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My Friend Flicka (Flicka #1)
by
Mary O'Hara
A timeless favorite of children and adults alike, this resides in "that borderland where some of the best-loved books in the English tongue hold their immortality."--"New York Herald Tribune"
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
February 17th 1988
by HarperCollins Publishers
(first published 1941)
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Wow. What a boring book.
Like any horse obsessed person, I try to see every horse-related movie and read nearly every horse related book. So, perhaps in this case, the mistake I made was that I watched the movie first and then read the book.
In the movie: 16 yo girl is misunderstood by her father. She fails final exam. Father is angry at her and doesn't want her to do anything fun except rewrite her essay so that she'll pass. Girl finds wild mustang. Girl catches mustang. Father is angry; doesn'...more
Like any horse obsessed person, I try to see every horse-related movie and read nearly every horse related book. So, perhaps in this case, the mistake I made was that I watched the movie first and then read the book.
In the movie: 16 yo girl is misunderstood by her father. She fails final exam. Father is angry at her and doesn't want her to do anything fun except rewrite her essay so that she'll pass. Girl finds wild mustang. Girl catches mustang. Father is angry; doesn'...more
This is a book best suited for children, perhaps young girls who have themselves yearned for a horse or pony of their own. As an adult, at first I was irritated more often than not by the daydreaming useless Ken, who kept mumbling over and over again about getting a colt of his own, his smug older brother Howard, the irascible and overbearing father who apparently never outgrew his Army years and the yielding and almost saintlike mother. The range on which they lived was usually more enchanting...more
I remember loving the TV series based on the book, so when I saw the book on CD I decided to try it. I didn't care for the reader (Michael Wells) at all, mostly because of his depiction of the father's voice. The story was much different than I had anticipated, there was a lot of swearing- which was surprising to me since it was written in 1940, and it was fairly slow moving. I had mistakenly supposed this would be a story about a boy's adventures with his horse. Still, it was a good story about...more
Jan 03, 2010
Alexa SOF2014
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
grade-8-ir-books-betts
My Friend Flika tells the story about Ken McLaughlin, who is the son of a Wyoming rancher and his horse Flika in 1941. Ken is a 10 year old boy who lives on a Wyoming ranch, the Goose Bar, with his father Rob, his mother Nell, and his brother Howard. The father sometimes gets very annoyed with Ken because he is a daydreamer. Ken returns home from boarding school with failing grades and has to repeat 5th grade. In order to be responsible Ken chooses a yearling to raise and this particular Filly h...more
Apparently this is supposed to come with a 'charm' (?a stuffed animal? A keychain?). My copy comes from a used book sale, and it doesn't have one.
As with many 'children's' books, I never read this as a child. Please don't tell me how it ends. I'm told it's many people's favorite book. We'll see.
I found this book difficult to read for a variety of reasons. Partly it was because of the frequent description of graphic injury to animals (and sometimes to humans as well) that so disturbed me in Ovid'...more
As with many 'children's' books, I never read this as a child. Please don't tell me how it ends. I'm told it's many people's favorite book. We'll see.
I found this book difficult to read for a variety of reasons. Partly it was because of the frequent description of graphic injury to animals (and sometimes to humans as well) that so disturbed me in Ovid'...more
I first read this in eighth grade. We were assigned to do a book report on a banned book and this was on the list, right next to Clockwork Orange, Flowers for Algernon, etc. A horse book? Sure, I'll read that for homework! At the time I could only think of two vague reasons why the book had been banned: somewhat gruesome images, and maybe something to do with the mother character. I'm pretty sure the first was correct.
Young Ken is "a daydreamer and chronic time-waster" who can easily stand for...more
Young Ken is "a daydreamer and chronic time-waster" who can easily stand for...more
This book was first published in 1943, and is an account of a summer in the life of a young boy on his parents' Wyoming ranch. Ken is a dreamer, a boy who falls clumsily into trouble, and this does not endear him to his disciplined father, a man whose financial survival depends on making hard practical choices.
Ken wants a colt, and his father agrees to it to teach him responsibility, but Ken, lead by his heart, and her beauty, chooses Flicka, a wild acting colt from a mad mare. His father thinks...more
Ken wants a colt, and his father agrees to it to teach him responsibility, but Ken, lead by his heart, and her beauty, chooses Flicka, a wild acting colt from a mad mare. His father thinks...more
Ken McLaughlin is a ten-year-old boy who lives on a remote Wyoming ranch, the Goose Bar. He has a father named Rob, a mother named Nell, and an older brother named Howard. Ken is many times a daydreamer. He is such a daydreamer that he has failing grades at school and must then retake 5th grade which puts the family in a tough financial situation. They own a ranch with wild horses but Rob plans on selling them since they cannot be tamed. Ken then chooses a colt of his own, for his mother believe...more
My Friend Flicka is a very touching book about a boy named Ken (around 10-11-ish) who lives on a horse ranch with his parents and brother, Howard. His father expects him to be perfect, a helping hand ready whenever he needs him, like his brother Howard. But Ken fails at almost everything - he loses saddles, lets horses free by accident, and finally he gets a report card so bad he has to repeat a grade. He begs his father for a colt of his own, and he finally gets his wish - the chestnut filly kn...more
That is a story about a boy and his horse– and it is really well written. The characters are developed well, the details really put you in scene, and the story is good. Something interesting about this book I discovered as I read it was, I did not feel a lot of sympathy for the main character, as odd as that may sound. The main character is usually the hero, the underdog, the one you root for throughout the story. I didn’t so much in this one– but there were a lot of interesting characters and i...more
I had read this book once before when I was quite a bit younger and didn't like it. I decided, however, that I'd put it back and try again when I was older. This time, reading it through, I actually did like it. I was rather surprised though, because I had heard it suggested as a children's book and I find it a bit more mature. I'd place it more in the young adults category, due to some language and subject matter.
This book is well known for being a sweet story about a boy and his horse, Flicka....more
This book is well known for being a sweet story about a boy and his horse, Flicka....more
I read this book for the first time several years ago. Since then, I watched the movie countless times. Even as the details of the book faded in memory I knew the story well and retained a fondness for it.
The library was selling a copy for twenty-five cents the other day so I snatched it to re-read. I was struck by the quality of writing. I had remembered the events well, but reading the book with the rich descriptions of the land and the atmosphere, and all the human and animal characters with...more
The library was selling a copy for twenty-five cents the other day so I snatched it to re-read. I was struck by the quality of writing. I had remembered the events well, but reading the book with the rich descriptions of the land and the atmosphere, and all the human and animal characters with...more
My Friend Flicka:By: Makayla Daniels
My Friend Flicka was a good book. It was the best horse book I have ever read!!! It was daring,exciting ,loving, caring and ect.I recomend this book for guys and girls,cause it is about a guy ,but it has alot of dramatic parts.So heres my review on it...Once apon a time there was a boy named Ken and he has always dreamed to have a horse.But his father said no until he can write a paper for school ,that he never wrote.Finily he finished his paper,so he said "...more
My Friend Flicka was a good book. It was the best horse book I have ever read!!! It was daring,exciting ,loving, caring and ect.I recomend this book for guys and girls,cause it is about a guy ,but it has alot of dramatic parts.So heres my review on it...Once apon a time there was a boy named Ken and he has always dreamed to have a horse.But his father said no until he can write a paper for school ,that he never wrote.Finily he finished his paper,so he said "...more
If you've never been West around Colorado/Wyoming, O'Hara recreates it and captures it in her novels. I didn't realize just how well until I moved here and started recognizing the scenery.
I've reread her books many times now and will likely reread them many more, hence the 5 stars. I've had to get rid of all my books a couple times in the past and have always felt like my shelves are incomplete till I've reacquired the Flicka set.
O'Hara is a depression era writer and has a bit of "Steinbeck" fl...more
I've reread her books many times now and will likely reread them many more, hence the 5 stars. I've had to get rid of all my books a couple times in the past and have always felt like my shelves are incomplete till I've reacquired the Flicka set.
O'Hara is a depression era writer and has a bit of "Steinbeck" fl...more
3 likes · like · see review
I think this book is my all time favorite. I say this because I have read it every 2 years or so since I was young. I can't really say that about any other book, although I am one of those people that will keep and reread, several times, books that I like. 'My Friend Flicka` is set on a ranch south west of Tie Siding, Wyoming. Since we live in this area the setting is familiar, even though things have changed a lot since 1941. Basically, it is your typical coming of age story, but it can interes...more
As a child I loved this book and the sequels as well. I bought it again as an adult, because my mother had given away my much loved copies when she moved house...
I loved it again as an adult but found more in the book than I did as a child. Mary O'Hara describes really well the difficulties of growing up and love of horses and these are the themes I liked as a child. But as an adult I really appreciated her descriptions of 1950s life, it was fascinating and I think beautifully written.
I loved it again as an adult but found more in the book than I did as a child. Mary O'Hara describes really well the difficulties of growing up and love of horses and these are the themes I liked as a child. But as an adult I really appreciated her descriptions of 1950s life, it was fascinating and I think beautifully written.
Jun 26, 2011
Charlotte
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
1001-children-s-books-you-must-read
This is a strong story with many weaknessess. I found the characters and events to be interesting enough to sustain 600 pages, but the editing and flow was lacking.
As an avid, adult reader, I expected this book for children to be much easier to read. The stream of conscious narration shifted suddenly between human and animal characters, which I found to be confusing and awkward.
Disney versions of this story further confused me. I was expecting something different. It feels weird to say that Di...more
As an avid, adult reader, I expected this book for children to be much easier to read. The stream of conscious narration shifted suddenly between human and animal characters, which I found to be confusing and awkward.
Disney versions of this story further confused me. I was expecting something different. It feels weird to say that Di...more
Despite its reputation as a children's book, I'd say this and the sequels were more adult than juvenile: they're more about the parents, Rob and Nell, and their perceptions of their children, with enough description of the children to give us something of their side of the story.
The horse loving child subplot is only about half the actual story; nearly as much is about the adults--Rob's financial struggles with raising blood horses and Nell's struggles with the housewifely aspects of running an...more
The horse loving child subplot is only about half the actual story; nearly as much is about the adults--Rob's financial struggles with raising blood horses and Nell's struggles with the housewifely aspects of running an...more
I loved this book! The writing is wonderful, the characters are realistic and interesting, the story is well-told and I learned a lot about horses and ranching and life. It made me want a horse of my own. While reading this book, I chided myself for ever wasting time reading books that are poorly written. I was emotionally involved with the characters and, though I would gladly have enjoyed a longer book, it ended perfectly. A new favorite!
1 like · like · see review
Surrounded by the beautiful landscape of the Wyoming wilderness, Ken McLaughlin and his family work hard on their horse ranch to make ends meet. However, Ken is a dreamer, and he never seems to satisfy his stern father's demands. Yet, despite his mistakes, Ken's father fulfills Ken's one dream--to have a colt of his own. Ken's unfaltering loyalty and love for his horse Flicka changes him during his summer break from school. It also changes his family, especially his father, and they learn to lov...more
I had never read this before but had seen the somewhat recent movie. The book was not at all what I was expecting, but it was enjoyable. It took half of the book for Ken to even start trying to train/befriend Flicka. Before that it was really about Ken trying to gain the acceptance of his father. It was well written and very touching. I think it would be enjoyable for young and old alike.
I read this to my girls at night before bed and am surprised that they looked forward to the next installment each night. I found it a bit slow, but it is a tale of transformation - how a day-dreamer boy takes on the real life task of "gentling" a filly with "wild" blood. Confronting reality and growing up - it is at times sad, but love pulls him through.
Sep 03, 2007
Tori
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
children-and-young-adult,
favorites
I first read this book when I was eight or nine, and have wished for Wyoming ever since. It's a lovely story about a shy, dreamy kid who hates school and desperately wants his father's respect, but who can't help always doing something clumsy or forgetting something important. For the summer, he wants nothing more than to have his own yearling colt to train. His father finally, reluctantly agrees--and Ken chooses the wildest, possibly most untrainable one of the bunch.
This novel has such a sens...more
This novel has such a sens...more
A good example of leisurely omniscient narration that is compelling without being fast-paced or edgy. The drama of the real pressures of the ranching life and the business of learning responsibility for young horses and the tension of a father trying to reach and motivate his struggling son, is plenty to drive the plot of the classic tale.
Jan 23, 2012
Laura
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-as-a-child-or-teen
When I was a kid I had a terrible cold. My dad brought me home this book. I remember being totally engrossed and forgetting for a while how sick I was. It is the touching story of a boy who believes in a horse that everyone else says is loco (crazy). I was touched by his devotion to Flicka. Reading this will always be a found memory.
I spent so many hours as a kid reading Marguerite Henry and Walter Farley and all of the horse-related books I could find. I memorized all of the breeds listed in The Noble Horse and their characteristics, and obsessed over horse racing for years. My grandmother and I used to take the train down to Del Mar. I had a crush on Trevor Denman's race-calling. And somehow I never managed to read this book.
(Actually, I'm kind of glad.)
This is my mom's childhood copy, which she kindly sent at my request...more
(Actually, I'm kind of glad.)
This is my mom's childhood copy, which she kindly sent at my request...more
I read this many years ago- a wonderful story about a strong bond between a boy and the horse that eventually becomes his. When I saw commercials for the movie version of this, I was appalled that they changed the main character to a girl instead of a boy... talk about character indiscrepancy!
Jun 22, 2011
Shreya=Drastically Random. Find the emoticon.
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
I liked the detail, and how it would give the perspective of every character on the situation. But it wasn't dramatic enough, and just kept droning on and on and on...didn't give you time to catch your breath and eventually you drifted away from what was happening. But the storyline was good.
This is a great book to read. When I read it I was fascinated. reading this book was great practice for my reading was low. Now I read all the time and this is a great book for many ages. I have friends that are 11 14 even 19 that loved the book. It is short but very good. I loved this book.
I first read this when I was... oh, about eight or nine? And I've read it ever since. It grew with me, and I matured to an understanding of it, and still there are new insights to glean upon each new read. When I've burned my fingers on one too many formulaic reads, Mary O'Hara is one of the authors I return to for a palate cleanse, and the reassurance that pure craft never dies.
MY FRIEND FLICKA is a lovely book that well deserves its classic status. And the following books THUNDERHEAD and GREEN...more
MY FRIEND FLICKA is a lovely book that well deserves its classic status. And the following books THUNDERHEAD and GREEN...more
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| Amazing Book | 3 | 8 | Jan 28, 2013 01:39pm |
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Mary O’Hara Alsop, an American author, screenwriter, and composer, was born July 10, 1885, in Cape May, N.J., to Reese Fell Alsop and Mary Lee (Spring). She grew up in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., where her father was an Episcopal clergyman.
In 1905, Ms. O'hara married Kent Kane Parrot, whom she later divorced. Her second marriage to Helge Sture-Vasa from Sweden in 1922 also ended in divorce in 1947. Ms...more
More about Mary O'Hara...
In 1905, Ms. O'hara married Kent Kane Parrot, whom she later divorced. Her second marriage to Helge Sture-Vasa from Sweden in 1922 also ended in divorce in 1947. Ms...more
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