The Sport of Kings is a story of America, of generations of one family, of racial inequality, and of the breeding of racehorses. Separated into chunks of time and split up by interludes, it plays out on a grand scale, though the novel focuses on a small circle of characters and is set mostly in a small part of Kentucky, other than one section in Cincinnati. The book engages with a number of issues - race, class, money, family, power, gender - with varying degrees of success, but ultimately emerges as an American Novel, firmly tying itself to America’s past and the geography of Kentucky in particular.

Less sprawling than other novels in a similar vein, its tight focus helps keep it readable despite parts focused on horse breeding and long scenes of horse racing. Moments of self conscious narration and asides, for example pointing out the use of florid prose after it has just dominated the pages, are an interesting quirk that, though never fully realised, suggest the act of creative control behind the novel, just as Henry strives for control in his life and his breeding of horses. The changing focus of different sections as time passes and central characters shift slightly means that the novel does not get trapped in one story or one unlikeable character.

The Sport of Kings paints a picture of the South of America that is very important in this modern day: a portrait of power, injustice, and the attempt to control life.