"In the Open Field" addresses the ups and downs of human relationships in a highly original way. Claudio Lovato Filho uses soccer as the backdrop for his new novel, which chronicles the intense relationship between father and son. All the feelings that emerge during a soccer match are explored by the author in this story of overcoming adversity. Arthur Dapieve recalls a passage that captures the essence of the book: "Luis Fernando Verissimo once wrote that he loved soccer so much because, already 60 years old, the game was the only thing that could make him feel still 6." "In the Open Field," by Cláudio Lovato Filho, explores the imaginary surrounding Brazil's most beloved sport. The writer from Rio Grande do Sul presents a novel that addresses human relationships and uses a soccer match as the backdrop. By uniting these two themes, he shows how sport can unite people and undo the knots that life creates. Through the relationship between father and son, the narrator weaves together the personal drama of each. The son, who doesn't even have a name or an identity, represents all the boys who carry dreams and family dramas and see in soccer the hope of transformation, because they project themselves into their idols. Through soccer, these relationships are transformed, even if silently. As in soccer, human relationships have ups and downs. The catharsis of the goal is a promise of happiness. "(...) this boy and this father become pieces of the biography of all of us Brazilians. It is they/we who experience the excitement provided not only by the decisive match but also by the not-always-perfect relationship between generations," writes journalist Arthur Dapieve, responsible for the book's back cover. Soccer is a very serious matter in Brazil. It is one of the only sports that unites generations around a purpose and is an inexhaustible source of authentic emotions. Dapieve recalls a passage that captures the effect of football on people well: "Luis Fernando Verissimo once wrote that he loved football so much because, at 60 years old, the game was the only thing that could make him feel still 6." Claudio Lovato explores this involvement that football provides in this new book.
