Rating: Summary: Here it comes again and again and again, ... Review: It is said that an infinite number of monkeys, given enough bananas and typewriters (or computers) could write all the classics. I believe it is true. Again they have come close to writing the same story. All they missed was the location, the names, and a few more insignificant details.
Rating: Summary: Well, actually... Review: I haven't read the book, but I have seen the movie. I'm a died-in-the-wool Robert Redford fan. His presentation of the story, not to mention the definite Oscar-contending cinematography, is just one more triumph to add to his resume. I suppose someday, just out of curiosity, I'll pick up the book and read it. I'm more amazed at the "animosity" displayed here in these reviews by the people out there who feel it is their duty to "trash" a literary portrait with their solitary opinion. My response to the majority of the reviews I read on this page, opinions of the work aside, is: PLEASE, folks, if you're going to publicize your views to the whole wide world (a.k.a., World Wide Web), at least learn to spell and use English grammar correctly!!!!!
Rating: Summary: A bit on the romance-novelish side, but a good read. Review: I'm confused by both the excessive praise for and the vitriol directed against "The Horse Whisperer." It struck me as enjoyable but anachronistic, and Annie Graves' characterization (indeed, professional women in general) were vilified rather obnoxiously; I would have found it more believable and less annoying in a novel from several decades ago. Tom's noble, sacrificial nature was moving but the contrived ending left a bad taste in my mouth; ditto Annie's sainted husband Robert, who is somehow exempt from the anti-careerist asides directed against Annie, who is reduced to a woman who desperately needed a good lay and a baby for happiness. My favorite characters were Grace, a genuine feminist heroine, and Joe, Tom's less-smarmy nephew. It's odd that the two kids in a book about adults were the most appealing.I'm not usually interested in horses or cowboys, and Evans did a good job making their story appealing for non-fans, although some odd British phrases snuck into all-American Tom's speech. The scenic descriptions were superb, without the soaring, bursting prose so many writers use to write about the heartland. Having Robert Redford's face in my head undoubtedly influenced my view of Tom positively, but I actually enjoyed the book more than the rather slow-moving film.
Rating: Summary: Enjoyable...worth reading, but the end... Review: I love to read books of all sorts and when I picked this up the first time, I didn't think it would hold my interest. I was not prepared for the depressing beginning. I was unsure if I wanted to continue, but once I started again, I wanted to finish. I was pleased to read about the way Tom handled the horses, to have someone show caring and sensitivity towards these beautiful creatures. I was not thrilled with the adultery in it though. I think more emphasis could have been put on the relationship with the horse, Tom, the girl, and less on "Mom". It made for interesting reading and held my interest, but when the affair started, it became like one of those romance novels. Up until the end, I did enjoy it and the writer was able to put descriptions of the areas that made you see them before your own eyes. Overall, it made for captive reading, but the end was not what I expected. The character that the writer made Tom out to be, it's hard to believe he would do what he did in the end.
Rating: Summary: GREAT book Review: This was one of the best books yet, but as you've probably heard, the "affair" was a bit lengthy. The descriptions were superb and the writing excellent. The beginning scenes were spectacular, it kept me going extremely well. All in all, if you love horses, READ THIS BOOK.
Rating: Summary: "BRIDGES" REINVENTED, UGH!!! Review: How hokey can you get. I kept hoping that the book would develop into something of substance, but then I felt the same way about "Bridges of Madison County". Either Robert was a complete dolt or he had no clue as to what was real.
Rating: Summary: An overrated, unevenly written, made-for-cinema drama. Review: This unevenly written, melodramatic tale is clearly the work of someone weaned on television, not literature or horses. There are plenty of flaws in this work which has somehow grabbed the popular imagination. The initial horses vs. truck accident is described in cinematic slow-motion detail that gets almost boring it goes on so long. Details such as a horse being spread-eagled on the front hood of a semi neglect the obvious fact of equine anatomy, which is that their legs don't open sideways. (If this was an injury it is never mentioned again.) The horse's eyes glowing red as it is "possessed" by pain is also a load of horse-cr*p. Many scenes are described very visually with an obvious eye to future movie rights, but this attention to detail comes and goes throughout the book. I found the horse-training scenes unconvincing and an inaccurate portrayal of what a trainer does and why. The insta-romance between mom and the trainer was believable, but NOT her decision return to boring husband-land. The book read like a bunch of nicely polished pieces hastily stitched together that don't quite fit as a whole. The movie can't help but be better than the book.
Rating: Summary: Disappointed Review: It was a good start. At least the first few chapters caught my attention. But as time went by, alas, the writer surely got something to distract him. This book is not like the Bridge of Madison County at all. This book is about an extremely selfish woman who uses her childhood as a lasting excuse for whatever she does to others and a man who is emotionally so weak that just kills himself instead of living through hardships. And poor horses, they are never the center of this book except on the cover picture and title. The author tried very hard to justify an adultery but lacked enough appeals to make an adultery a love story. And the ending(more, his death)was very, very, disappointing. I am sure that a man of inner balance would never give up so easily.
Rating: Summary: An out-of-character climax! Review: I found this book to be quite engaging, at first. The characters were well done and the situations set up well. Personally, I would have liked to see more interaction between Tom Booker and Pilgrim. I felt, from the information given by the author, that the fresh air and sunshine probably did Pilgrim more good than anything Tom did. Because the characters were realistic, the ending made absolutely no sense. Tom spoke more than once about going to the edge and deciding to survive. What happened was so out of character for him, it made me mad! I felt as though Mr. Evans had a deadline to meet and threw the ending together without much care or attention to detail. I would recommend this book as an exercise for young writers. "Come up with an ending that makes sense in Tom Booker's eyes." OR "Come up with an ending that fits his philosophy of life."
Rating: Summary: EXCELLENT Review: I thought this was the best book that I have read in quite some time. It was an excellent love story. I would recommend for anyone to read it. It is a GREAT BEACH book.
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