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Blind Your Ponies
In the tradition of such films as Hoosiers, Breaking Away, and Rocky, here is an inspiring story about the rundown town of Willow Creek, Montana, and the handful of people who live there with a sense of fateful resignation. One of them, high school English teacher Sam Pickett, is the coach of the school's basketball team, which has an abysmal record of zero wins and ninety...more
ebook, 400 pages
Published
January 18th 2011
by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
(first published January 10th 2001)
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For a story that moves along relatively slowly much of the time, "Blind Your Ponies" really pulled me into the lives of the people of Willow Creek, MT. I found myself crying at the end.
Two underlying themes stood out: first, everyone has demons/burdens to deal with that few others are aware of; second, everyone is desperate to believe that there is hope for something better and that he/she is important and can make a difference in this life. I believe I will look differently at the people aroun...more
Two underlying themes stood out: first, everyone has demons/burdens to deal with that few others are aware of; second, everyone is desperate to believe that there is hope for something better and that he/she is important and can make a difference in this life. I believe I will look differently at the people aroun...more
May 03, 2012
Pat
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Outside of basketball freaks, very few people ...
Wow, so none of the other reviewers noticed how appallingly badly writtten this book is? No one noticed the flat-out mispellings and at least six homonym errors? No one else was off-put by his laughable similes and purple prose? No one else smirked at how cardboard and overly melodramatic the characters are? No one else thought, "Jeez, this book is about 100 pages too long!"?
That said, I have to admit that, like everyone else, I WAS kinda drawn into the sappy plot--even though I was tempted to j...more
That said, I have to admit that, like everyone else, I WAS kinda drawn into the sappy plot--even though I was tempted to j...more
3 likes · like · see review
view all 6 comments
I don't remember how I heard about this book, but I suspect if it hadn't been Kindle-lending enabled, I probably wouldn't have read it. I'm glad I did; this is a solid novel that at times you'll struggle to characterize as a sports novel, a romance, a character study of the American West. Well, I skimmed through some of the sports writing, and I found some of the romance overwrought, but the characters were compelling enough to keep me reading. Although everything ends predictably neat and tidy,...more
3 likes · like · see review
Jul 07, 2011
Nancygoodman
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in Montana or basketball.
Recommended to Nancygoodman by:
Robyn Arguellas
I was particularly interested in reading this story because my grandsons play basketball in Ennis, Montana and compete against a team that is now Harrison/Willow Creek who are still 20 years afer the time of this amazing story, a very aggressive and competitive team and awesome opponent. I wanted to see what drives these six boys to succeed.
Stanley West did a beautiful job of developing the character of each of the basketball players and the coach, but went much further to develop the character...more
Stanley West did a beautiful job of developing the character of each of the basketball players and the coach, but went much further to develop the character...more
The only possible criticism is some might consider this book a bit sappy, but it felt good to me even if it was. I loved everything about the book. The plot revolves around a high school basketball team from a remote town in Montana. They are winless in 93 games and the town is as depressed as the players are. But changes occur that significantly impact the team, the town folk and the main character, their coach who has suffered a staggering loss earlier in his life and has continued to exist mo...more
1 like · like · see review
I loved this book. It is a Hoosier basketball type story which I thought I wouldn't really "get into" but after reading the critiques from 2 of my friends, I relented. It is about a scruffy little team from Montana that hadn't won a game in years. The relationships between the coach, the players and the town's people were heart warming. I really thought the characters were very well defined and I found myself caring about them...all of them, which I usually don't do. It was a book that I didn't...more
This is one of the best books I have read in ten years. It is set in Willow Creek, Montana, which is a real place, but the rest of the story is fiction.
The book opens violently. Read past that part. It continues to be slow for the first 100 pages due to the fact that there is a long exposition to introduce all of the characters and give the background of the social situation and dynamics of the characters in Willow Creek.
The plot line follows the year of an improbable basketball season with im...more
The book opens violently. Read past that part. It continues to be slow for the first 100 pages due to the fact that there is a long exposition to introduce all of the characters and give the background of the social situation and dynamics of the characters in Willow Creek.
The plot line follows the year of an improbable basketball season with im...more
I asked for suggestions for a book to read at a time when I was feeling out of sorts and having trouble getting into anything. Many books were put forth, several of which had been on my "to read" list for quite a while. None of those called to me, and instead I picked up this new-to-me title. It turned out to be a very good choice.
Blind Your Ponies is a tale of a small town. Almost everyone there has a big story. The adults are almost all there as a reaction to their past. These stories have an...more
Blind Your Ponies is a tale of a small town. Almost everyone there has a big story. The adults are almost all there as a reaction to their past. These stories have an...more
I really liked this book. It's not perfect, so only four stars, but the author is very good at making you care about the characters from the very beginning. It's a heartwarming story (about a high school basketball team from a town that can barely find five boys to play on the squad) that emphasizes making an effort when odds are stacked against you.
So, the negatives... to many typos, though not as egregious as many books. But the title page says, big and bold, "BLIND YOUR POINES". Really? Come...more
So, the negatives... to many typos, though not as egregious as many books. But the title page says, big and bold, "BLIND YOUR POINES". Really? Come...more
This book was a huge surprise to me. It was recommended by an aquaintance and I started it knowing nothing about the story. I LOVED IT!! It takes place in a small Montana town that is practically a ghost town. There are only a handful of people still living there and those that are left have either given up hope in life or are hiding emotionally from the outside world. When basketball season comes around, their small team brings hope and life back to the town. I never thought a book that on the...more
My book club chose this book and this was one of those books I would have probably never picked up otherwise. It actually was pretty good, but VERY long. And if you're not a basketball fan then you would never make it through it. The story focuses on the tiny town of Willow Creek, Montana. Sam Pickett is an English teacher and boys basketball coach, but with such a small school they barely have enough players each year and have NEVER won a game. But, this year will be different with the addition...more
My take: This one was a sleeper. Never saw it coming.
I was surprised this book was about a small town basketball team. Only it's really not. That's only the cover story. It's kind of like Hoosiers. Only it's not. It's really about heartbreak and heartache, pride and redemption, regret, humor, and most of all relationships and hope.
The characters and the town are completely believable and realistic. If you don't believe there's a school small enough to barely scare up a basketball team, you've n...more
I was surprised this book was about a small town basketball team. Only it's really not. That's only the cover story. It's kind of like Hoosiers. Only it's not. It's really about heartbreak and heartache, pride and redemption, regret, humor, and most of all relationships and hope.
The characters and the town are completely believable and realistic. If you don't believe there's a school small enough to barely scare up a basketball team, you've n...more
If you have ever wanted a picture into life in southwestern Montana, this book captures our diverse county pretty accurately. It follows one rural high school's basketball team to the state finals. As a community, we are reading this book as we get ready to have our own Class C high school open next year. Five member basketball teams. Eight person football. The rules are different but everyone gets to play.
This was a great story, if not a great book. The story of a community of people drawn together around an improbably high school basketball team, the book soars in its depiction of people, beaten down by life, who grudgingly embrace hope. The story itself is not dissimilar to any underdog-miraculously-wins sports story. The strength of the book is in the characters, their relationships and their search for hope. The weaknesses of the book lie in the language which uses an exceptional number of sp...more
I am currently reading this. I teach in a small (very) Montana town and was once offered a job in Willow Creek. Having been there, done that, I can appreciate the book. Some of the characters are a little cliche, but I think/hope that is intentional (like in Glee). There is a lot of basketball in the book because the book about a basketball team (among other subjects). This is a story of starting over and leaving history behind. This theme is present in nearly every character--Grandma, Peter, Sa...more
Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it. It's a poignant story of overcoming the pain of the past, lifting oneself out of the doldrums to find hope and then pursuing a dream relentlessly. At first it seems like there are a lot of details about minor characters, but I came to realize this is also the story of a small town and that each of them are essential. It really makes you yearn to be a part of a community that bonds and rallies for the underdog.
The scenes of the individual basketb...more
The scenes of the individual basketb...more
3 1/2 stars. It would geta 4 if not for the drawn out nature of the main storyline. Quite a bit could be taken out to condense it and still be able to keep the integrity.
I chose this book initially to branch out from my norm. I am glad I did. I have never read a book about a team before. I enjoyed this one.
The cast of characters is varied and completely lovable. I laughed and cried right along with them. I found myself glued to the edge of my seat as though I were on a bench in the stands.
This...more
I chose this book initially to branch out from my norm. I am glad I did. I have never read a book about a team before. I enjoyed this one.
The cast of characters is varied and completely lovable. I laughed and cried right along with them. I found myself glued to the edge of my seat as though I were on a bench in the stands.
This...more
This is a great book for the sports-minded individual, especially for the male population. The title is based on an old Indian legend about braves returning to the village and finding the whole village dead from a plague. The braves, not wanting to live, tied a clothe over their ponies eyes to blind them and then rode them over a cliff. The story is set in the winter in Montana in a very small high school. The basketball team has lost over 90 games, and yet they continue to play. Two new players...more
This review has spoilers....
Mixed feelings about this book....I live in Montana, I know all the places and towns that were discussed, our Class "C" high school teams have had alot of stories/documentaries written about them and it was one of those Cinderella stories with good character development. It was long and there was alot of detailed basketballs game to read about...that was mostly ok, they were mixed up by blow by blow action and radio blow by blow action. The characters were well develo...more
Mixed feelings about this book....I live in Montana, I know all the places and towns that were discussed, our Class "C" high school teams have had alot of stories/documentaries written about them and it was one of those Cinderella stories with good character development. It was long and there was alot of detailed basketballs game to read about...that was mostly ok, they were mixed up by blow by blow action and radio blow by blow action. The characters were well develo...more
This was a feel-good, root-for-the-underdog kind of book. Reminscent of the movie "Hoosiers", it follows a (VERY) small Montana high school attempting to keep its basketball program alive.
Alas, it's often predictable and was drawn out much longer than it needed to be. While I wouldn't call the writing stellar, and the reader (in the audio edition) was somewhat annoying at times (most often when trying to simulate Dean's freshman, squeaky voice), the characters were memorable & I found mysel...more
Alas, it's often predictable and was drawn out much longer than it needed to be. While I wouldn't call the writing stellar, and the reader (in the audio edition) was somewhat annoying at times (most often when trying to simulate Dean's freshman, squeaky voice), the characters were memorable & I found mysel...more
Montana will always have a special place in my heart and this novel now does as well. Based around the happenings of a small town in Montana, this novel brings to life the unique community and relationships between individuals that can only be found in a one-horse-town. The story revolves around a young teacher who coaches the school's boys basketball team...a noble endeavor since the team has not had a winning season in decades. Through the course of the season, you are given and amazing insigh...more
This would be 3.5 stars.
Think "Hoosiers" set in Montana. The (fictional) story is about the high school basketball team (zero wins, ninety-three losses)and one amazing season. I love a good underdog story and this tells the story of the basketball team as well as the residents in the small town of Willow Creek. The coach uses many references to the Man of La Mancha to help inspire his team.
The title comes from an Indian legend. "Members of the Crow tribe were camped along the Yellowstone River...more
Think "Hoosiers" set in Montana. The (fictional) story is about the high school basketball team (zero wins, ninety-three losses)and one amazing season. I love a good underdog story and this tells the story of the basketball team as well as the residents in the small town of Willow Creek. The coach uses many references to the Man of La Mancha to help inspire his team.
The title comes from an Indian legend. "Members of the Crow tribe were camped along the Yellowstone River...more
If I could have given this book ten stars I would have. It was so inspiring that although I was reading it for my book discussion group and got a copy from our book kit I decided to order my own. It will undoubtly be the book I am recommending to people this year.
It is a story of redemption, courage, faith, hope and love. It will have you on the edge of the chairs cheering for the broncs a six man basketball team from Willow Creek, Montana. A town that was fast fading into the dust fated to bec...more
It is a story of redemption, courage, faith, hope and love. It will have you on the edge of the chairs cheering for the broncs a six man basketball team from Willow Creek, Montana. A town that was fast fading into the dust fated to bec...more
While this is not a book I normally would have picked up, I really enjoyed this story to the point where I had several laugh-out-loud moments and shed more than a few tears.
Taken from back of the book:
Sam Pickett never expected to settle in this dried-up shell of a town on the western edge of the world. He's come here to hide from the violence and madness that have shattered his life, but what he finds is what he least expects. There's a spirit that endures in Willow Creek, Montana. It seems th...more
Taken from back of the book:
Sam Pickett never expected to settle in this dried-up shell of a town on the western edge of the world. He's come here to hide from the violence and madness that have shattered his life, but what he finds is what he least expects. There's a spirit that endures in Willow Creek, Montana. It seems th...more
An inspirational read. Some flaws with the characters -- Diana in particular seemed badly drawn. And the plot goes a little overboard in making sure that the team has to come up against ALL odds. Seemed a little unrealistic that they really could prevail against as many obstacles as are thrown against them by the end. But overall an enjoyable read. For all of its flaws, the interaction of the boys and the scenes with Grandma and her profane parrot seemed very natural and downright inspiring in a...more
Based on a true story. If you are froma small town, you will definitely relate to this book. You really get to know the characters and feel like they are sitting in the room with you as you are reading.
2 likes · like · see review
Was this the greatest piece of fiction I have ever read? No. Was this an above average story with engaging characters who pulled you into the story line? Yes. Was it a tad melodramatic and sappy in pieces? Yes, although I'm sure anyone who has participated in a competetive team sport will agree that that the decision to write first person in about team sport tends to lead to a bit of melodrama.
That said, the author successfully pulled me into the characters story line and I held my breathe duri...more
That said, the author successfully pulled me into the characters story line and I held my breathe duri...more
This wonderful book with its interesting and lovable characters worked it way into my heart and had my crying and cheering at the end. Along the lines of Hoosiers and Remember the Titans, this book told the story of a small town school basketball team on a 98 game losing streak that comes alive one magical season (not without pitfalls) to become a thing of beauty.
The author's story is what made me pick it up for the basement bargain price of $2.51 on Amazon.com. Stanley West wrote and self publ...more
The author's story is what made me pick it up for the basement bargain price of $2.51 on Amazon.com. Stanley West wrote and self publ...more
Jul 21, 2008
Lisa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Lisa by:
Book Club
This has to be one of my all time favorite books. West certainly can create a real person with his descriptions and you come to love each charter as a friend or family member. Outstanding book!!
1 like · like · see review
This was the first time for me to read a book by Stanley Gordon West; this book was a recommended read from one of my sisters. It's a complicated yet simple story, almost like a fairytale: an underdog basketball team from a small village in Montana wins the state tournament.
But, stop right there: the book isn't all about the art of basketball or high school sports. It's more about human nature, the struggles that people go through in their lives all the time, the pain, etc. West weaves together...more
But, stop right there: the book isn't all about the art of basketball or high school sports. It's more about human nature, the struggles that people go through in their lives all the time, the pain, etc. West weaves together...more
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Stanley Gordon West was born in 1932 and attended St. Paul Central High School in Minnesota. He lived in Bozeman, Montana for several years, and now resides in Shakopee, MN. All of his novels are popular book club selections: Blind Your Ponies, two other novels set in the same time and place as Until They Bring the Streetcars Back - Finding Laura Buggs and Growing an Inch - and his most recent, Sw...more
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