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The Horse Whisperer

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 23,091 ratings · 996 reviews

His name is Tom Booker. His voice can calm wild horses, his touch can heal broken spirits. And Annie Graves has traveled across a continent to the Booker ranch in Montana, desperate to heal her injured daughter, the girl's savage horse, and her own wounded heart. She comes for hope. She comes for her child. And beneath the wide Montana sky, she comes to him for what no one...more

Hardcover, 479 pages

Published 1995 by BCA

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Apr 06, 2007 Caleb Liu rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is your classic page-turner and bestseller. Cliched, predictable both in terms of plot and characters. Uninspiring rehashing of themes like overcoming tragedy and adversity; the contrast between the ruthless, stress-filled corporate environment and the simpler, idealised fulfillment found in a ranching/farming life. New York magazine editor supermom just has to go over to Wyoming to find meaning and of course end up the arms of our well muscled, handsome cowboy with his homespun philosophy...more

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Nov 25, 2012 Chana rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: not-for-kids, american, chick-lit, received-through-bookcrossing, better-romance, released-through-bookcrossing

If Nicholas Sparks could write well, or if "The Bridges of Madison County" had had a horse in it, the result might be something like this book. I liked reading this book despite the fact that it reads like a movie script rather than a true multi-layered story, I mean it read like a pretty good movie script most of the time. But, I am not a fan of adultery, nor of explicit sex in a book. Nor am I fan of big, cheesy, ridiculous ending scenes that are supposed to tie everything up nicely. I can see...more

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Aug 19, 2007 Meredith Church rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was sucked in for almost the entire book, I have to say. Loved both the jilted academic husband and the sensitive, manly cowboy horse-guru. But the ending was so ridiculously bizarre that it ruined the whole thing for me. Am I just a terrible cynic?

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Mar 31, 2009 Kellie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-literature, pre-marriage-kids-years

I ate this book.
It was assume.
Loved the movie too!

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Apr 24, 2012 Kathryn rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This book would have gotten one star, except for the fact that I actually enjoyed reading about the slow, tandem recovery of the horse and his rider.

What I DIDN'T enjoy was the main character, Annie. I can honestly say I disliked her intensely. She drags her family along by the nose, so certain that EVERYTHING SHE DOES is the best solution for everything, and the fact that the author makes her decisions work somehow makes the character even more irritating. She comes across as self-centered, mo...more

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Apr 12, 2009 Brad rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There was a time when I had to read a book before seeing the film adaptation, which led to some rather unlikely choices for me.

The Horse Whisperer, for instance, was not even my kind of movie, let alone book, but its three stars made a date in the movie theatre a must.

I have always been a big fan of Robert Redford, especially his work as a director, and his choice to make Nicholas Evans' novel intrigued me. I have always been in love with Kristen Scott Thomas too. Lots of people roll their eyes...more There was a time when I had to read a book before seeing the film adaptation, which led to some rather unlikely choices for me.

The Horse Whisperer, for instance, was not even my kind of movie, let alone book, but its three stars made a date in the movie theatre a must.

I have always been a big fan of Robert Redford, especially his work as a director, and his choice to make Nicholas Evans' novel intrigued me. I have always been in love with Kristen Scott Thomas too. Lots of people roll their eyes up at my crush on her, but there has always been something darkly attractive about the woman, and I'll gladly watch her in any movie, any time -- even playing a depressed, spoiled Mom who rediscovers love. Finally, I'd heard that there was a brand new actress in the movie named Scarlett Johansson who Robert Redford expected big things from, and I wanted to see her for myself.

So I was stuck going to the movie, and that meant I was forced to read the book. (Luckily I don't feel compelled to read the book before I see the movie anymore, or I'd have had to read Twilight, and I wouldn't want to do...oh, wait a minute...)

I don't remember much about The Horse Whisperer today that doesn't appear in my mind as pictures from the movie, but none of what I remember is negative, and that has to count for something.

I remember the love affair between Annie and Tom fondly, appreciating how it took place between mature people who could recognize what their love meant and still go back to the other people they love, stronger for their moment in time. My memories are not clouded by anger or frustration (a common feeling I retain from wildly popular best sellers that disappoint), despite the fact that I remember the prose being pretty uninspiring.

And, finally, I remember thinking the book and the movie were about as good as one another. Interesting diversions, but nothing more. Still, if I were to recommend either version to anyone, I suppose I would recommend the film, if only to see Scarlett Johansson in her first major role.

I'll never read The Horse Whisperer again, but it was good enough that I haven't entirely forgotten it a decade later, so that has to count for something too. Doesn't it?(less)

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Mar 20, 2008 Cynthia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

i would never have expected to like this novel, but i LOVE it. I liked the movie a lot, but it isn't one i'd watch again, especially. The book is really well written, very intelligent and full of real emotion. It's very moving without making you feel depressed. Evans obviously did a LOT of research before writing this book, the kind of research you do with real people, not with library books or online searches, but he mixes all this information in with the storyline so skillfully that you feel l...more

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Nov 28, 2008 Atishay rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't know about others but writing the review of The Horse Whisperer has proved to be immensely difficult. What I'm writing here is a review about a book that couldn't have been written any better.
Nicholas Evans spins a heart wrenching epic love story that thrives and dies amid sorrow and pain. Tom Booker comes as a healer to a family in grief and heals the wounds that have gone deep into the very souls.
Buy it, borrow it or steal it. But don't miss this gem for anything.
"Sometimes what se...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Lauren rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Horse Whisperer is one of the ebst books I have ever read. It is so detailed and gives so much background information that Nicholas Evans makes you feel connected to the characters personally. It is the story of a girl named Grace, who was in a terrible accident involving a semi truck while she and her friend, Judith, were riding their horses. Now, her life is changed forever. Judith is dead, Grace only has one leg, and her horse has turned into a terrified beast. Grace's relationship with h...more

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Jan 07, 2009 Antof9 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2004-read, americana, animals, upsetting, trashy-is-as-trashy-does, made-me-cry

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Spoiler alert!

So . . . how to write a book review for this book? First of all, the beginning was reminiscent of A Time to Kill (to me). Obviously, it's different, but to have an opener be so violent and horrifying is upsetting. It's interesting to me that I don't even like animals, but horrible things happening to them has always upset me. Secondly, I'm still confused about why the "traditional romance novel crap" was thrown into what was otherwise a pretty well-written book. The author certainl...more Spoiler alert!

So . . . how to write a book review for this book? First of all, the beginning was reminiscent of A Time to Kill (to me). Obviously, it's different, but to have an opener be so violent and horrifying is upsetting. It's interesting to me that I don't even like animals, but horrible things happening to them has always upset me. Secondly, I'm still confused about why the "traditional romance novel crap" was thrown into what was otherwise a pretty well-written book. The author certainly could have told us that Annie and Tom had sex without describing it in graphic detail. I just didn't understand it. I've read my share of romance novels, but the descriptions (and that includes all the sex descriptions) were so out of place and unnecessary that it took away from the story. Makes me think of when my husband watches a musical (under duress) -- just as he's getting into the story, they break into song! This interrupts the flow of the story for him. In the same way, the author threw those descriptions in as if he'd just lifted them from a romance novel. I didn't buy it nor like it.

From a "novel" perspective, this was a great story. Well told, mostly believable, plenty of "technical" talk about the subject but not too much to lose the interest of a non-technical reader, descriptions clear enough that you could see things happening or picture the Montana sky. The story of the health of the horse being vital to the emotional health of Grace was a great allegory (analogy?), and I loved the way the mother/daughter relationship unfolded. The author certainly did a bit of armchair psychology; talking about Annie's relationship with her parents, Grace's perspective on Annie's job, etc. But for the most part, these helped tell the story and explain the motivations of the characters.

The overuse of the word "alright" for some reason really irritated me. It seemed to be all over this book!

I really felt sorry for the dad (Robert). Not so much because of Annie's affair, but because he's such a genuinely nice guy who tries so hard, and he's really brushed aside for sake of the story. I appreciated his relationship with Grace more than many of the other relationships, and would have liked to have heard more about it. Clearly in Grace's life, that relationship was more meaningful, but I guess that wouldn't have followed the story as well. Or the book would have been longer.

All that to say, I liked it, except for the end. I thought it was very unbelievable and actually kind of dumb. Like the author didn't know how to get out of the story. Did killing Tom off make it easier for Annie to stay with Robert? It just seemed kind of weak compared with the rest of the book. And the events leading up to it were just as contrived. The character we came to know as Grace wouldn't really have thought about burning herself in the cabin. Been upset, sure. Ridden Pilgrim in an out-of-control way? Sure. But she wasn't suicidal. It seemed like that was the best the author could come up with in order to have Pilgrim have an encounter with the wild stallion. And believe me, we didn't see that coming (she said, sarcastically). I think there were probably other ways Pilgrim could have gotten up there with the wild horses without Grace becoming suicidal. (less)

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Feb 14, 2013 Elisa rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reseña: http://vocesdeloslibros.blogspot.com....

Esta es una novela que siempre me interesó mucho, pues es en muchos sentidos, una historia muy profunda. Pero me ha dejado un sabor agridulce. Supongo que si el final fuese distinto y la historia no hubiese degenerado, que lo encontré totalmente fuera de lugar, me habría gustado mucho.

Supongo que muchos ya habrán leído o visto la película, de modo que solo haré un pequeño resumen. Tras sufrir un horrible accidente mientras Grace montaba su caballo,...more Reseña: http://vocesdeloslibros.blogspot.com....

Esta es una novela que siempre me interesó mucho, pues es en muchos sentidos, una historia muy profunda. Pero me ha dejado un sabor agridulce. Supongo que si el final fuese distinto y la historia no hubiese degenerado, que lo encontré totalmente fuera de lugar, me habría gustado mucho.

Supongo que muchos ya habrán leído o visto la película, de modo que solo haré un pequeño resumen. Tras sufrir un horrible accidente mientras Grace montaba su caballo, ambos acaban vivos pero con grandes secuelas. El caballo, consigue sobrevivir a pesar de sufrir terribles heridas, pero su personalidad es lo que más sufre. Grace pierde una pierna y el distanciamiento con su caballo la sume en una gran depresión que amenaza con desmoronar el matrimonio de sus padres. Buscando una solución, Annie, la madre de Grace, le pide ayuda a Tom, el susurrador de caballos.

Ante todo me gustó que no se tratase de ningún tipo de magia oculta bajo capas y capas de maquillaje. Todo es totalmente real. El trabajo de Tom consiste en empatizar con el animal y ser tremendamente paciente, ayudándolo a curarse por dentro y quitándole todo el miedo y agresividad que acumuló desde el accidente. Durante el proceso, también ayuda a Grace a aceptar su minusvalía y a aprender a vivir con ello sin perder la alegría. Es ante todo, un viaje de aceptación de uno mismo, de volver a la naturaleza y escucharla. Más que nada, nos recuerda que no somos los únicos seres vivos del mundo con raciocinio y que es posible encontrar conexiones que nos unen a otros animales.

Y hasta aquí me gustó el libro. Sinceramente, si el autor hubiese obviado todo lo que vino después de ayudar a la niña y al caballo y los mandase a su casa, habría sido un libro estupendo. Pero todo se complica de mala manera, aparecen sentimientos y relaciones que ni entendí de donde salieron, ya no hablemos del porqué.

Yo siempre he pensado que los finales son muy importantes, es con lo que se queda la gente, no solamente en los libros. Aunque siempre se dice que tenemos que ver todo en conjunto, si el final es horroroso, la sensación que te llevas no va a ser buena. Asique yo me arrepentí de rescatar este libro de la estantería.

Pero no os voy a negar que tenga cosas buenas, y creo que son muy importantes y que no vienen mal que nos las recuerden, pero mi consejo es que cuando veas que todo se ha solucionado, cerrad el libro y no volváis a abrirlo, os arrepentiréis. (less)

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Jul 26, 2012 Maja rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, classics

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. As soon as I was done reading this book, I knew that it had given me loads of stuff to think about. And to me that's the mark of a truly good book. But the problem here was, that not all of my thought were positive, because I had one really big problem with it - Annie. I loved Grace, her will, stubborness and her strength. And Tom carried the book to perfection. I had horses as well when I was younger, so it was easy for me to get into that aspect of the book and really get to love Tom. But Anni...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

When my mother returned from the movie theater, raving about what a fabulous film The Horse Whisperer was and how she simply *must* read the book, all I could think was "Robert Redford... yuck!" It's not that Redford is a bad actor, rather that he appears in films that are too touchy-feely for my tastes. So for a long time I associated this book with the movie, assuming I would be no more interested in its story than I would a Redford film.

I was wrong.

This is perhaps one of the most beautiful bo...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Lucinda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is a book that tugs at the heartstrings & that looks into your very soul by seeking out all human emtions, it is a literary masterpiece that is beautiful & completely engaging. I was lost within the storyline after only a few pages, being temporarily mesmirised and stunned by the horrific accident & danger of horse riding VS modern day transport. I have had many a horse riding accident so i could therefore relate and empathise with Grace easily, but certainly not to the extent t...more This is a book that tugs at the heartstrings & that looks into your very soul by seeking out all human emtions, it is a literary masterpiece that is beautiful & completely engaging. I was lost within the storyline after only a few pages, being temporarily mesmirised and stunned by the horrific accident & danger of horse riding VS modern day transport. I have had many a horse riding accident so i could therefore relate and empathise with Grace easily, but certainly not to the extent that her accident had on her life which was turned upside down. It is a story about courage and bravery and how one mother was prepared to do anything for the love of her daughter, flesh & blood who is so much a part of her and how important Grace is to her. It gives the reader an insight into culture and how the town juxtaposes the city in its entire, drawing you into this world of ranch life & community. It is a story that highlights the importance and significance of unity and of family and how diverse culture & lifestyles are from one place to another. This book is not only close to my heart because of Pilgrims journey but also because i could empathise and understand Grace & her relationship with her mother and how this can be translated into our own lives. After reading this novel i contemplated all that was around me and being apreciatve of not only my family but of everything within my life, as at times anyone can take things for graunted and this story reminds you of how precious things are that we easily overlook. I was empowered and enthused by Grace's mother and her conviction & determination and strength, as it is a stark reminder of how hard life can be and that we never know what is around the corner. This is a book that is character-driven, fast-paced and full of action and one that is very touching & emotive throughout. It is a tale that you can not only easily relate to as a reader because it covers all aspects of human emotion and occourances within daily life, but that it is a book that leaves you with many messages and thoughts to really think about. I was left wanting to read more and i was also left with the satisfaction of having finished a really enjoyable book that had made me even more apreciative & thoughfull of many things within life. If you love horses then you will enjoy reading Pilgrim's journey but The horse whisperer is also a book that anyone can read and enjoy, because it is so universal and a book that one can get lost with. Beautiful, poinant, heartfelt and spellbinding i was captivated by this novel from begining to end. (less)

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Feb 01, 2012 Wei Cho rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I don't remember much of this book, the only two things clear to me were:
1. I discovered I loved horses from the instance I heard about Pilgrim. I wanted to own one.
2. My very first introduction to romance novel that contained some sex in the chapters. It felt really awkward...

The Horse Whisperer is a story about love and redemption. It tells the story of a girl who suffered an accident while riding her horse. Now, both the girl and the horse are in pain, wild, and afraid. The mother of the girl...more

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Dec 24, 2011 Space rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A story about a little girl's triumph over trepidation, this was a great tale, very inspiring and well worthy of a good reading. I remember being very excited to hear they were making a movie based on this book after I had finished reading it. Unfortunately the movie didn't get the most intense part right. The accident at the beginning of the book - that which sets the tone and mood for the entire story - was one of the most intense scenes I've ever read. The movie made it all very abstract, tak...more

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Jul 05, 2010 Allyson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My library discarded this book so I brought it home to drop off @ work for others. I really enjoyed the movie with Robert Redford, Kristen Scott Thomas, and Scarlett Johansson so decided to read it. Luckily it was a fast read and I found surprisingly enough, the screenplay adaptors were fairly consistent with the book up until the ending. Had I not had the actors so present in my mind t/o the reading of this novel, I might have stopped. It struck me as the type of book I would have read in high...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Shana Duval rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: animal-lovers, romance

I like to think of this story as Nicholas Sparks' version of a trashy romance novel where the "bare chested Alexander with the chiseled jaw" sweeps the overly attractive blonde in the story off her feet. I don't know if it was that cliche, but the sexual tension was acute. This is probably why I really liked the book when I read it for the first time at thirteen.

But for the purpose of writing this review, there were some good points to the story. The scenic descriptions of Montana made me dream...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Irene added it · review of another edition

Shelves: wish-i-d-never-wasted-my-time, fiction

As I watched the movie version of this story, I was completely engaged. The accident scene at the beginning is heart-wrenching, but even more so is the scene where Grace has to relive the accident and come to terms with her own guilt. The story line with Grace, Pilgrim and Tom Booker was the central piece to me, while the romance between Tom and Grace's mother was secondary. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie until my friend and I started chatting when the house lights came on, and some stranger sai...more As I watched the movie version of this story, I was completely engaged. The accident scene at the beginning is heart-wrenching, but even more so is the scene where Grace has to relive the accident and come to terms with her own guilt. The story line with Grace, Pilgrim and Tom Booker was the central piece to me, while the romance between Tom and Grace's mother was secondary. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie until my friend and I started chatting when the house lights came on, and some stranger said rather snootily, "Well, the book was so much better. The ending in the book is much more complex." Jees, lady. Calm down. You still got to see Robert Redford in all of his glorious backlighting!

Eventually I got around to reading this book. At first I was more engaged with it than the movie. There's a much deeper sense of the family dynamic at work before the accident scene. After the accident, you see even more of that family dynamic as people are arguing over whether or not Pilgrim should be put down. I started to think that maybe snooty movie lady was right.

But then, the story goes to Montana, home of the wild horses and literary cliches. As I read, my head throbbed more and more. Evans explains every bit of his symbolism. I felt like I was trapped in a meeting where the presenter starts his Power Point presentation saying how irritating it is when speakers read their slides and add no insights. However, reading his slides is all the presenter is prepared to do.

The length to which Evans explains how two wild stallions represent Booker and Grace's father is actually painful and insulting. There are no original twists. All events are completely predictable. Rarely, do I summarily dismiss an author. I read Twilight even after hating The Host. Then I dismissed Stephanie Meyer. Evans' depiction of most of the events in Montana is so poor, so completely hackneyed that I cannot even give this book one star. Robert Redford did this story a favor by changing the ending. He made the story about something important. And I got to see his lovely blonde hair in some fabulous backlighting. (less)

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May 08, 2013 Kshitij Bahadur rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The whole idea of healing was excellently built. The extent to which both Grace and Pilgrim were shattered, and Grace's attempts to pretend to be leading a normal life were well depicted. I was also blown away by the depth to which the author understood animal behavior, which is something I could never have imagined doing as a writer.
The one thing I was majorly let down was the 'love' track between Annie and Tom. In fact, I didn't really understand how Annie believed it to be love at all..it cam...more

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Mar 25, 2012 Loraine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How very disappointed I am in the ending of this story! I was so excited because I had heard it was amazing and it started out that way . . . I do not know what the author was thinking when he made Tom do what he did at the end of the story. In my opinion, it was completely out of character for Tom. I thought after it happened that there would be some explanation or some sort of disclosure as to why, but there was none. The conclusion left me with many questions, I felt unfulfilled and confused...more

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Oct 10, 2011 Paul Baker rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: No one.

SPOILER ALERT: Details of the novel are revealed in this review.

First, I saw the film before I read the book, so that has prejudiced my reaction somewhat, but I believe that the book and movie are so much alike that it has not influenced my opinion.

This is the story of a family that has been fractured by a monumental accident. Grace Maclean is a twelve year old girl, the daughter of very wealthy New Yorkers. Her father, Robert, is a lawyer and her mother Annie is a magazine editor, an English wo...more

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Apr 10, 2013 Suzanne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: inappropriate-for-wchs-library

A good read, but I kept seeing how it lends itself so well to a movie (although I haven't seen the film) and wondered if it had been written with that in mind. Maybe not, but I can certainly see Robert Redford casting himself as the hero. Pretty dramatic story, kept my interest, but I was disappointed and angry at how Tom & Annie end up acting on their infatuation with each other. It's so Hollywood, but then so are so many other themes in the book. I admired Tom's backbone and integrity when...more

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Jan 07, 2011 Maciek rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: owned-books, own-in-paperback, read-in-2011, reviewed

A friend of mine kept bugging me to read Nicholas Evans, and I finally gave in and got his first novel - The Horse Whisperer. It was made into a movie with the everbeautiful Scarlett Johansonn which I saw years ago and enjoyed, though it didn't leave any lasting impression. When it came to the book I wasn't impressed.
With an interesting premise - girl coming back to health after an accident during horse riding, a "whisperer" called to heal the horse - it soon became cliched and predictable. The...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Redfox5 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, fiction, usa

On one hand this is a fabulous story. With Grace and her accident. What happened to Pilgrim and the idea of a horse Whisperer. This could have been a really inspirational story. But it was all tainted by the love story. I would have been all for the love story if Annie had not been married. Robert is likable. I didn't want her to break their family up. And us much as I liked Tom, I didn't want him to do it either. And the ending was awful. *SPOILERS* Tom basically lets a horse kill him, to stop...more

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Jan 21, 2009 Russ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, inspirational, novel

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I almost liked this book. Almost.

I did enjoy the 'meeting-of-two-worlds' aspect of the story. It was heartwarming to read about two East Coasters trying to fit in at a Montana ranch. Annie and Grace do eventually become near-family to the Booker clan who own and operate the ranch. It was interesting to see outsiders gradually becoming welcome. It felt real.

I also enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the Montana land, sky and wildlife. It makes you wish the book had been illustrated. One suspect...more I almost liked this book. Almost.

I did enjoy the 'meeting-of-two-worlds' aspect of the story. It was heartwarming to read about two East Coasters trying to fit in at a Montana ranch. Annie and Grace do eventually become near-family to the Booker clan who own and operate the ranch. It was interesting to see outsiders gradually becoming welcome. It felt real.

I also enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the Montana land, sky and wildlife. It makes you wish the book had been illustrated. One suspects their own vision of the land wouldn't near match its true beauty.

However, there are things about this book that I most certainly did not like.

I didn't care for the descriptions of Annie "thinking that somehow the horse's fate and her daughter's fate were related" (paraphrase). Cliché! Thankfully, that sort of muck is kept to a minimum.

I thought the story should have focused more on the rehabilitation of Grace and her horse. Don't get me wrong, the author included quite a bit of that story, but didn't make it important enough. Poor Pilgrim the horse isn't very well developed as a character. We don't get to find out just what went on with him and how he came around. It's hinted at, but not enough for me.

The biggest fault I have with the book is the unnecessary romance between Annie and Tom the "horse whisperer." I saw this coming a mile away, even though it wasn't mentioned on the back of the book. Maybe it's because I'm a man, but I don't think every single male and female main character need to fall in love. This is not the real world. At most, the two characters might share an attraction, but that does not mean they would necessarily act upon it.

Romance and love are important, but they are not all that life can be. Sometimes people treat each other like fellow human beings, not potential marriage partners. What would be wrong with a story in which a man and a woman interact as two normal people, without falling in love? As I said, the main story should have been Grace and Pilgrim.

I also disagree with the author's implication that cheating is sort of okay, under the right circumstances. Once Tom learned that Annie was married, that should have been the end of it.

I also expected Tom to have more magic than he did. He turned out to be just a guy who's really good at dealing with horses.

I'm not sure if I would recommend this book, or to whom I would recommend it. Some parts of the story are very good, showing the fragility of human relations. Some parts are heartwarming. You want to join these folks at their barbecues and cattle drives. But the forced romance nearly ruins those warm feelings.

Also, as a warning to anyone who cares about horses - this novel can be very intense where horses are concerned. May be traumatizing to some.(less)

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Apr 23, 2009 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

"The Horse Whisperer" was an inspirational book about a girl name Grace's journey on the road to recovery with her demented four year old horse Pilgrim. In this novel, Grace and Pilgrim are involved in a serious semi-truck accident in which Grace looses her right leg, Pilgrim is traumatized and hurt, and in which Grace's friend Judy and her horse Gulliver loose their lives. On a desparate whim to save Pilgrim, and by saving Pilgrim saving Grace, Grace's mother Annie Graves takes them out to Mon...more

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Feb 05, 2013 Simon Wheeler rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Anyone looking for an intelligent romance story

Not so much a story about horses, but rather one about people.
The recovery of a horse from not only terrible physical injuries, but also severe mental trauma, is a reflection of the mother, Annie's, need for healing.
Nice to see a romance that's not sugary sweet, but has a bit of grit and characters with plenty of depth.
Nicholas' background in script writing is obvious. I read the book long before the movie came out, and I could visualize it as a screenplay. Sure enough, the first half of the mov...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Nikolitsa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Απο την εισαγωγη αυτο το βιβλιο με συνεπηρε. Οι κινηματογραφικες περιγραφες που για ενα περιεργο λογο δεν βαριομουν να διαβαζω αλλα απολαμβανα, τα συναισθηματα και οι σκέψεις ολων των σημαντικων ηρωων που μοιραζονταν τοσο ομορφα στις σελιδες και η πολυπλοκοτητα των χαρακτηρων ειναι κατι που εκτιμω ουτως η αλλως στα αναγνωσματα. Η Αννυ ειναι μια ηρωιδα που στο μισο βιβλιο αναρωτιεσαι τι παιδικο τραυμα κουβαλαει κ ειναι τοσο ξεροκεφαλη, κ αυτο το λατρευω!!! Διαβαζα τις ρεαλιστικες περιγραφες, τις...more

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May 19, 2011 Deidra rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A touching story that will have you feeling much. I enjoyed Grace and Pilgrim's story throughout. An amazing tale of how a human and a horse pick up the broken pieces after much trauma from the accident. Truly emotional and touching. I could not help but dislike her mother Annie. I felt that she was one of the most selfish people ever. She does a good thing by trying to get Pilgrim better but to have an affair with the same man after all your family has gone through was just aweful to read throu...more

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About Nicholas Evans

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Nicholas Evans was born and grew up in Worcestershire, England. He studied law at Oxford University, graduating with first class honors, then worked as a journalist for three years on the Evening Chronicle in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He then moved into televsion, producing films...more

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Quotes from The Horse Whisperer

“I guess that’s all forever is...Just one long trail of nows. And I guess all you can do is try and live one now at a time without getting too worked up about the last now or the next now.” — 71 people liked it

“She had seemed to need something from him that he hadn’t been able to give...at last he realized that what she had needed from him was need itself. That he should need her as she needed him.” — 17 people liked it

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