Animal Husbandry

Rating:
Summary: excellent and dead-on
Review: A friend of mine got dumped just like the heroine of this book, so it was eerie how true her musings were ...

Jane Goodall (like the famous doctor) has a theory based on a scientific study -- once a bull has mated with a cow, she becomes "Old Cow", and the bull will reject her for a "New Cow", even when the Old Cow is disguised with a new dress or the scent of another cow. Been there, done that, apparently.

The book starts out with Jane having been recently dumped. The dumping leaves her homeless, and still having to work with Ray every day in the office. Jane met Ray at work, and fell in love even though he was engaged. She charts her transition from New Cow to Old Cow and then becomes obsessed with the mating rituals of the animal kingdom and applying it to human beings, ostensibly proving that all species are ... pigs.

It's an interesting story, with Jane's hit-the-nail-on-the-head 'theories' to make you laugh out loud. Some colorful new characters are introduced at different points in the book so the plot stays fresh and you are never bored. Any woman can relate to the "New Cow-Old Cow" theory -- you will no doubt start using it in your own life with your circle of female friends!

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: 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: A Male Point of View
Review: I found this book at a beach house I rented for a week this summer. Obviously chick lit, I looked around, and since no one was looking, I read the first few pages and was hooked by Zigman's marvelous humor. I didn't take it as male bashing at all. In fact, it accurately described many men friends I've had over the years, and I'll allow for the possibility I've behaved this way once or twice... Some reviewers have bashed Jane, but I thought she was funny, sensitive, insightful, and caring. Why can't you fall for someone who says all the right things in two months?

Anyway, I enjoyed reading the book and although this will never happen, men should read it to understand the feelings of the women with whom they enter relationships.

Rating:
Summary: A Male Point of View
Review: I really liked the movie, mainly because of Hugh Jackman. However the movie was made a little too a la Hollywood cookie cutter romantic comedy ending. The book has a much better ending and all of the zany nonsense makes more sense. The writer has a way of getting you hooked into the story at the very beginning and keeping you interested until the very end. The people are more real, like someone you might actually know and can identify with. It was fun, light read. Great for dreary winter weekends.

Rating:
Summary: Quick and light...
Review: Okay, _Animal Husbandry_ is not the Great American Novel. If that's what you're looking for, I'd suggest that you run the other way. _Animal Husbandry_ is not a saga about the meaning of life but rather about one horribly bitter woman. The book is a little hard to get into at first. The first couple of chapters don't really make sense- the sentence structure is not there at all and the ideas that are thrown out don't connect. But, it's very quick reading and before you know it, Laura Zigman has found her niche and her writing style becomes very enjoyable and engrossing. Jane really is a bitter character, but that's what makes her so fun. And the New Cow Theory- hum. It will outrage some people and find a home in some people's hearts. I was in the middle- it made sense but it wouldn't apply it to real life. Laura Zigman definitely shows promise with her first book. As many people before me have noted, it seems as though Ms. Zigman has had a personal experience with someone like Ray and writing _Animal Husbandry_ has been like a sort of writing therapy for her. At the begining, she's as bitter as Jane, but the two visibly heal by the end of the book. I saw the movie before I bought the book, and I was pleasently happy with the way it turned out. The movie is a bit sweeter, but _Animal Husbandry_ has more spunk. Laura Zigman shows promise of becoming a great author and I look forward to reading _Dating Big Bird_ which sounds a little more creatvie and detached from Ms. Zigman's life.

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: 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: 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.

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.