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Summary: This is one of the funniest books I have ever read.
Review: In this chronicle of her years on a chicken farm in the wilds of Washington State, Betty MacDonald writes one of the most humorous books I have ever read. I read this book first as a teenager & I have read it about 10 times since that time. It never fails to bring a laugh. Not only is it funny but it contains a very good story also.Mrs. MacDonald's description of the Washington countryside make you feel as if you were there and her descriptions of her neighbors makes you thankful for yours. It is absolutely a thoroughly charming & delightful book.
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Summary: A treasure trove of wit and beautiful writing
Review: A wonderful book by a very talented woman whose time was far too short. "The Egg and I" is an old and valued friend that I have read dozens of times. It never stales. "The Egg and I", "The Plague and I", "Anybody can do Anything" and "Onions in the Stew" have always been on my bookshelf wherever I've lived. Betty McDonald's humor is such that on the umpteenth reading I laugh out loud. I wish I could have known her and her wonderful family.
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Summary: Racist stereotyping of Native Americans
Review: The author speaks several times in a rude and humiliating way about Native Americans. Maybe funny in 1947 but certainly rude and racist in 1998 Amsterdam, Holland
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Summary: One of the funniest books I've ever read
Review: This book always makes me laugh no matter how many times I read it. I wish they would remake the movie it could be so hilarious if done right. The Plague and I was also quite funny.
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Summary: A laugh riot in gorgeous prose
Review: This is certainly one of the funniest books I've ever read. The amazing Ms. McDonald is possessed of world-class wisecracking skills, there's no doubt, but when you stop laughing you realize that she's also a sublime writer. Some passages are pure poetry.
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Summary: Timeless humor; a great autobiography that paints a picture.
Review: I've read this book many times, the first time about 9 years ago when my husband and I were about to move onto 10 acres and raise our own chickens ( which we still do.) As s fellow city slicker like Betty, her book helped me keep it all in perspective. I thought the setting went back much further than the 1940's and didn't even know the Ma and Pa Kettle movies were based on the book until much later. Now I'm looking for an original publishing of the book and can't find one. I'm told it's because the Ma and Pa Kettle movies have such a great following on cable TV. Just my luck. I discovered a jewel years ago and now it's in great demand. Does anyone know of an original publishing that is for sale? Or are we all looking for one too? Well, if so, we all appreciate true wit and a good sense of humor.
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Summary: Thank you Betty McDonald
Review: This was a book my sister gave me on my visit back to Czech republic after 28 years in the USA.A few pages before the end was a bookmark. My mother red this book in the hospital before she died.It was in the Czech language and ment so much to me and our family.The book reminded her when she visited us in 1973. We bought an old chicken farm, (not to raise chickens), and was new to States and American language and now when I look back I see many things happend in that time of our life that may look funny to my mom and reading this book reminded her of our life in the States and me (I was born in capital city!) I know that thanks to this book my mom was realy close to us in her last days...now I found this book in english and will get for all my children who loved their grandma so much
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Summary: Ma and Pa Kettle were in my back yard
Review: Some of my favorite childhood movie characters were Ma and Pa Kettle. After moving to the Northwest, I couldn't help but notice that many of my neigbors reminded me of these two. Junk cars in the yard, leaking roofs and lots of unwashed children. I had assumed that the Kettles were settled somewhere in Kentucky. I was truly suprised to be told this summer that the original story took place right here. If you're from Washington, this is one you should read. Betty McDonald's description of the rain, the gray skies, the woods all sound so wonderfully familiar.
This is a funny, warm story. Now I going to buy the movie!
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Summary: The Egg and I is a terrific read
Review: Betty MacDonald's account of chicken-farming in the Pacific Northwest is an excellent book, good for a laugh. It's filled with wonderful characters like the Kettle family and Maxwell Jefferson the Moonshiner, and it's got a lot of laughs, a lot of heart, and a lot of wonderful scenery in it. If you read it, you'll want to read Mrs. MacDonald's other books: Onions In The Stew and (yes, even) The Plague and I. Mrs. MacDonald writes about real life, with all its tribulations, with humour and insight. The Egg and I is a good investment of your time and money
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Summary: COMFORTABLE BOOK TO REREAD SOMETIME
Review: This is truely a funny book. It of course is the origin of the Ma and Pa Kettle movies, yet much more. I like to pull this one off the shelf every now and again just to be able to chuckle. When you read it, you must remember when it was written and what the racial and political attitudes of the time were, although, it is a good read on that level too, i.e. seeing were our culture has been and where it is today. I did read one or two reviews which compaired this work to some of the authors other work...good grief folks, lighten up..read the thing for what it is..a funny story meant to amuse. When I was a kid, I did not read Micky Mouse and analyze each comic book for political correctness, nor social commentary (although, being a dog lover, I was not always happy how Pluto was presented and treated) nor did I compair the Micky of 1949 to the Micky of 1952. Anyway, digging into a book like this for those reasons is fine I suppose, if you are into such, but for me, I just enjoyed the read and highly recommend it.
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