Rating: Summary: A compelling, engrossing, and utterly brilliant novel... Review: A powerful and wonderfully written book, "The Horse Whisperer" tells the tragic story of a girl who has been physically and emotionally wounded during a violent horseback riding accident. In addition, her horse, Pilgrim, is also hurt very badly. Annie Maclean, the girl's desperate mother, contacts Tom Booker, a horseman who is able to communicate with the animals that he works with. Soon after, Annie and her daughter Grace head out to Tom's ranch, with their mad horse in tow. As the story unfolds, Tom and Annie fall in love. However, will the girl (Grace) and her beloved horse ever recover? Find out for yourself by reading this amazing novel. I recommend "The Horse Whisperer" to anyone looking for a sensational read.
Rating: Summary: A Book I'll Never Forget. Just Lovely. Review: Grace, a young teenager and Pilgrim, the horse she loves, are both badly hurt in a terrible accident with a truck on a snowy New England road and neither one can seem to find their way back to life as it was before. Annie, Grace's determined mother, knows Grace and Pilgrim are steadfastly united, that curing the crazed horse will cure Grace's broking spirit too. So, she seeks the aid of Tom Booker, a "horse whisperer," who knows his way into the hearts of animals and people as well.Grace, who lost both her friend and her leg in that accident, has vowed never to ride again. Annie is determined to get her back up on a horse, the horse, and she sends both Grace and Pilgrim to the Booker Ranch in Montana. So Grace not only has to learn how to walk again, but eventually to ride and eventually to ride Pilgrim. This alone would make for a heck of a story, the girl who overcomes her fear, the maddened and crazed horse being made whole again, the girl and horse reforming that bond they once shared. How can you ask for more in a book? But you get so much more in the HORSE WHISPERER, because the heart of the story is about Annie, Tom Booker and a love that cannot be. This book made me cry. It's a book about love, giving and giving up. It's a book I'll never forget. Just lovely.
Rating: Summary: The Best Book I Have Ever Read! Review: Teenager Grace wakes up to a light snowfall and she and her friend Judith decide to go riding, so they saddle their horses and start out on what they expect to be a fun filled morning. However they are struck by a truck. Judith dies and Grace loses a leg as a result of the accident. Pilgram, Grace's horese, is in horrible shape, but Grace's workaholic mother, Annie, refuses to have the horse, who seems to be crazed, destroyed. Annie puts her career on hold to try and save her daughter's spirit and the spirit of the horse she cares for. Annie learns about a mythical horse whisperer who can tame the orneriest of horses with his magical voice and velvet touch. So she loads up Pilgram and takes Grace across country to the Montana ranch of Horse Whisperer Tom Booker. The Booker family accepts Grace as one of their own as they seek to heal her as well as Pilgram. Everything seems to be going well, but then Annie, who is happily married, has an affair with Tom and this book, that has been already wonderful up to his point, turns great and becomes a masterpiece. I don't think I've ever cried so hard. Believe me if this book doesn't warm your heart, your heart is made of stone. You know, I think it very well may be the best book I have ever read, and I say that after each and every time that I finish it. It's just a lovely work of art.
Rating: Summary: KUDOS :) Review: I better begin with saying that my husband has already labeled the movie a "chick flick" only because of the emotion involved with the story. We haven't seen the movie yet, but I am looking VERY forward to it. And yes, I have read some very negative reviews about this book, and I found only 2 things that allowed me only to give it a 4 star rating. 1-I agree with is that Evans could have developed the plot a litte more due to some gaps in the story, but overall I couldn't put it down. 2-I don't think he needed all the "romance novel writing" for it to be an enticing story. This story has a range of emotions to which EVERY reader can relate.Evans has an incredible way of drawing you into the characters, which made the story much more enjoyable. Evans made me laugh, cry and it is refreshing to have an ending that isn't the PC type ending that everyone supposedly wants. I guess I also like the story, because I saw an interview with Evans and some of the folks he "studied" for his characters. This kind of research allowed Evans to "know" his characters, thus being able to portray a realistic version of them in the story. He made his story accessible to our psyche. I feel all of us can relate to and/or know someone like one or more of the characters in this book. I can understand why Redford snatched up this story. It has all the makings of a GREAT movie and I am looking forward to seeing how Mr. Redford plays out the ending. So, KUDOS! Mr. Evans...AWESOME BOOK! I am looking forward to reading your next book "The Loop."
Rating: Summary: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the book. Review: This is exactly the kind of book I normally hate. It was given to me as a gift, and I felt obliged to read it. Whenever I hear the words "heart warming" used to describe a book, I generally stay miles away. However, it really isn't bad. While it won't get mistaken for great literature, it's very well-written and compelling. Evans avoids the mistake of so many of his contemporaries and allows his characters to have real flaws and real obstacles. His obvious writing skill makes what could have been a pretty hokey novel very readable. The story is simple, a girl and her horse are badly wounded in a traffic accident, and the mother turns (in more than one sense) to the only man who can help her rehabilitate the horse (and, by extension, her daughter). It's been said in a lot of these reviews that the ending is bad, and I rather have to agree. It seems like Evans painted himself into a corner and didn't know how else to get out, but despite that it still earns four stars.
Rating: Summary: terrible Review: Although I think this book is very well written (albeit occasionally straying a bit)I rate this book with 5 stars simply because I identified so strongly with the woman character: her age, place of domicile, professionalism, character/personality (somewhat), marriage, and her search for something she didn't know she was searching for. Her ultimate metamorphosis was very meaningful to me. Mostly I found myself moved to reread parts of the book as I contemplated the search for meaning in loss and what motivates people to make the choices they/we do. I watched the movie shortly after reading the book and enjoyed it, too. I find myself comparing the two (since they end so differently) and again, thinking of motivations, choices, love, committment, loss. The setting in Montana and ranch life was also wonderful to "experience" and I found myself tranported! I was not even a fan of horses (admired from a distance only), but my appreciation is now genuine.
Rating: Summary: The "horny" Horse Whisperer Review: I bought this book AFTER I saw the movie. I had no idea that the book existed. I saw the movie shortly after it came out and about a year later i saw the book in a local bookstore, so i picked it up. Ususally, I'm with the majority when it comes to the old saying "the book is better". However there is an exception to every rule, right? This book was the exception. It started off wonderfully but about halfway through turned into a sickening romance novel. I love horses and i wished that the book would have focused more on them. As another reviewer mentioned this book went "Soft-core Porn" about halfway through. When i picked up this book, i was about 13 or 14. I wasnt into reading about people having sex, i was interested in HORSES! On top of that the ending to the book SUCKED... movie was much better.
Rating: Summary: The horse whisperer was shouting Review: Mr. Evans wrote an average book about a fascinating subject - horse training and healing people. Redford didn't manage to make more than an average movie out of an average book, but he and Evans sure did manage to muddy the waters when it comes to "Horse Whispering." Please see the real story at: http://www.rarey.com/sites/jsrarey/
Rating: Summary: Dissapointed Review: Promising start, very good subject (I love horses), but turns into a cheap romance novel after the first half. Don't recommend it and for the first time I can say the movie was better than the book.
Rating: Summary: Just know what you're getting into. Review: For the right person with a prepared mind, this book might - possibly - kinda - sorta be fine. But not for me.
A friend recommended this book to me. I no longer take his recommendations. I don't know exactly what I expected; a story about redemption maybe? Instead I got something I definitely didn't expect; soft-core porn with unsympathetic characters.
Not a personal favorite and a friend has lost his book recommendation privileges over it.
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