Rating: 
Summary: Faith Renewed By One Man
Review: For a first time novelist, Nicholas Evans did an extradinory job writing "The Horse Whisperer". Through his character structure, he makes the reader feel the emotions the characters are feeling. Grace Maclean, a teenage girl from New York, loses one of her legs in an accident while riding her horse, Pilgrim. Grace and Pilgrim are both emotionally scarred as well as physically devastated by the accident. Grace's mother, Annie Graves, is determined to find a "horse whisperer", in an attempt to save the fates of her daughter and her horse. A "horse whisperer" is someone who can cure troubled horses with only a calm voice and a soothing touch. Finally, she finds a man named Tom Booker, from Montana. He is well known for his almost mystical skills with horses. Annie packs up Grace and Pilgrim, leaves Grace's father with his law practice in New York, and moves to Montana to try to convice Tom Booker to help them. Most of the novel describes Tom's work to rebuild all the lives that have been shattered by the accident. Inevitably, Tom and Annie fall in love, but the consequences lie ahead.
I was emotionally touched throughout the whole book. I even felt bitterness towards Annie's husband when he decided to come visit his girls in Montana. When he did this, he was disturbing the love that had dwindled between Annie and Tom.
I will not tell what happens at the end. I will leave that up to you if you decide to read this excellent book.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost had me
Review: This book really almost had me up until the last 50 pages or so. Interesting story, well told, little bit of tragedy, little bit of heartache, little bit of romance, sounds like a good recipe for some light weekend reading. Then the ending! If you don't know it, skip this part, but give me a break! True love conquers all! Even birth control! All is right with the world! All I ask is the semblance of realism. What a load of horse manure (pun most definitely intended.) Waste your time if you dare, but be prepared to discus this book through the window when you've finished.
Rating:
Summary: Realism whispers across the pages from the spirit within
Review: In l996, The "Horse Whisperer" was suggestted to me by the only man I ever loved, my own Tom Booker. The next day I was at Kroger and saw it out in paperback...in the shopping cart it went.Nicholas Evans discriptive account of that morning let me feel the crisp air on my cheeks as I heard the ice atop the snow break with a thud under the horses hooves. I could see myself on the hillside where the icy stream had frozen, hidden under the virgin snow. I could feel and hear the events as he wrote them. From that point on I could not put the book down. I know that the author of this book had to have experienced a tragedy simular to be able to write with such truth and feeling the words that followed throughout the pages. The troubled relationship between a 90's professional woman and her child (who she would gladly have given her own life for) touched my spirit as I, too, have been there. The similarities were uncanny. I found myself wondering if I knew this author personally. For us who know the way of the whispers, I was shocked and appreciative of the truths which kept me captivated within the pages until finished. A must for animal lovers, parents of "teens" and teens to read. If you don't understand it research just a little and read it a second time, you will learn many truths.
Rating:
Summary: feels like a part of my soul
Review: This book and film is skillfully written from all aspects of the mind and also all and then some of our soul. What a better chance to read this book /see the film any time is the right time I highly recommended to all.
Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANT!
Review: I loved this book! It was really gripping and emotional.I have read other peoples reviews and they said about how the romance wasn't what they wanted in this book but I personally believe that this makes the book a lot more heart wrenching! I have also seen the film and it was rubbish compared to the book! So if you have seen the film and haven't read the book,read it and you will see how the film hasn't captured the real beauty of this book! But if you have read the book but haven't seen the film then you are not missing anything!
Rating: 
Summary: What about the wolf?
Review: The story is moderately interesting -- how a return to nature can help a disabled girl, her demented horse, her devoted father and her dashing mother. BUT, the author overplays every scene, pounding home metaphors, explaining the already-obvious symbolism, and rationalizing the unmotivated conduct of the characters. Heavy glops of purple prose had me laughing at what were meant to be touching scenes. The characters are a bit simple -- no real depth or conflict is demonstrated by their actions or their thought (except the universal "oh poor me.") Finally, it bugged me that the author introduced the menace of a wolf near the end of the story -- referred to it twice, leading one to believe it has a place in the story -- then just dropped it. Picky? maybe, but when the author is in complete control of his material, nothing should be put in without a purpose. Overall, way too long, way too wordy, way too simplistic in its attitudes and characters, way too mawkish in sentimentality, and way too pompous when dealing with sex. Next time -- keep the story straightforward and the characters complex.
Rating:
Summary: Poor ethics
Review: This book is well written, but it is horribly immoral and it buys in to the cultural lie that we should do whatever feels good no matter the pain we will cause others.
Rating:
Summary: DISGUSTING!!!
Review: I thought this book was about a horse. Not the love life of Tom and Nancy. This sick and perverted. They should have a warning on the front page saying"DESCRIPTIVE SEX AHEAD". That was basically what itwas... I was so disgusted. ... I am just interested in to bonnd between horse and girl!!
Rating:
Summary: Save Me From Books Like This!
Review: Talk about characters that nauseate a person! A married woman, living in trendy NYC, with a high-powered job, an educated and loyal husband, a spirited daughter, and what does she do? She sleeps with a man (who happens to be a rugged BUT gentle cowboy) because the novelty of someone new is enough to convince her that she needs this passionate fling to fulfill some emotional hole in her pity-pooh life. Oh, cry for me...my life is empty and I am blue, blue, blue, boo-hoo! Nay, she even feels somewhat justified in undertaking this betrayal of her promises and her responsibilities to her family and herself. After all, this is the land of get everything and when you've got everything, get some more. This women's needs supersede everyone else's, including her emotionally and physically wounded daughter's. This book is exactly the kind of garbage that convinces people that fantasy is reality and that consequence means nothing if the short-term satisfaction is attained. Should I even use the word, "satisfaction," since this never seems to be gotten? Save me from any more books like this one!
Rating:
Summary: a disappointment
Review: I did not see the movie, but the advertising blitzkrieg made me curious about the novel -- so I bought it. Almost from the very first page, the book was a disappointment. The description of the psychological turmoil of the main characters is something N. Evans should stay away from; maybe he is knowledgeable about horses, but the knowledge did not translate into the story. The second point was a special disappointment since I had hoped to find an intelligent, "horsey" book (read to "Horse Heaven" if you are looking for that). Having stated the negative, I admit to having finished the novel, and not only because I was stuck on the plane for several hours.
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