This is easily one of the best books that I have ever read. Smiley, is so accurate and detailed. At times, you see the world through the eyes of a horse. Heartwarming and realistic. Something for everyone. I learned so much about the background of horse racing. A+
I am a rider, so I really wanted to LOVE this book. I just found it ok.
I've listened to a lot of books on audio, and this is the BEST one I've ever heard!!! Mary Beth Hurt doesn't just read the book, she interprets it, and acts it! It's utterly wonderful. I was entranced and have listened to it two times. Absolutely without peer. It's a good story, anyway,---Jane Smiley knows her horses and her horse racing, inside and out, and it really give the horse racing fan everything they asked for and more---besides really good insight into people (and horses)and their characters. It's a masterpiece!!! I adore it.
A NY Times bestseller when it came out in 2000, Jane Smiley does her usual fine job of writing and puts the reader deep inside the world of owners, trainers, bettors, and even horses.
A fictional inside look at the horse racing industry and everyone involved in it, including the horses.
This book has a lot more technical horse information than I was able to get through. I think an avid horse person--with knowledge of racing and breeding would enjoy it more.
Racing's eclectic mix of classes and personalities provides Smiley with fertile soin. Expertly juggling storylines, she investigates the sexual, social, psychological, and spiritual problems of wealthy owners, working-class bettors, trainers on the edge of financial ruin and in a typically bold move, horses.
A richly detailed, ingeniously constructed, wise and passionate story. A must read!
Excellent read - great for fans of horseracing
Intriguing reading. gives great insight in to the
world of thoroughbred racing.
world of thoroughbred racing.
A really excellent read. Not only is it a phenomenal book for those who are fans of horses or horse racing, but it's also a great novel for the lay-reader. Jane Smiley is an excellent describer of her characters, and you become invested in each one. And even if you try not to, you'll learn a lot about horse racing!
"It's deeply satisfying to read a work of fiction so informed about its subject and so alive to every nuance and detail." This book is a paperback.
Smiley gets points for a true understanding of how the horse racing industry works, but loses points for a totally unrealistic depiction of depression (and recovery) in one of the characters. The book is overlong and crowded with characters both human and animal -- and frankly the horses are by far the most interesting ones. Worth reading, but the reader needs to be ready to settle down for a 571-page haul.
