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Mar 26, 2009

Martin rated it:

It took a while for this chisel of a book to crack the nut of my head. I had to start it three times because the perspective was so strange, and grim. But on the third try I was enthralled. This book put me inside a different way of thinking. I treasured returning to this book and comprehending the revelations on nearly every page -- of the fact that there was a different way of observing things.

So often I enjoy books that are brilliant executions of standard plots or formulas, l More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

May 17, 2008

T.J. rated it:

This is an absolutely fantastic novel. The fact that the author managed to even *attempt* to get into the mind of an African elephant is astonishing. The work itself, however, an epic world of myth, belief, hope, and sacrifice, is what makes it more stunning. And beyond comprehension. In the top five books I've ever read.

1 comment like (3 people liked it)

Mar 31, 2008

Virginia rated it:

I found myself thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it. Definitely not a light book - but very interesting. Written from the perspective of several different elephants. Author does an excellent job of creating a culture and language that is both believable and easy to follow. Very moving content.

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Dec 29, 2009

Trena rated it:

Pros: -extremely creative characters and structure
-Interesting, compelling story

Neutrals: -I'm not sure that anthropomorphism is really the way to go if your goal is animal rights. If people are motivated only to protect the animals that are "like us," that leaves a lot of important species out. But I don't know that was Gowdy's goal.
-Authors who write animals are always obsessed with poop. I know animals pay a lot of attention to their excrement, but do we More...

2 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Cassandra rated it:

One of my favorite books ever. This is one of the few books I've read that never quite made it into popularity, or onto any bestseller lists, but was still a great read. It follows the story of a certain group of elephants in Africa and their way of life and their hardships, of which there are plenty of. The entire book is overall very somber, with moments of being heartbreaking. The ending is almost reminiscent of the ending of "The Handmaid's Tale", at least in my opinion. I tru More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 30, 2012

Anita rated it:

This is a genuinely exceptional novel. Barbara Gowdry has created an emotionally moving masterpiece filled with depth and great imagination.
The novel is based on one of many herds of elephants living on the African plain, struggling with life and death, drought, slaughter, family and the hope of safety and a better life. The novel centres mainly upon Mud a young cow calf living with an adoptive herd following the death of her own mother on the day of her birth. She is introspective, faint More...

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Jan 26, 2011

Melissa rated it:

I read this book when it first came out back in 1998. At that point, I was still in middle school and had seen it featured at our library. Through the years I have often thought back on that book and while I couldn't remember precisely what it was about, I knew it involved elephants and for some reason had captivated me. Not too long ago I remembered the title and knew I had to read it again. After reading again, I can see why I was intrigued by the book, but didn't think it was anything complet More...

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Dec 23, 2007

Audrey rated it:

Amazing book. An adventure, drama, heartbreak, hope, the struggle of the spirit to survive and thrive all told from the perspective of elephants. Don't be put off by that if you are not an animal lover or have a particular affinity for elephants, like I do. They are incredibly amazing, complex, extremely intelligent creatures, but this book is so beautifully written with such a compelling story that anyone who appreciates good literary ficton will enjoy this a great deal.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Mar 13, 2007

Katie rated it:

wonderful tale of hope and mystery written from the perspective of the elephant clan.

the "characters" are well developed, and complex, just like communities found in the human world.

I especially loved the family tree graphic found in the front of the book that allows you to keep all the members straight as the book progresses over several generations.

every time I see an elephant now, I reflect back to this book and wonder what is going on inside thei

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 10, 2008

Heather rated it:

I wonder if anyone else would love this book besides me. I'll admit it's a little strange at times. All the characters are elephants, and we learn all about their hopes, dreams, fears, mistakes, pain, etc. as they search for the elusive white bone. I can't really remember right now what that was for; I know it meant life to them, though. I just think the elephant society, in reality, is pretty cool. Matriarchal, and really moving in the way they relate to one another.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Sep 17, 2008

McKinley rated it:

So far, I love this book. I loved it from page one. I have always been very keen on books that are written from an animal's perspective (I think Watership Down made a huge impression on me at a young age, not to mention Fantastic Mr. Fox :o). Elephants have always struck me as very mysterious and majestic creatures. So This was bound to be a favourite with me. I'll keep reading it, and let you know what I think when I'm done.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Apr 05, 2009

Lara rated it:

This novel is both spare and rich, quick-moving and richly imagined. It is also devastating.

In the tradition of animals-as-protagonists, The White Bone relies the least upon clever and familiar anthropomorphic mannerisms and worlds, relative to other classics of the genre, like the weirdly wonderful Duncton Wood, about moles, or the fantastically creepy Watership Down, (whose portrayal of rabbits left me with a permanent fascination and mild fear of the fluffy creatures). Barbara More...

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Feb 01, 2010

Sherri rated it:

I love elephants. Anything with an elephant on the cover tends to get my attention. That having been said, I usually find the actual stories to be a let down, especially if it is fiction. Not in this case. Rarely have I never been so moved by any book. And please understand, I read a LOT and I am not easily moved by anything. This book though, was a whole different herd of elephants from what I expected, and every time I thought I knew where the story would go, it went somewhere else even More...

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Jan 03, 2008

Brian rated it:

This book was AMAZING! Not only did Gowdy give voices to the elefants she perfectly demonstrated the actions of the elephant species-from birth to mating to what happens when an elephant dies. The names the elephants had were very obvious but original, like the main character's name was She-Spurns because...you know...she spurns. It's a really good book!

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Nov 05, 2007

Carrie rated it:

A fantasy about elephant families where some of them can read minds and some can talk to other animals. It sounds too sci-fi until you start reading it and it just seems like you are meeting some interesting people who happen to be elephants. The author does a great job of including realities like dung-eating and poaching (warning: this book will make you sad).

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Sep 03, 2008

Hope rated it:

A fascinating, tragic book, written in a most unusual voice... that of the elephants. Not an easy book to read, due to the heartbreaking and sadly realistic plot, but very captivating and informative. Like any good novel with complex family connections, the author provides a herd genealogy which provides a great reference.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 29, 2008

Jennifer rated it:

Written from the point of view of the elephants, this book was like nothing I had read before. It is a novel, but the author's knowledge of the subject matter is obvious. I experienced every emotion under the rainbow while reading it -- I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone looking for something a little different, but GOOD.

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 04, 2011

Angela rated it:

I read this book the year it came out, but it left a lingering impression on me. Told from the perspective of anthropomorphic African elephants, this story is rich with the imagined culture, faith, and traditions of a particular set of animals (under the assumption of their being sentient).

It was well written enough that I kept coming back to it in numerous bookstore visits. Gowdy has an elegant style to her work that draws you in and pulls you along with the herd. It seems as thoug More...

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May 14, 2010

Dana rated it:

This story is told from the prospective of a group of elephants. Mud is a young female elephant orphaned at birth but blessed with visionary powers. She and her fellow elephants are forced to remain at a watering hole by drought. There, the herd is ambushed by a group of ivory poachers and decimated. They then set out to find the White Bone which will lead them to the Safe Place, an Eden for elephants.

Although a little difficult to follow at first the reader is quickly brought into t More...

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Jan 28, 2010

Amyss rated it:

I heard this book was good, but I was not prepared by how fantastic it was. I was so caught up in the world of these elephants as the author tells their stories from their point of view. What may sound trite or a labored plot device a la "Watership Down" transcends the comparison and strikes the heart of what every great novel is- relatable characters that you completely invested in, and a story that is so good you are sad to leave when it ends. As the unique fates of each character More...

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Jun 21, 2011

Chris rated it:

I wanted to read this book a long time ago, and recently remembered I had it after watching a special on the secret life of elephants. What an odd book - I liked the elephants personalities, but it was needlessly confusing - why not just give them one name each instead of prefix names with new names after they've had a baby? I had to keep flipping to the family tree at the front right up to the last page. Too depressing by half - wandering around in the desert until -SPOLIER ALERT- they died, or More...

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Nov 25, 2011

E rated it:

I thought this was a superb novel from an incredibly gifted writer, who breaks the mould every time she creates another work.

In TWB, the reader enters the wild elephant's world, a complex matriarchal society with intricate rituals and relationships, extrasensory perceptions and a fully developed cosmology. The predominance of odors - their presence everywhere in the landscape, foreign to humans but so necessary for animals struck me as one of the many wonderful elements of the novel, More...

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Jan 27, 2010

Adam rated it:

I thought this was a cleverly written and cleverly oriented story. The story of life through the imaginative inner eye of elephants. I believe that Gowdy had to due a lot of research and it shows in her understanding of the non-verbal and verbal communication of these animals. A tale of woe and a journey by an undersized and crippled but beautiful dreamer and those who are not so adventurous, but do become so. And an elephant religion!? So great! The anthropomorphic statements about life and th More...

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Nov 29, 2011

Nancy rated it:

I found this book interesting because the subject matter - elephants - was something I knew little about. It was interesting as well that the novel was told from the elephant's perspective - in their voice. But I became distracted and annoyed actually reading the elephant speech - vocabulary - trying to remember what words meant that would never be useful to me again.

The search for the white bone - a safe place - was a strong theme with many meanings, especially pointing to the risk More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Lia rated it:

I shouldn't have been surprised at how much I liked this. I've enjoyed everything else I've read by Gowdy. But I'm not one to pick up an "animal story", and the numerous pullquotes from reviews put me off somewhat. You know: poignant, important, powerful story of animal suffering. Please.

Barbara Gowdy's skill as a novelist is probably the main reason for my appreciation of this work, but her approach, while not unique, also contributes. Rather than using extensive anthropom More...

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May 25, 2009

Stephanie rated it:

I'm already very sympathetic to elephant causes. I'm aware of their relative intelligence and charmed by their advanced social and familial structures in the wild. That's why I really wanted to love this book. Sadly, that just didn't happen. Now bear with me as I explain why.

I can certainly see that Barbara Gowdy is a gifted and inventive writer. This was the first book of hers that I read and I don't believe it will be the last. She gets bonus points for the sheer bravery re More...

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Jul 29, 2011

Robin rated it:

I ended up not really enjoying this one. There were things I liked about it- the perspective was kind of fun. Seeing things from the elephants' points of view was an interesting change. Their mythology, their creation story, their after-life were all enjoyable. It was also fascinating to learn a bit about their family units and the hierarchy that goes along with them. What ruined the book for me though was the constant obsession with poop and sex. Granted, it's animal sex, so it's different- les More...

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Aug 31, 2011

Claudia rated it:

I do seem to have a "thing" for elephants,and this book was just the ticket.It follows a herd of African elephants on a thrilling journey through the grasses swamps and deserts of sub-Saharan Africa.Add to that,drought,and dead mutilated bodies of their families,shot by ivory hunters. The journey is told by MUD,and a host of other elephants,and if you did not have a list by the author,of all the elephants and the families,you would be lost. I just loved this unforgettable story,I will More...

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May 20, 2010

Kalen rated it:

The following is not a review. It’s only notes for personal reference

This book was lent to me and recommended to me by Karen Barber a co-worker from Ross, Pope.
I enjoyed this book because I felt like I learned how to see the world from the perspective of an Elephant.
I liked how each elephant had unique abilities
Animal fiction is one of my favourite genres

Finished in winter 2010

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Jun 07, 2011

Vicki rated it:

I couldn't put this book down. Gowdy's powerful writing nimbly transports us into the heart of this creature's world, allowing that sense of dependence and threat of danger. I was saddened with the book's ending and was left wondering whether she meant to correlate this endangered beauty's plight with that of our own. A heart rendering, thought provoking book.

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