Read by Mary Beth Hurt
Four Cassettes, 6 hours
Spanning two years on the circuit, from Kentucky and California to New York and Paris, ... read full description
Four Cassettes, 6 hours
Spanning two years on the circuit, from Kentucky and California to New York and Paris, ... read full description
reviews
Feb 23, 2008
April
rated it: 
Fascinating portrayal of the thoroughbred horseracing world.
How does Jane Smiley do it? Her books are all completely unique. There is no formula; no predictability (you could say she is an anti-Ian McEwan). The story is set in the thoroughbred racing world of Southern California. The story, and the human beings involved are involving. But what set this book apart for me? Two of the main characters are animals. One of the racehorses, and, a dog. A Jack Russell Terrier to be more pre More...
How does Jane Smiley do it? Her books are all completely unique. There is no formula; no predictability (you could say she is an anti-Ian McEwan). The story is set in the thoroughbred racing world of Southern California. The story, and the human beings involved are involving. But what set this book apart for me? Two of the main characters are animals. One of the racehorses, and, a dog. A Jack Russell Terrier to be more pre More...
Jun 22, 2008
Denise
rated it:
A rambling book with many evocative characters, human and equine, that will stick with me. I haven't cried over a book in a while but one particular scene was so wrenching that it had me sobbing as I read.
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Jan 22, 2009
Stefanie
rated it: 
Review originally and more completely published at http://www.epinions.com/review/Horse_Heaven_by_Jane_Smiley/content_56073162372
I found Horse Heaven to be entirely too disjointed, jumping from unconnected event to unconnected character every few pages. Smiley did give all her animals very human qualities, making them as integral to the story as the actual human characters. At one point, we even ride around in Eileen the scrappy terrier’s mind, hearing her thoughts.
The n More...
I found Horse Heaven to be entirely too disjointed, jumping from unconnected event to unconnected character every few pages. Smiley did give all her animals very human qualities, making them as integral to the story as the actual human characters. At one point, we even ride around in Eileen the scrappy terrier’s mind, hearing her thoughts.
The n More...
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May 22, 2009
Sharon
rated it: 
If you've never outgrown your fourth-grade horse phase, this is the book for you. A fabulous look at the world of horses (part of it is even told from a horse's point of view).
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May 08, 2008
Jack
rated it:
Fine novel by Jane Smiley, a favorite author. She gets inside the minds of the horses in a surprisingly believable way. Really enjoyed it.
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Jan 01, 2009
Lisa
rated it:
I love the Dicken-esque structure of this novel. This is the first novel I have read by Smiley. I read her small bio of Dickens and thought it was a wonderful distillation of the man and his work; she had the fine sense to recognize Our Mutual Friend as perhaps his best work. With Horse Heaven she goes back her forebearers, Dickens, Fielding and Thackery and creates a novel that is worthy homage.
One of the things I loved best about her book is the sly humor. There is one episode of q More...
One of the things I loved best about her book is the sly humor. There is one episode of q More...
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Aug 11, 2009
Brian
rated it: 
I think I would really give this book 3.5 stars. I enjoyed the many, many different characters, all of whose lives revolve around horses and thoroughbred racing. And I learned a lot about horses.
The only thing keeping the book from receiving a higher rating was that it was a little too long. I loved the characters and all that happened with them, but there was generally not much in the way of plot, so I did not feel the book needed to be as long as it was.
Still, I did More...
The only thing keeping the book from receiving a higher rating was that it was a little too long. I loved the characters and all that happened with them, but there was generally not much in the way of plot, so I did not feel the book needed to be as long as it was.
Still, I did More...
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Jul 15, 2010
Lynnmarie
rated it:
For the average human not acquainted with the horse (or, for that matter, horse racing) world, this book might seem a bit intimidating. It's over 500 pages long, which was only slightly less in length than Justin Cronin's 'The Passage', which I read prior to embarking on Ms Smiley's impressive tome. However, despite both books having an expansive cast of characters, the stories could not be more different.
There is an excellent review prior to mine that gives a terrific description of storyl More...
There is an excellent review prior to mine that gives a terrific description of storyl More...
Mar 01, 2011
Allyson
rated it:
I really loved this book.
I started it on a vacation and despite a return to my work routine: picking it up, putting it down, I felt completely enmeshed in her character's lives. She kept all of her numerous threads going, twisting here and there and despite that, I had no difficulty remembering about people and horses, their nuances and quirky natures. She really created all of her characters magically and I loved how the horses were as alive as the people, maybe even more so.
She r More...
I started it on a vacation and despite a return to my work routine: picking it up, putting it down, I felt completely enmeshed in her character's lives. She kept all of her numerous threads going, twisting here and there and despite that, I had no difficulty remembering about people and horses, their nuances and quirky natures. She really created all of her characters magically and I loved how the horses were as alive as the people, maybe even more so.
She r More...
Apr 17, 2009
Lizzy
rated it:
AN ADULT VERSION OF THE SADDLE CLUB, YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! I cannot believe it's taken me this long to discover Jane Smiley. Don't get me wrong - I wouldn't actually recommend this book to anyone besides myself, my mom, and maybe this one friend I had in college who came from Bakersfield, CA and used to ride her horse to school and also had never seen a crosswalk before moving to Berkeley and whose mother killed her exotic cat, Gizmo, by accidentally baking it in the dryer. WE ARE AMERICA AND WE
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Jul 19, 2010
Fionnuala
rated it:
In the helpful "bookclub" section at the back of my copy, Smiley advises the confused reader of this complex novel to "follow the horses". But that's the problem, Jane! Wonderfully as you depict each horse, they remain four legs and a mane, with believably consistent horsey thoughts so it's difficult to tell one from the other. Plus you keep changing their names! And there's no cast list or helpful chart at the front of the book! I tried in desperation to follow the peop
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Feb 05, 2010
Brugge
rated it:
There are sub-cultures all around our country like "Civil-War re-enactors” “Karaoke singers” “NASCAR fans” “Independent Film Buffs” etc. and unless you are part of this particular sub-cultural you never know much about them Jane Smiley captures “horse people” from the jockey to owners to vets to trainers to breeder to fans to actual horses perfectly. She tells a wonderful tale of multiple human and horse lives all at once while working her way to the crown jewel of horse racing “The Bree
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Jul 05, 2009
Rhi
rated it:
After reading the first third of this book, I was pretty confused about which horse was which and who was who - there is a vast cast of characters in this book, and it takes a while before any person/horse emerges as being more important to the story than another. I kept at it, and towards the end, couldn't put it down. The stories of the race horses and the people who own/train/ride/bet on them finally start to come together and reach a conclusion. Knowing nothing about horses, I can't comme
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Apr 28, 2009
Audrey
rated it:
On one hand there is so much horse knowledge packed into this book it is unbelievable. On the other hand the story rambles and jumps from character to character and story line to story line. All the characters are either horses, or the people who own horses, ride horses, train horses or otherwise interact with horses (one person even reads horse's minds....amazing). And the snippets of stories are all really quite fascinating and very different. It gets a bit overcomplicated with the hor
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Jul 16, 2010
Linda
rated it:
I liked this book. Smiley's writing style is excellent and fluid and engaging. She shares a wealth of information about horses and the horse racing industry from owners to trainers. I serendipitously read an article about the horrible things that can happen to race horses when their short careers end. Smiley's book was completely accurate compared with the facts in the article.
I want to give the book more stars but I found I didn't get lost in it. It is one of those books that reads l More...
I want to give the book more stars but I found I didn't get lost in it. It is one of those books that reads l More...
Jan 31, 2012
Croydonspopcorn
rated it:
I really enjoyed how Smiley gave both humans and animals very in depth personalities. I felt like I got to know each and every character. However, there are some characters I would have liked to seen more of. The jumping around from character was a unique way of writing I thoroughly enjoyed, however, it did get confusing remebering which character was which. I used the character intro in the beginning quite a bit! I really enjoyed this book overall. Warning, you may have to read twice to fully u
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Dec 06, 2011
Amy
rated it:
Despite the fact that I'm not a 14-year-old girl anymore, I'm reading a horse book. And I enjoy it. I'm really looking forward to getting a (very) in-depth look into the world of horse racing - a world that I believe is very, very limited nowadays. (Who ever hears about it except on the first Saturday in May?) I love being taken inside worlds that are so far outside my normal sphere that I forget they even exist. I watched Seabiscuit and the other popular racing horse movie recently, so I th
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Mar 16, 2010
Jane
rated it:
The cover says this is book heaven, and that is the truth. I held off about a year from reading this thick novel, 560 pages or so with very little white space on the page. Once I cracked it, though, the story took me away. Always interesting, informative, insightful, funny, it flowed to the very end.
I love this book and can't say enough good about it. For me, it is one of those very satisfying reads that comes along every so many years.
You don't have to love horses or know about hor More...
I love this book and can't say enough good about it. For me, it is one of those very satisfying reads that comes along every so many years.
You don't have to love horses or know about hor More...
Aug 11, 2011
Madeline
rated it:
I adore this book: it is officially my favorite book of all time. I seriously felt like it was made especially for me. The book is so gorgeously detail oriented and Smiley did an especially beautiful job of weaving a complex and connected tapestry of human emotion and relationships. It was in a word, gorgeous. I was so engrossed by the writing, the style and the impeccable attention Smiley paid to the intense world of horse racing.
Not a book I would recommend to the casual reader, but for a hors More...
Not a book I would recommend to the casual reader, but for a hors More...
Jan 10, 2010
Nancy
rated it:
I went back and forth with this book. There is a wealth of inside information regarding the care of, abuse of, superstitions about, and shady dealings that surround professional horse racing—Smiley obviously did her research. I liked the numerous anecdotes about horses and race tracks and enjoyed the funny ‘horse’ jokes. However, this information is woven around a cast of 50+ characters including the main protagonists—six thoroughbred horses, and I think therein lies the difficulty. There was ju
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Jan 02, 2009
Susan
rated it:
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley is a novel about horses and their breeders, owners, trainers, grooms, jockeys, traders, bettors and other turf-obsessed humans. It takes place over two-years and chronicles the lives of various horses and their people.
I know a little about horses - that is to say I've ridden horses, been to riding competitions, and been to the race track - but I still found this book particularly hard to get into. You see nothing ever happens, there is no real plot. The en More...
I know a little about horses - that is to say I've ridden horses, been to riding competitions, and been to the race track - but I still found this book particularly hard to get into. You see nothing ever happens, there is no real plot. The en More...
Jul 24, 2007
Beli_grrl
rated it:
I'm finding it very hard to stay with this one. I might have to drop out.
Edit 7/14: I'm struggling to stay with it and am hanging in at page 150. I hate not finishing books if they're even halfway decent. I'm learning a lot about the horse racing circuit. The writing is good. The structure is loose so far and there are too many characters. There are so many that there's a "cast of characters" list with descriptions at the beginning of the book. This is helpful but it's ann More...
Edit 7/14: I'm struggling to stay with it and am hanging in at page 150. I hate not finishing books if they're even halfway decent. I'm learning a lot about the horse racing circuit. The writing is good. The structure is loose so far and there are too many characters. There are so many that there's a "cast of characters" list with descriptions at the beginning of the book. This is helpful but it's ann More...
Jul 13, 2009
Rebecca
rated it:
I'd be the first to admit this isn't a book for everyone, particularly if you aren't into gee gees. But I've recently re-read it and loved it just as much second time round- and she gets into the 'minds' of horses (and indeed a jack russell terrier) brilliantly. Bits are quite tear-jerking without being sentimental. It's like a kind of War and Peace of the American horse racing world, encompassing breeders, trainers, jockeys, owners, the horses themselves. I defy anyone not to like Justa Bob.
Aug 10, 2009
Maia
rated it:
Had the same problem I had with 'Moo'--and later, with 'Ten Days in the Hill'--this simply bored and disappointed. It's sad because up and till and with 'A Thousand Acres', Smiley was/is one of my all-time favorite contemporary American writers. Her writing then just thrills me, and I devoured many of her short stories and novellas.
But since then, it's as if she's lost her touch. The writing, of course, remains top-rate in many instances, but it's lost its shine and power and no lon More...
But since then, it's as if she's lost her touch. The writing, of course, remains top-rate in many instances, but it's lost its shine and power and no lon More...
Mar 13, 2011
Steve
rated it:
The first half of the book was a struggle. Although brilliantly written, the story shifted from one group of characters to the next and I couldn't follow it. Then it dawned on me. It was like a "duh" moment. The book wasn't about the people, it was about the horses. The lives of six horses make up the novel. The human characters provide context in the lives of the thoroughbreds.
Smiley portrays the insides of the racing industry like never seen before, from the wealthy owner More...
Smiley portrays the insides of the racing industry like never seen before, from the wealthy owner More...
Feb 10, 2009
Jeff
rated it:
Smiley somehow makes this sprawling, wide-ranging book also feel tightly constructed. We learn about the vast array of horses involved in racing and their many personalities and the vast array of humans involved in racing those horses and their many personalities. And we are passionately involved in every one of them.
An interest in horse racing increases the enjoyment, but is not necessary. An interest in human passions is enough.
An interest in horse racing increases the enjoyment, but is not necessary. An interest in human passions is enough.
Mar 07, 2011
Lori
rated it:
Very disappointing. Ms. Smiley has a way with words, and I looked forward to getting lost in Horse Heaven. Unfortunately, with so many characters and plots galloping around the pages, the only "getting lost" I did was in trying to keep the stories and characters straight. It was more work than relaxation, so I closed the book and put it on my "to swap" shelf. It's received rave reviews from many. My disappointment in it is an exception. If you don't mind a LOT of plot changes
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Mar 09, 2009
Quiteria
rated it:
A tragic/comedy about horse racing with a happy ending. The book consists of yarns of stories told over a several years in the lives of 6 race horses, their owners, trainers, fans. Although it doesn't have an overall story line, the weaving stories are well written with well developed characters both human and equestrian. I loved it, but it may not be for everyone. It is long and lacks a plot to move the pages along, but however slow you move through the it, the short stories, the beautiful
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Feb 16, 2009
Audrey
rated it:
This is a rare treat for anyone who has horses and understands all that goes with them. This is the first book of all that I have read that actually is close to the real experience. If you don't have horses but still love a great story, this is the best thing for a lazy Saturday when everyone is out of the house and you just want to escape for a while. Don't let the size fool you, it's over way too soon.
