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77th out of 257 books
—
69 voters
Black Cow
by
Magdalena Ball (Goodreads Author)
Freya and James Archer live the high life in a luxury home in Sydney’s poshest suburb, with money, matching Jags, two beautiful teenage kids … and they couldn’t be more despondent.
James wakes weeping each morning, dreading the pressures of a long and grueling work day ahead, and Freya is struggling with her foundering real estate career.
Global recession is biting in Austra...more
James wakes weeping each morning, dreading the pressures of a long and grueling work day ahead, and Freya is struggling with her foundering real estate career.
Global recession is biting in Austra...more
Paperback, 276 pages
Published
February 24th 2012
by BeWrite Books
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James, a corporate executive, and Freya, a successful Realtor, live in Double Bay, an upscale neighborhood of Sydney. They have the material goods to show their success—including a pair of Jaguars. Their teenagers, Cameron and Dylan, attend a private school. And all of them are unhappy. The downswing of the economy has cost Freya sales and forced James to lay off workers. James has physical pains, periodic panics and mental turmoil, and he drinks too much. Freya is in turmoil too, obsessive abou...more
Reading a book by Magdalena Ball is a wonderfully peculiar experience. One moment, you’re sitting innocently in your chair with your Kindle, and the next minute you are whisked inside the brains and bodies of her characters, intimately connected with their soaring spirits or their angst.
I’ve read Ms. Ball’s books before, and have been enthralled by them. SLEEP BEFORE EVENING was the first novel I read, and I was absorbed by the well-told story. I’ve read her poetry, and been impressed with the...more
I am ashamed to say I have had a advanced copy of BLACK COW on my Nook for months and finally read it recently when I saw in "The Compulsive Reader", Ms. Ball's wonderful online review newsletter, that the novel would be released February 24th.
I loved her previous novel, SLEEP BEFORE EVENING, and BLACK COW is another fabulous story with universal themes all readers can embrace.
Ms. Bell has also written a couple of books of poetry, REPULSION THRUST and QUARK SOUP. Lyrical, almost poetic passages...more
I loved her previous novel, SLEEP BEFORE EVENING, and BLACK COW is another fabulous story with universal themes all readers can embrace.
Ms. Bell has also written a couple of books of poetry, REPULSION THRUST and QUARK SOUP. Lyrical, almost poetic passages...more
In this age of overconsumption, we all can relate to Edward and Freya, prisoners of the we-can-have-it-all mythos that tells us we are supposed to display wealth. The recession shattered that, but we're still seeing the trappings.
The story is beautifully written, and so well-portrayed and with believable characters and beautiful description, even though I wanted to yell at Edward and Freya around page 50 to snap out of it--in short, I cared. I worried over their children, especially Cammie, whos...more
The story is beautifully written, and so well-portrayed and with believable characters and beautiful description, even though I wanted to yell at Edward and Freya around page 50 to snap out of it--in short, I cared. I worried over their children, especially Cammie, whos...more
Black Cow (Magdalena Ball)
This is the story of Freya and James Archer, two successful working-for-a-living (and living high and large) In Sydney Australia. They live to have the best. The nicest house, cars and best schools for their children. Yet in their hectic world, they have little time for family life and are losing touch with their inner selves.
Against their childrens wishes they do the unthinkable. They pack their bags, sell their house and matching jaguars and head off to the island of...more
This is the story of Freya and James Archer, two successful working-for-a-living (and living high and large) In Sydney Australia. They live to have the best. The nicest house, cars and best schools for their children. Yet in their hectic world, they have little time for family life and are losing touch with their inner selves.
Against their childrens wishes they do the unthinkable. They pack their bags, sell their house and matching jaguars and head off to the island of...more
When an upwardly mobile couple encounters the kinds of problems many of us today, they decide to simplify by moving away from the bright lights and stress of bigtown Sydney. That's when life really starts getting interesting!
Magdalena Ball has set a new standard, maybe initiated a new genre. Her Black Cow isn't for the Beat Generation; it's for this millennium's fast-track generation. This is Magdalena Ball's second effort after her mesmerizing first novel Sleep Before Evening and it does not di...more
Magdalena Ball has set a new standard, maybe initiated a new genre. Her Black Cow isn't for the Beat Generation; it's for this millennium's fast-track generation. This is Magdalena Ball's second effort after her mesmerizing first novel Sleep Before Evening and it does not di...more
This book is a wonderful portrayal of a family trying to make it through the recession. But more importantly this books is an honest and amazing story of how stress can tear a family apart. From the very beginning Freya and James as well as their children feel like real people, and people that I think most of us can relate to in one way or another. Their family is far from perfect but not tragically flawed which is so important because it portrays the way a lot of families function.
Moving from S...more
Moving from S...more
Magdalena Ball is a remarkable wordsmith. Her prose hovers above your skin like ‘need’ and never drifts away. Her latest novel, Black Cow, is yet another masterpiece which I will keep treasured on my bookshelf. The characters in this story are on the hunt for happiness, for refuge, clawing their way through the stark reality of unfulfilling wealth, corporate hierarchies, fatigue, stress-related illnesses, and family neglect. Ball’s seamless exploration of the faulty human-condition and the urgen...more
Black cow is a beautifully written story. This is the story of James and Freya Archer. Two successful people living high and large in Sydney Australia. They have to have the best of everything From there house to the cars they drive , The best schools for there children. Yet they have little time for family life and are losing touch with themselves.Against the wishes of there children they sell everything, pack their bags and move to Tasmania to live a simpler life on a farm . A real heart felt...more
I won this book on first-reads.
This book is pure, honest, and connectable. I think anyone can see themselves in at least one of the characters, or have felt the stress of life, that is so perfectly described in this book, the feeling that life is always pressing down on you.
Magdalena Ball manages to make Sydney feel like every city/suburb on earth, with a family that could easily be any family in any city. You sink into the book and it makes you feel emotions, happy, sad, anger, etc.. I have t...more
This book is pure, honest, and connectable. I think anyone can see themselves in at least one of the characters, or have felt the stress of life, that is so perfectly described in this book, the feeling that life is always pressing down on you.
Magdalena Ball manages to make Sydney feel like every city/suburb on earth, with a family that could easily be any family in any city. You sink into the book and it makes you feel emotions, happy, sad, anger, etc.. I have t...more
I was sent this book by the author.
The title, Black Cow, is intriguing but as you read, you understand why. It is a story about a family who make life-changing decisions - ones which are very brave in today's world. It highlights the stresses and strains of modern life and the pressures that couples have to face. I particularly liked the relationship between the siblings - very telling and observant.
Yes, this book is worth a look, even if only to make others see that they too can change their li...more
The title, Black Cow, is intriguing but as you read, you understand why. It is a story about a family who make life-changing decisions - ones which are very brave in today's world. It highlights the stresses and strains of modern life and the pressures that couples have to face. I particularly liked the relationship between the siblings - very telling and observant.
Yes, this book is worth a look, even if only to make others see that they too can change their li...more
Feb 17, 2012
Jennifer
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in a fresh take on the 'sea change' theme.
Shelves:
fiction
Maggie Ball’s Black Cow is an honest take on mid life crisis and the need to redefine who we are and why the #@&! we are here anyway’. Maggie’s pull no punches, no holds barred approach leaves you feeling you have looked like peeping tom’s over the shoulders of her characters into their inner sanctums and watched them sink, swim and drag themselves ashore spitting weed. This is an honest to goodness look at ‘sea-change’ warts and all for which Maggie is to be roundly congratulated!
A fictitious story yet a story full of truth and soul searching wisdom. A family becoming consciously aware that the life that they 'wanted' was trapping them on a constant turning treadmill. A story of facing one's own demons in the journey of finding happiness. I just loved this book, as in many ways it echoed my own personal self-awareness journey to live a more sustainable life.
BLACK COW is a must read if you are one of the many people giving thought to the times we live in and the way we live in them. Even though it is in many ways an introspective journey, the entertainment value of the book is never glossed over. In fact, BLACK COW is fast-paced, an introspective literary page turner. Magdalena Ball has great skill as well as passion. I loved this book!
This is a wonderful novel. In the first half, Ball's tale of contemporary high-pressure urban life is harrowing. We see Freya, James and their children nearly eaten alive by the demands of the lifestyle they've almost unwittingly embraced. In the latter part of the novel, Ball's descriptions of Tasmania were enough to get me googling airfares! Highly recommended!
This book was wonderful. So perfect for this modern time. A story about a couple who actually does what we all dream of...giving it all up...
A good one!
May 08, 2013
Cristina Rodriguez
is currently reading it
Feb 04, 2013
Jeremiah Walton
marked it as to-read
Feb 02, 2013
Jenny Alkire
marked it as to-read
Jan 03, 2013
Kassy
marked it as to-read
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Magdalena Ball runs The Compulsive Reader http://www.compulsivereader.com/html. Her stories, poetry, reviews and articles have appeared in many printed anthologies and journals, and have won several awards. She is the author of Black Cow, Repulsion Thrust, The Art of Assessment, Quark Soup, and Sleep Before Evening. Find out more at http://www.magdalenaball.com
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Jul 05, 2012 04:18pm