henry Forge does not stay married to his wife, who travels all the way to Germany to have another family, leaving her husband and their daughter Henrietta to care for and raise beautiful, resplendent horses, culminating in the magical Hellsmouth.

Henrietta is a complex character and that would generally be to the advantage of a hero, which gets more interesting when it is not developed only along the lines of good, handsome, clever and all the positive qualities, only she has a dark side, a behavior and attitude that can disgust many of those who learn about her shenanigans.

On the other hand, it could be argued that she is the result of a broken home, a rich child that was spoiled by her remaining parent who, apart from these mistakes turns out to be a mad, vicious, devilish Lex Luthor, bent on incest so that the wondrous genetic line of the Forges would produce the ultimate super human.

But one reading could be that she complies, agrees with this notion which they apply to their horses, that purports the method of inbreeding, controlled and “scientifically” planned as a way of achieving the champion thoroughbred.

Henrietta has sex with strangers that she picks up in bars, acts in a strange manner that makes her the cold, apparently heartless character that one has trouble relating, forget about warming up to.

Yes, she has a sort of revelation, a redemption when she meets the half African American Allmon Shaughnessy, in fact, not as they first encounter, not even after their first sexual encounters, but later in this love hate game, but Henrietta is still not the woman that attracts sympathy and compassion, much like her strange lover, who has a history that is related over some interesting chapters, which explain to a great degree his hatred of white, rich people, those who have and who did nothing when his mother was dying, he went to jail and his Reverent grandfather died in poverty and destitution.

The point is frequently made that white does not understand black, they have not suffered the centuries old abuse, the  rich cannot feel the same as the impoverished, and Allmon may be justified in his determination to get rich, obtain the same house that the Forges have and get a stake in the horses.

In so many accounts, we see the father of the precious girl offering an exit package to the ignoble pretender to the family fortune and most of the time, the revolted young man rejects this insulting, abominable proposition of buying his virtue and destroying the pure, real love that unites the seraphic couple, destined to enter matrimony and live forever after in a blissful state, in Heaven on Earth.

As Henry talks to Allmon about forgetting his daughter, the interlocutor does not dismiss this proposal with the usual distaste and horror, he does not say he is not interested, and they only have to negotiate on the share that he will owe in Hellsmouth, his interest in the descendants of this extraordinary thoroughbred who comes from Secretariat, a horse who won so many prizes, has a film based on his life and had a gigantic heart.

In conclusion, if the first part of the book, up to perhaps page 750, is so intriguing and challenging, a worthwhile read, after the moment when the question is raised about the son of Henrietta is raised, whose father might have been his…grandfather, some readers may get interested in other books.

The Sport of Kings was shortlisted for The Pulitzer Prize.