Animal Husbandry

Rating:
Summary: The best book I've ever read
Review: Laura Zigman is so insightful and intuitive about the way men REALLY are that I wanted to call her up after reading the book and thank her for sharing her wisdom with me! Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: fun, great read
Review: This is the fun, can't put it down, contemporary story I've been looking for.
The first book in ages that I've been compelled to send to friends.
Who cares if it's great literature, it's great -- and I say that despite Zigman's apparent view of vegetarians!
Caveat men, though, the audience is definitely female.


Rating:
Summary: I laughed. I cried. I bought extra copies to give to friends
Review: Laura Zigman's novel is a must read for anyone who has ever felt they were in love only to have the proverbial rug pulled out from under their feet. The lead character, Jane, experiences the elation that is synonymous with being in love only to see the relationship crumble for no apparent reason leaving her obsessed with the search for a rational explanation of the object of her affections sudden change of heart. As Jane chokes back tears she finds comfort in unlikely places such as scientific studies of seemingly less-complex animal's mating habits, psychology books and by observing her womanizing roommate Eddie. Throughout this novel, Jane's character reads so true to life that I found myself sharing her pain and reflecting on my own failed relationships while gaining a sense of comfort in the fact that I wasn't the only one that had ever felt the pain of a love lost so deeply. Among the heart-wrenching observations of the sadness of a love lost the author has managed to slip in some truly funny laugh-out-loud moments. Similiar to a love relationship, this book evokes the highs and lows of the spectrum of human emotions while helping the reader gain insight into oneself.

Rating:
Summary: Before chick lit was cool, this book was better
Review: Walk into any bookstore, look for pastel titles with curly writing on them, and you've easily found all of the shallow chick lit titles that have flooded the market. These are mostly the unfortunate spawn of really great books like "Animal Husbandry" and, of course, "Bridget Jones's Diary."

Ignore the pastel sea and pick up "Animal Husbandry." Here you'll find a funny and sad story about a realistic woman--someone who has frizzy hair and reads the New Yorker, and who goes to pieces after the sort of breakup that happens to most people. This was brilliance on Zigman's part, and the book is a great story about how normal-ish things impact us deeply. Beneath the humor (which is great) is a very touching story that has more depth than most books.

Rating:
Summary: Attention Grabbing
Review: Great little book on the psychology behind relationships. Characters were well developed and interesting. Kept me hooked till the very end. Good ending.

Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: This is an excellent book. It's easy to read and has a lot to say about relationships. Should be required reading for both men and women.

Rating:
Summary: New Cow? Old Cow?
Review: A year ago, if someone had asked my why men leave their current relationship I only have one explanation: New Cow Theory.

A witty and insightful lease on the traditional outlook on relationship break-ups.

Laura Zigman author of Dating Bird, Her, La Ley De La Granja and Someone Like You otherwise known as Animal Husbandry, has spent ten years of her life working at a book publishing firm in New York. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post and USA Today.

Formally known as Animal Husbandry, Someone Like You was converted to film in 2001.

Talking about self doubt and analyzing each aspect of your life due to a bad break-up, Jane Goodall explains the vital steps of her `Cow' theory and understandably sometimes when it may seem coherent it doesn't.

Succinct plot and strategic planning of events makes reading easier and one less thing to worry about among all those theories.

The wickedly witty humor weaved throughout the piece brings life and real contemplation of relationships with the theories.

Jane tackles her `denial' with the witty theories that have never previously been thought. Moving into a one-bedroom, brownstone building, she quickly discovers life does not when the one that got away is gone and the one she never saw coming enters her life with a bang.

Zigman has out done herself with this classic humor where every woman can relate to at some stage in life. Enjoyment and exhilaration are both unanimous feeling, it is a shame that Someone Like You ended so quickly, captivation was present till the very last word.


`Someone Like You' by Laura Zigman (Bantam Dell Publishing Group, $18.60) 2001, 304 page paperback


Rating:
Summary: Straight forward
Review: We really don't get to know Jane, just kind of dive into it. This book is original and creative in how it plays out. Jane is a little crazy. I expected more from Eddie but I was bummed out by his lacking character. Jane's character seemed depressed before, during, and after Ray - so it was kind of hard to tell? But otherwise this book is witty and interesting - definitely a fast read.