The Horse Whisperer

by Nicholas Evans

book data

4,269 ratings, 3.60 average rating, 368 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		22%
4		34%
3		29%
2		10%
1		3%

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published

October 1st 1996 (first published 1995) by Dell

binding

Paperback, 480 pages

characters

Annie Graves, Tom Booker, Grace, Pilgrim

setting

The United States

isbn

0440222656 (isbn13: 9780440222651)

description

The Horse Whisperer is a story made in Hollywood heaven. The novel was written by a first-time author, and the film option was snapped up by aging hea...more

[close] The Horse Whisperer is a story made in Hollywood heaven. The novel was written by a first-time author, and the film option was snapped up by aging heartthrob Robert Redford for 3 million smackers. Why take such risks on a brand-spanking-new author? The answer becomes clear upon reading the touching tale.

One morning while teenage Grace Maclean is riding Pilgrim, her goofy, loveable pony, she has a horrendous glass-shattering, bone-splintering, ligament-lynching meeting with a megaton truck that leaves her and her four-legged friend damaged in mind, body, and spirit. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, her jaded, brilliant, bitchy mom, Annie Graves (Kristin Scott Thomas in the 1998 film) is working out a wrinkle in her self-absorbed existence when she gets a call at her plush, Manhattan office about Grace's accident. Racked with guilt, Graves makes it her calling to find the mythical horse whisperer, an equine Zen master who has the ability to heal horses (and broken souls) with soothing words and a gentle touch. Just when it seems he can't be found, what do you know, she finds him. He arrives in the form of Tom Booker-- a rugged, sensitive, dreamy cowboy who helps Pilgrim and Grace repair their fractured selves. To add more mesquite to fire, Booker has a way with not-so-injured, attractive, married women--like Annie. As the plot thickens, so does the familial strife, which threatens to undo Booker's healing work.

Like an expert cinematographer, Evans deftly crafts each scene with precision and clarity, sprinkling in ominous signs and foreboding images. For example, in the opening paragraphs, as Annie starts out on the tragic ride, she comes across a bloody bird wing that seems to have fallen out of nowhere. The weight of impending doom is further strengthened by the truck driver's bad luck--he has a run-in with the highway patrol just moments before his meeting with Grace and Pilgrim. These not-so-subtle subliminal messages are masterfully stitched in throughout the story and may compel readers to act as if they were watching a B-grade horror movie, shouting aloud, "Don't go there!" However sentimental, The Horse Whisperer is an engaging read, sort of like a finely tuned, well-edited film. --Rebekah Warren

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 4,992)

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03/18/08

BunWat rated it:

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

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03/15/07

Caleb Liu rated it:

(review of isbn 0552143774)

Read in March, 2007

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

Like this review? yes (3 people liked it)

2 comments

08/09/07

Meredith Church rated it:

(review of isbn 0385315236)

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?

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

1 comment

10/17/08

Kellie rated it:

(review of isbn 0385315236)

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

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

Like this review? yes (2 people liked it)

2 comments

03/30/08

Brad rated it:

(review of isbn 0385315236)

Read in January, 1998

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...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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03/19/08

Cynthia rated it:

Read in March, 2008

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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10/06/08

Atishay rated it:

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 ...more

Like this review? yes (1 person liked it)

2 comments

01/19/09

Lauren rated it:

Read in January, 2009

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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01/07/09

Antof9 rated it:

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

Read in September, 2004

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...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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01/14/09

Russ rated it:

bookshelves: 2009, inspirational, novel

Read in January, 2009

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...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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04/23/09

Stephanie rated it:

"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 ...more

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01/22/09

Zippy rated it:

bookshelves: fiction

Read in February, 2009

I really struggled through the first half, and only kept going because people kept telling me it was worth it. Was it? Hmmmmmm not really. The end was surprising but in no way satisfying, becuase it was so implausible it held absolutely no ring of truth, and it felt a bit like the author was just looking for a surprising "twist" and settled on one that was to me ridiculous, and made even more of a joke of the cliche ridden dross that went before.

There is nothing new or...more

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08/23/08

Melissa rated it:

Read in August, 2000

Great book! Horrible movie.

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05/17/08

Mindy rated it:

(review of isbn 0385315236)

bookshelves: fiction, own-it

Read in January, 1997

When I got this book I was cocktailing at a casino in Gulfport, and the biker ex was out of the COUNTRY working (for a change). So at the same time I was reading this book I was feeling all independent and sassy, living on my own, partying without him around (getting my ass in lots of trouble), etc. But the love story in this book made me so sad because I felt nothing like that for him, and reading this contributed to the dreams I had at that time about leaving him and starting a life of my own....more

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05/03/09

Keith rated it:

(review of isbn 0385315236)

Read in May, 2009

I went into this book having enjoyed reading both The Loop and The Divide. This book starts out really great. There is a situation that arises which tests the strength of the central characters. However by the middle of the book the focus has shifted to a love/lust story. I did enjoy reading the book, and felt like I had some insight into the lives of other people... but you won't always like everything you see when getting such an intimate view. Evans does keep coming back to the strong ce...more

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12/29/08

Rach Arthur rated it:

Read in December, 2008

Wow! I assumed this would be another of Granny Mabel's cheesy bestseller picks, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course, its heavily propped up by the central character, the horse whisperer himself (which sounds a great deal more mysterious than just calling him Joe), but it doesn't suffer for it. Perhaps its a shoutback to my Saddle Club days, but I found that Evans even managed to make me empathise with the horse. Its not literature, but its not meant to be. Just a great read.

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04/14/09

Vicki rated it:

I loved the book. It has many understated lessons to be drawn from the stories told. It is also a book that has stories within the main story, and I love how Evans can bring out the story of each individual character. I saw the movie and was disappointed in that it veered from the novel quite a bit. However, I frequently choose not to see a "movie" version of a book I love, because they are never the same. Soooo if you want the best message, read the book.

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06/14/09

Rhonda Longworth rated it:

Read in January, 1999

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

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02/06/09

Melissa rated it:

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

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1 comment

12/10/08

Mana-tasia rated it:

bookshelves: fav

Read in July, 2007

recommends it for: people who don't necessarily like horses

One of the greatest books ever! It was awesome and so much better than the movie, especially the ending. This one can change your whole life, believe me because I'm not kidding. It's truly amazing and I have no idea why so many people like the movie instead of the book. In my opinion the most interesting moment in the movie was when Annie proposed Tom to saddle horses just to not let them say "farewell". Fantastic.

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"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." More quotes...