"I've always had this thing for cowboys, maybe because I was born in New Jersey. But a real cowboy is hard to find these days, even in the West," s...
read full description
reviews
Aug 15, 2008
Erin
rated it: 
The writing here is whip-smart and I would pay a hundred dollars for the reaction I have in my gut when I read this book. Pam Houston helps me locate the memories I forget I carry: the glittering world inside a trout, the mystery and excitement of peeling a deer’s skin from its body, the satisfaction of sewing bait fish onto sturdy, sturgeon-catching hooks—my earliest arts and crafts, mostly forgotten.
I grew up plucking ducks and geese in the West with a complicated outdoorsman fat More...
I grew up plucking ducks and geese in the West with a complicated outdoorsman fat More...
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Jul 09, 2008
Erin
rated it: 
After reading several raving reviews of this book, I had high hopes for it. The title made me laugh and piqued my curiosity. Its a book containing ten or so short stories about different women and their cowboys... The first short story was absolutely horrible, I didn't like the style of writing and was so annoyed by it that I almost put the book down. But I gave it a chance, and thankfully the rest of the stories were narrative and I wasn't distracted by the writing style.
In ge More...
In ge More...
Mar 02, 2008
Johnny
rated it: 
I gave this collection to a girl once who I was trying to woo. I truly felt as though Houston had captured the "essence" of modern femininity and that by giving this young lady such a relevant and symbolic short story book, I was on my way to...well, you know. The young woman's reaction, however, was laughter and not the kind of laughter I was seeking. It was sardonic, "you thought I would like these stories??" kind of laughter. But I kind of enjoyed the stories. Houston
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Feb 10, 2009
Nicole
rated it:
Oh wow. I never knew I had a deeply closeted obsession with cowboys and outdoorsmen until I read this collection of short stories. Houston's writing makes me want to trade my corolla for a horse, my books for guns, and my nerdy love interests for roguish deer hunters. Seriously. This is great stuff. Fast, smart, witty, and undeniably unique. A treasure.
0 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Apr 13, 2008
Sara
rated it: 
Before reading any of Pam Houston's books I attended her reading of Sight Hound because my roommate absolutely loved the book. Seeing Pam in real life, and hearing her book in her voice really added to my experience when I then read the book myself. I followed that up with Waltzing the Cat which I also enjoyed.
And then I found this book on my friend's shelf. It turns out that my lack of interest in short stories trumped my level of enjoyment in reading Pam Houston. The format j More...
And then I found this book on my friend's shelf. It turns out that my lack of interest in short stories trumped my level of enjoyment in reading Pam Houston. The format j More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Sep 12, 2007
Emily
rated it:
This is the first book my then-boyfriend, now husband gave to me...and he turned me into a life-long Pam Houston fan. He LOANED ME One Hundred Years of Solitude first but he bought me this one...
This is probably my favorite book but everything she's written is fantastic - and while I count the days until her next book, once it's out, I SLOWLY read it...kind of like I did with John Irving when I first read World According to Garp or Widow for One Year...every page is satisfying...and althou More...
This is probably my favorite book but everything she's written is fantastic - and while I count the days until her next book, once it's out, I SLOWLY read it...kind of like I did with John Irving when I first read World According to Garp or Widow for One Year...every page is satisfying...and althou More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 22, 2011
Crystal
rated it:
Replace the cowboys with broody musicians and the series of protagonists, all in their late 20's, distill down into one woman who is me. I asked this book, in the margin on page 26, if it was a mirror when it said, "I saw a series of men--wild in their own way--who thought because I said I wanted security and commitment, I did. Sometimes it seems this simple: I tamed them and made them dull as fence posts..." Advice for future love interests: listen to my history, not to my words becau
More...
Dec 16, 2009
Holly
rated it:
This is a collection of short stories about women, relationships, independence, travel, and the outdoors. The stories are brief and interesting. Kind of on the cheezy, touch-feely side, but I tend to like that. Also, I think from the very start I just kind of liked the author,... her voice and approach and outlook, and consequently had a greater appreciation for her accounts. A quick read, and a good one to just pick up briefly or at intervals.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 15, 2009
Hollie
rated it:
This book made me wish I was more outdoorsy---it's a collection short stories by Pam Houston, who heads the UC Davis creative writing program. It's not too literary where you feel like you're in over your head, just very strong women who can and cannot remove themselves from sometimes abusive sometimes boring relationships.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Jan 26, 2012
Fiberbrarian
rated it:
In music, we would call the ending of this book a Picardy third. The stories are moving along - a theme is developing - and then the end throws in a totally bright beautiful note that startles the listener, changes the mood and yet fits well with the entire piece. Makes me want to go back and rethink the entire work with that new chord in mind.
Cowboys Are My Weakness reminds me of that musical ending. It's the land - no it's the men - no it's the work - no it's the place - no it's More...
Cowboys Are My Weakness reminds me of that musical ending. It's the land - no it's the men - no it's the work - no it's the place - no it's More...
Jul 21, 2008
Barb
rated it:
The title says it all. I don't care whether they can construct a coherent sentence, they make we weak at the knees. This is an educated intelligent woman talking. What is there about these guys?
5 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 11, 2008
Deirdre
rated it:
Reading Pam Houston is like having my mind read. "How to talk to a Hunter," is funny and poignant. I enjoyed "Waltzing the Cat," better- but both 5 stars!
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Sep 01, 2009
Andrea
rated it:
These compact stories are well-written, with vivid imagery and interesting explorations of attraction to wildness, whether in the form of rugged men, raging rivers, snow-camping in sub-zero temperatures, or wounded animals. I found some of the stories much more compelling than others, especially "How to Talk to a Hunter," "Selway," and "Dall." Even though those particular stories featured protagonists who are superficially dissimilar to me, in situations that I ca
More...
Aug 07, 2010
Annie Laurie (WI)
rated it:
I read this book in the early 1990s and something about it resonated with me. It could have been many things: my age at the time (early 20s), or feeling like I had a ton in common with the girl in the stories (loving outdoors, camping experiences, living in various places in the West), or feeling like I knew the men she wrote about. I loved the stories, and I loved the writing style.
I reread it frequently and have purchased no fewer than 10 copies - whenever I lend it out to my girl More...
I reread it frequently and have purchased no fewer than 10 copies - whenever I lend it out to my girl More...
Jun 08, 2009
Jessie
rated it:
This is an unenthusiastic three. I thought I would like this book better, but it just seemed kind of dated. The narrator in every story (who I'm unable to separate from the author herself) clearly thinks she's a bad ass, even as she's disparaging herself. It's a little annoying. Also, she seems to want a man who drinks herbal tea and speaks only French in bed. If a man speaks French to me in bed, he better damn well be from France.
I will say this: if this is a realistic depiction of More...
I will say this: if this is a realistic depiction of More...
Jul 06, 2008
Jenna
rated it:
The cover of my copy of this book includes a blurb from the LA Times review: "Houston claims for women the terrain staked out by male writers from Hemingway to Richard Ford." I wouldn't go that far. Houston's protagonists are usually women for whom wild spaces are simply substitutions for good men: If they could find true love, they'd leave it in a second--with regret, but leave it they certainly would. In other words, these women have found themselves in wild, savage spaces, but only
More...
Dec 06, 2007
Grace
rated it:
I'll admit it, I picked this up based on the title. I mean, what a great title, right? Unlike most books chosen based on title, though, this one paid off. It's a great book of short stories, mostly centered around women's relationships with men who are unsuitable for one reason or another, generally due to being one kind or another of "cowboy."
Which I realize doesn't make it sound very good. In fact, it makes it sound pretty fucking trite. But it's mostly not. Houston's femal More...
Which I realize doesn't make it sound very good. In fact, it makes it sound pretty fucking trite. But it's mostly not. Houston's femal More...
Oct 05, 2010
Brittany
rated it:
This book hovers between three and four stars for me. I started reading it on a plane and then stopped because it seemed to be all about men who disappoint women and women who disappoint themselves. My mom told me to go back and finish it because there are some good stories in there, particularly about a dog, so I did. I enjoyed the stories near the back better than the ones in front, but I'm still a little bit relieved it's over. The sharpness of her writing, the clarity of her images, and the
More...
Sep 21, 2009
Dave
rated it:
This might come as a shock. I'm neither a manly hunter/cowboy/alcoholic in love with horny white-tailed deer nor a woman attracted to such types. But this book cracked me up! I doubt all women are as testosterone dependent as the narrator in most of these stories (or, if they are, I need to go kill something beautiful before my wife leaves me for Paul Bunyan), but Pam Houston takes a well-known love trope and has a hay day. A quick read and a definite recommendation. Plus, the cover begs to be b
More...
Apr 14, 2009
Gretchen
rated it:
I really like her writing style but I read Sighthound first and it was soooo much better than the short stories of smart women making bad choices in men. I guess I've made so many bad choices of my own over the years, I just didn't feel like being reminded of all the duds I thought were so great at first. At this point in life I prefer the stories where a smart woman meets a smart man and they live happily ever after :) Nice huh.... so far so good
Mar 28, 2009
Trixie
rated it:
A smart, outdoorsy lesbian I know ADORES this book and says Pam Houston is her favorite author. I'd never have picked up a book with this insipid title if it weren't for wanting to find out what the hell could possibly be the allure. Turns out, the deep short-storytelling IS awesome. Reflective, intimate, beautiful, and moving stories about individual women and their relationships to men, themselves, horses, land, and sometimes each other.
Feb 28, 2010
Hope
rated it:
love it love it love it - I go back to this one every few years and just take a trip in my mind. It is to go out west and to go back in time when I liked cowboys, or "real men" who hunted, fished, paddled rivers, etc. I love the style of writing that Pam Houston has, and I am always happy to find something new by her when I stop in a book store or read an article penned by her in a magazine.
Oct 02, 2011
Hazel
rated it:
This is a great collection for anyone who enjoys western writing. Think women's lit meets literary fiction meets western fiction. The title story is fantastic, so if you only have time for one, I'd pick that one.
Read my blog post about Pam Houston, Cowboys Are My Weakness: Stories, and Pacific University. More...
Read my blog post about Pam Houston, Cowboys Are My Weakness: Stories, and Pacific University. More...
May 30, 2010
Kt.
rated it:
I have never been a fan of shorts stories but I love this collection. Pam Houston has a wonderful way of vining the stories together. This collection of stories is like a really good CD where all the songs go together while being different and unique. This is a collection of stories about the wilderness and relationships and... just read it. It's wonderful.
Mar 10, 2009
Tara
rated it:
I truly enjoyed Houston's prose and her adventure stories, but admit that near the end of the book, they seemed to sort of all meld together into one long story. And seemed to verge on creative nonfiction. Other people obviously enjoyed this effect, however, as it was a huge bestseller. I think her best quality is in her narration--simple, yet profound.
Dec 20, 2008
Mdraeger
rated it:
I have a love/hate relationship with short stories. This collection is like a meal of appetizers, each one is well-crafted and self-contained. You enjoy them, but are ready for the next course. My only criticism is that there wasn't much variety between the themes/characters: one seemingly independent woman pursuing a dysfunctional relationship. Hmmmm...
Feb 09, 2010
Niki
rated it:
I love Pam Houston's writing voice. This is a great starter book for anyone interested in her writing. It's a compilation of short stories. I like to compare it to Sex & The City -- witty & funny -- except it takes place mostly in Montana and Utah and the main character is a river guide. She's rugged yet vulnerable, searching yet centered, trying to decipher the men in her life and why happiness in relationships is so tough to come by.
Dec 11, 2008
I can't find an online text version of Houston's sublime story "How To Talk to a Hunter," so I'll have to pick this one up eventually. I read "Hunter" in a college lit class and have loved it ever since; it's a great, short piece on the miscommunications between men and women which resonated with me even at the naive age of nineteen.
Oct 02, 2010
Beth
rated it:
Sometimes I read fiction and decide this must be trues - or at least this little event or piece of conversations had to have happened because no one could imagine that. Kept happening when I re-read this books after 15 years aways from it. I'm afraid to reread books becuase it destroys them for me sometimes, but this was very good one.
