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Animal Magnetism: My Life with Creatures Great and Small
Rita Mae Brown’s earliest memory is of the soothing purr of Mickey, her family’s long-haired tiger cat, who curled up and claimed a spot in her crib. From there, a steady parade of cats, dogs, horses, and all manner of two- and four-legged critters have walked, galloped, and flown into and through her world. In Animal Magnetism , the bestselling author shares the lessons she’s learned from these marvelous creatures as well as her deep appreciation for them.
Brown readily admits that she prefers the company of animals to people, a trait handed down from her mother. After all, Brown explains, “There’s no such thing as a dumb dog, but God knows there are continents filled with dumb humans.” In fact, by observing the dogs on her farm, the horses in her stables, and the cats that have helped her flesh out her many novels, Brown has gained better insight into herself and other human beings–one need only look at a chicken coop, she once realized, to see its striking similarity to her mother’s clucking and preening group of friends.
In hilarious and heartwarming stories, Brown introduces us to Franklin, a parrot with a wicked sense of humor; R.C., a courageous Doberman who defined loyalty and sacrifice; Suzie Q, the horse who taught her the meaning of hard work; Baby Jesus, a tough tiger cat from New York City with sharp teeth to match his attitude; and of course the beloved and prolific Sneaky Pie, who needs no introduction to her legions of fans. In her succinct and personable style, Brown also revisits the very human parts of her life–growing up in the segregated South, dealing with the pain and the loss of those dearest to her, and coming into her own as an adult and as a writer.
Every recollection here reveals nature’s delight and wonder–and offers solid evidence of the ability of animals to love. As funny as it is poignant, Animal Magnetism shows how these inspiring creatures, great and small, can bring out the best in us, restore us to our greater selves, and even save our lives.
Brown readily admits that she prefers the company of animals to people, a trait handed down from her mother. After all, Brown explains, “There’s no such thing as a dumb dog, but God knows there are continents filled with dumb humans.” In fact, by observing the dogs on her farm, the horses in her stables, and the cats that have helped her flesh out her many novels, Brown has gained better insight into herself and other human beings–one need only look at a chicken coop, she once realized, to see its striking similarity to her mother’s clucking and preening group of friends.
In hilarious and heartwarming stories, Brown introduces us to Franklin, a parrot with a wicked sense of humor; R.C., a courageous Doberman who defined loyalty and sacrifice; Suzie Q, the horse who taught her the meaning of hard work; Baby Jesus, a tough tiger cat from New York City with sharp teeth to match his attitude; and of course the beloved and prolific Sneaky Pie, who needs no introduction to her legions of fans. In her succinct and personable style, Brown also revisits the very human parts of her life–growing up in the segregated South, dealing with the pain and the loss of those dearest to her, and coming into her own as an adult and as a writer.
Every recollection here reveals nature’s delight and wonder–and offers solid evidence of the ability of animals to love. As funny as it is poignant, Animal Magnetism shows how these inspiring creatures, great and small, can bring out the best in us, restore us to our greater selves, and even save our lives.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
24 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Rita Mae Brown
178 books2,202 followersRita Mae Brown is a prolific American writer, most known for her mysteries and other novels (Rubyfruit Jungle). She is also an Emmy-nominated screenwriter.
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
Brown was born illegitimate in Hanover, Pennsylvania. She was raised by her biological mother's female cousin and the cousin's husband in York, Pennsylvania and later in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting in the fall of 1962, Brown attended the University of Florida at Gainesville on a scholarship. In the spring of 1964, the administrators of the racially segregated university expelled her for participating in the civil rights movement. She subsequently enrolled at Broward Community College[3] with the hope of transferring eventually to a more tolerant four-year institution.
Between fall 1964 and 1969, she lived in New York City, sometimes homeless, while attending New York University[6] where she received a degree in Classics and English. Later,[when?] she received another degree in cinematography from the New York School of Visual Arts.[citation needed] Brown received a Ph.D. in literature from Union Institute & University in 1976 and holds a doctorate in political science from the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C.
Starting in 1973, Brown lived in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles. In 1977, she bought a farm in Charlottesville, Virginia where she still lives.[9] In 1982, a screenplay Brown wrote while living in Los Angeles, Sleepless Nights, was retitled The Slumber Party Massacre and given a limited release theatrically.
During Brown's spring 1964 semester at the University of Florida at Gainesville, she became active in the American Civil Rights Movement. Later in the 1960s, she participated in the anti-war movement, the feminist movement and the Gay Liberation movement.
Brown took an administrative position with the fledgling National Organization for Women, but resigned in January 1970 over Betty Friedan's anti-gay remarks and NOW's attempts to distance itself from lesbian organizations. She claims she played a leading role in the "Lavender Menace" zap of the Second Congress to Unite Women on May 1, 1970, which protested Friedan's remarks and the exclusion of lesbians from the women's movement.
In the early 1970s, she became a founding member of The Furies Collective, a lesbian feminist newspaper collective in Washington, DC, which held that heterosexuality was the root of all oppression.
Brown told Time magazine in 2008, "I don't believe in straight or gay. I really don't. I think we're all degrees of bisexual. There may be a few people on the extreme if it's a bell curve who really truly are gay or really truly are straight. Because nobody had ever said these things and used their real name, I suddenly became [in the late 1970s] the only lesbian in America."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
August 1, 2012
I was actually quite excited about this book when it came out, but was terribly disappointed by its content. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a book about the animals Rita Mae Brown created special bonds with throughout her life, because Animal Magnetism actually provides a lot more detail about the sport of fox-hunting than it does anything else.
The book automatically lost a star due to the amount of breeding that goes on throughout the book. Spay and neuter your pets, Rita Mae Brown! The author claims throughout the book to want the best for her animals, yet she seems to be a very careless owner who lets her "pets" be killed like - all the time. Don't worry though, you never get to know an animal well enough to feel sad about its death. A tearjerker this book is not.
The majority of stars were lost due to the fact that Brown doesn't stay on one pet's story long enough for you to form any sort of connection with the animal or understand her relationship with it at all. The book just doesn't flow. The pictures provided in the book don't even correlate with the chapters in which they were placed! While you are reading about a "beloved" cat, you would be seeing a picture of a heard of beagles. This only contributed to the confusion, and made the book more annoying.
If you want to read a Rita Mae Brown book, you should pick up Rubyfruit Jungle. If you want a good heartwarming book about pets, or a good book in general, pick up anything else.
The book automatically lost a star due to the amount of breeding that goes on throughout the book. Spay and neuter your pets, Rita Mae Brown! The author claims throughout the book to want the best for her animals, yet she seems to be a very careless owner who lets her "pets" be killed like - all the time. Don't worry though, you never get to know an animal well enough to feel sad about its death. A tearjerker this book is not.
The majority of stars were lost due to the fact that Brown doesn't stay on one pet's story long enough for you to form any sort of connection with the animal or understand her relationship with it at all. The book just doesn't flow. The pictures provided in the book don't even correlate with the chapters in which they were placed! While you are reading about a "beloved" cat, you would be seeing a picture of a heard of beagles. This only contributed to the confusion, and made the book more annoying.
If you want to read a Rita Mae Brown book, you should pick up Rubyfruit Jungle. If you want a good heartwarming book about pets, or a good book in general, pick up anything else.
July 30, 2012
Honestly, this might be the worst book I've ever read. It's so unfocused and feels like a rough draft or someone's journal. Rita Mae Brown attempts to bore her reader's to death by going into such extreme detail about anything and everything you don't care about. As an animal lover myself, I was disappointed in how little of the book is about her pets or her connection to them. Instead the book spends way too much time describing fox hunting and how she is kind of a shitty pet owner in general. There are a few good stories and points made but it's lost in the jumble of disconnected thoughts. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone ever.
March 6, 2024
A very happy and fun book! I love all the stories of her animals, you can’t help but smile and giggle most of the time you’re reading it!
July 13, 2021
This is basically a series of essays with Ms. Brown standing on her front porch shouting "get off my lawn!"
I really enjoy all of her animal stories and she has a real knack for dialogue. The story of the fox hunt that trashed her garden was particularly amusing. There is quite a bit of anthropomorphizing though, and it's all fun and games until you hold a grudge against a fox for hiding under a highway culvert (leading the hounds too close to danger) and accusing it of having a "murderous heart." I guess she can't call those hounds back so well after all.
Her constant ranting about the government and taxes was distracting and annoying, and definitely had nothing to do with animal magnetism. She literally complained that rich people weren't able to afford servants anymore, because of payroll taxes and minimum wage laws (boohoo.) Making statements about NY state's rural population (14%) funding the cities was downright hilarious. OK, boomer.
My final beef is the trope common with foxhunters about "these damn city slickers are SO dumb." She kept harping about city people and how they don't know anything and I'm a little confused about how she would like to solve this problem because I'm pretty sure she doesn't want all the city people to move in next door to her. Dear country folks, people living in cities is actually good for your country ways. Embrace it.
That said, I do enjoy RMB's books and will continue to read her cozy mysteries and novels. (I'm late to the game here.) I love animals and her observations are keen. I love to observe animals as well and wish I had more time to do so.
I really enjoy all of her animal stories and she has a real knack for dialogue. The story of the fox hunt that trashed her garden was particularly amusing. There is quite a bit of anthropomorphizing though, and it's all fun and games until you hold a grudge against a fox for hiding under a highway culvert (leading the hounds too close to danger) and accusing it of having a "murderous heart." I guess she can't call those hounds back so well after all.
Her constant ranting about the government and taxes was distracting and annoying, and definitely had nothing to do with animal magnetism. She literally complained that rich people weren't able to afford servants anymore, because of payroll taxes and minimum wage laws (boohoo.) Making statements about NY state's rural population (14%) funding the cities was downright hilarious. OK, boomer.
My final beef is the trope common with foxhunters about "these damn city slickers are SO dumb." She kept harping about city people and how they don't know anything and I'm a little confused about how she would like to solve this problem because I'm pretty sure she doesn't want all the city people to move in next door to her. Dear country folks, people living in cities is actually good for your country ways. Embrace it.
That said, I do enjoy RMB's books and will continue to read her cozy mysteries and novels. (I'm late to the game here.) I love animals and her observations are keen. I love to observe animals as well and wish I had more time to do so.
May 4, 2020
I like dogs. By the way, PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE CHILDREN IF THEY EXPECT MY TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THEM.
I like horses. Also, why aren't we kissing the asses of rich people all day, every day? Do the poors create jobs? NO! Only rich people.
Animal cruelty is bad, but not as bad as reporting animal cruelty because the animal crueltor might retaliate against you for reporting. I'll bet it never occurred to people in cities that people who do bad things might retaliate against anyone who reports them to the authorities! Ha! Silly city people!
Birds.
I like horses. Also, why aren't we kissing the asses of rich people all day, every day? Do the poors create jobs? NO! Only rich people.
Animal cruelty is bad, but not as bad as reporting animal cruelty because the animal crueltor might retaliate against you for reporting. I'll bet it never occurred to people in cities that people who do bad things might retaliate against anyone who reports them to the authorities! Ha! Silly city people!
Birds.
June 8, 2021
This isn't the best book, it's nowhere near the worst. It's a collection of essays about animals the author has known; just what the front and back covers, and certainly, the table of contents, says it is.
For this reason, I am perplexed by other reviews which call it "disjointed" or "random." That's pretty much what one expects from a collection of essays. Several reviews sounded as if the readers expected a novel of some sort, or a book only about Sneaky Pie. I'm completely mystified by reviews which said she was cruel to her animals. I really can't even guess at that one. She accidentally hit one of her beloved dogs with her truck, but she recounts her guilt and grief over it.
I enjoyed many of the stories she shared here. It's a little preachy for me (Rita Will was, too, but I enjoyed it). It was way too heavy on the fox hunting detail, and the book, overall, ran a bit too long for me. But I'm glad I read it. I would recommend it to any other animal lover, but I would be honest about what I, personally, found to be shortcomings, and let them decide.
For this reason, I am perplexed by other reviews which call it "disjointed" or "random." That's pretty much what one expects from a collection of essays. Several reviews sounded as if the readers expected a novel of some sort, or a book only about Sneaky Pie. I'm completely mystified by reviews which said she was cruel to her animals. I really can't even guess at that one. She accidentally hit one of her beloved dogs with her truck, but she recounts her guilt and grief over it.
I enjoyed many of the stories she shared here. It's a little preachy for me (Rita Will was, too, but I enjoyed it). It was way too heavy on the fox hunting detail, and the book, overall, ran a bit too long for me. But I'm glad I read it. I would recommend it to any other animal lover, but I would be honest about what I, personally, found to be shortcomings, and let them decide.
May 6, 2018
I enjoyed this one for the most part. It wasn't quite the book I wanted it to be but it wasn't my story to tell. Being from the country, myself, much of what she relates is struck home for me. I also enjoyed the insight into Brown's animal loving nature. I knew she loved animals as they are so prominent in her writing but she is hardcore.
June 27, 2022
This memoir is abundant with furry creatures the author has known since birth including one Persian/Angora tiger cat named Mickey that slept in her crib. This author of many books tells her story through the cats, dogs, horses and other animals who have shared her life. Especially interesting is her involvement in Virginia with foxhounds and related clubs. Amazing life.
December 30, 2009
An enjoyable look at some of the animals that have shaped author Rita Mae Brown into the person she is with fascinating glimpses at the humans and animals that have served as the background for her enjoyable mystery series. Filled with Brown's acerbic and pithy observations of humans, politics and society, this book gives one a heartwarming insight into the invaluable role animals play in our daily lives. Thankfully, the author has a deft ability to paint word pictures that are immediately understandable and relevant, even to a person who has never ridden a horse or participated in that time-honored practice of foxhunting. A wonderful read.
January 18, 2010
This book brought me to tears and then had me laughing in the next instance. I feel so at home with Ms. Brown in all of her books. Here I got to look in all of her cupboards and closets and really understand the woman. I loved what I found. She is like a long-lost sister who understands how I feel about animals and what our relationship should be with them. Read this book to if you want an insight into how she is inspired to write her fiction. I believe she writes what she knows.
January 8, 2012
Ms Brown did a very great job with this book. I learned more about myself and my animals from this book. Things that had never come to mind. I appreciate this book and am glad I choose to read it. I won't go into any detail as I'm afraid of giving too much away and spoiling this book for other readers. I highly recommend this book.
September 10, 2010
Interesting to see how increasingly opinionated this author becomes as she ages. Curmudgeon comes to mind. Her love for animals and her support of rescue efforts is more than admirable.
May 1, 2019
I've been reading Rita Mae Brown's Mrs. Murphy series and thoroughly enjoying it, and so when I saw that she had a memoir about the animals she's lived with, I was excited to read it. This was a sweet, enjoyable book with stories that reminded me of my own life with animals, and I really loved seeing the inspirations for several of her fictional characters. I love her philosophies as well, especially relating to how we as humans are tasked with taking care of the animals who cannot speak for themselves. I began volunteering for a no-kill cat rescue two years ago, and that has changed my life in such a positive way that I can't imagine being away from it.
These stories are heartwarming, entertaining, sad, and inspirational. Brown tells us all about the personalities, quirks, likes, dislikes, and temperaments of the animals she grew up with as a child, and the animals she rescued as an adult. Each of the animals is a character with a rich history, and I grew to love each and every one of them in the stories she shares. She relates the various lessons and values she's learned from each of the animals, from the sassy attitudes of birds, the regal sauntering of cats, the undying devotion of dogs, and the unspoken trust of horses. Many of these stories relate to foxhunting, a sport about which I knew absolutely nothing before I began reading Brown's Mrs. Murphy series, and I enjoy learning about the nuances and details in the sport. A particularly endearing section of the book details the differences between the Catholic gray foxes and the Episcopal red foxes in her run, and how the Catholic vixen loves fine jewelry and other shiny gifts. It must be wonderful to live in an area where you can see such beautiful creatures and watch them raise their babies and then watch those babies have their own babies.
This is a quick read that goes along wonderfully with Brown's fictional titles, so anyone who enjoys her work would likely enjoy this book. Her lessons learned from the animals in her life are ones that just about everyone can appreciate, and I'm happy she shared them with us.
These stories are heartwarming, entertaining, sad, and inspirational. Brown tells us all about the personalities, quirks, likes, dislikes, and temperaments of the animals she grew up with as a child, and the animals she rescued as an adult. Each of the animals is a character with a rich history, and I grew to love each and every one of them in the stories she shares. She relates the various lessons and values she's learned from each of the animals, from the sassy attitudes of birds, the regal sauntering of cats, the undying devotion of dogs, and the unspoken trust of horses. Many of these stories relate to foxhunting, a sport about which I knew absolutely nothing before I began reading Brown's Mrs. Murphy series, and I enjoy learning about the nuances and details in the sport. A particularly endearing section of the book details the differences between the Catholic gray foxes and the Episcopal red foxes in her run, and how the Catholic vixen loves fine jewelry and other shiny gifts. It must be wonderful to live in an area where you can see such beautiful creatures and watch them raise their babies and then watch those babies have their own babies.
This is a quick read that goes along wonderfully with Brown's fictional titles, so anyone who enjoys her work would likely enjoy this book. Her lessons learned from the animals in her life are ones that just about everyone can appreciate, and I'm happy she shared them with us.
May 20, 2025
A lot of this book is only peripherally about animals and is instead full of the author's crotchety political and social ranting. She bemoans the decline of the servant class and the establishment of minimum wage laws. She blames legislation against horse slaughter in the U.S. for an increase in horse neglect and abuse but then immediately turns around and castigates the Japanese for presumably sending Ferdinand to slaughter. I could have lived without the anecdotes about her dog getting ripped to pieces by coyotes or her backing into her own dog with her truck. And she defends the practice of foxhunting by reassuring readers that in the U.S. they only kill sick and old foxes and that the foxes actually really enjoy being chased by a pack of baying hounds.
June 30, 2023
I managed to get about halfway through this book. From the title, I assumed this was a memoir focused on animal stories; a reasonable assumption, wouldn't you say? Yes, there are anecdotes about animals, and information that was interesting and new to me. What grew tiresome were the frequent rich-white-Republican rants about how taxes and government are oppressing society, and especially the author. Poor thing! Life is so much harder since government policies, created by ignorant city slickers, destroyed the "servant class," and now people "have to do everything themselves." That entitled nonsense wasn't what I signed up for when I borrowed the book. Back to the library it goes.
November 5, 2023
i first read this book when i was young, probably about 11 or 12? now, i’m 24. i believe that back then, this definitely influenced some of my beliefs, now, reading this as an adult, some of it is like, okay, some of your ramblings should have been cut out. the stories and lessons learned from animals is what she should’ve stuck to. those i did enjoy reading.
May 28, 2018
Book was OK. A few pleasant animal anecdotes, but nothing insightful or novel or particularly entertaining. Seemed like the main purpose was to mention as many of the author's friends as possible. More like an extended "acknowledgements" section than a book.
October 9, 2019
Couldn’t finish it. Too many author opinions in it instead of giving readers a clear picture of her life with animals. I don’t know if I could classify it as a memoir because it seemed like I was reading a bunch of persuasive essays? A few things made me laugh.
December 11, 2019
while Rita Mae Brown's perspective on life with animals doesn't always mirror my own approach or philosophy i greatly appreciated this book, and there were some lovely stories and powerful quotes. the book is also an unintentional interesting look at gender and class and race and region
December 26, 2016
Very touching in spots from a writer who does know animals. It's a useful insight to hillbilly mentality beyond traditional representations of economically depressed sectors.
September 22, 2017
2.5 rounding up to 3
October 29, 2018
Enjoyed this memoir by an animal lover. More on Bookwinked at https://wp.me/p10jBT-1hK
October 3, 2016
walp, think I found a new hero.
December 27, 2019
#poppyreads2018
August 4, 2013
I did not finish this book. Ms Brown's "Sneaky Pie" series was my first real encounter with modern formula fiction, which took root in the 80s and is now taking over many branches of the book market, rather like kudzu. I enjoyed her first few books, but once the parameters of Crozet were in place, they all became a bit samey. Mind you, the samey can be said of much "popular" fictional output today. The novel series has taken over from the serial novel of the 19th century...leaving the reader with the impression of having re-read the same book over and over. I've been told people like what's familiar.
But I digress, as does this book. I enjoyed the first, truly autobiographical section, but the second half quickly degenerates into self-adulation on the part of the writer: her "special bond" with animals (which doesn't extend to responsible ownership such as neutering or only owning the number of animals she can feed at a time when she knows she has no money), her love of foxhunting and breeding hounds, her political and philosophical opinions, each presented as the final word on the subject. I finally closed the ebook in annoyance, and have no desire to trudge through to the end.
Ms Brown doesn't need fans, she has herself.
But I digress, as does this book. I enjoyed the first, truly autobiographical section, but the second half quickly degenerates into self-adulation on the part of the writer: her "special bond" with animals (which doesn't extend to responsible ownership such as neutering or only owning the number of animals she can feed at a time when she knows she has no money), her love of foxhunting and breeding hounds, her political and philosophical opinions, each presented as the final word on the subject. I finally closed the ebook in annoyance, and have no desire to trudge through to the end.
Ms Brown doesn't need fans, she has herself.
November 26, 2009
Animal Magnetism is a simple, straightforward account of the animals that have inhabited Rita Mae Brown's life. The stories of the cats, dogs, horses, birds, and foxes (there is even an opossum!) that have touched her reveal life lessons that all animal lovers can relate to. Brown often gets on her soap box about issues such as animal abuse, government, and city life, but she does it in such a down to earth, humble, and direct way that it is hard to disagree with her. The love and appreciation she feels for all animals shines through and the animals themselves will touch your heart. The story of Susie Q, the draft horse that taught Rita Mae to ride, reminded me of my own experiences as a child and the story of Tack, her loving and courageous dog, literally brought me to tears. As much as I loved the animals in these stories, I also loved the opportunity to learn more about Rita Mae Brown herself. She reveals herself in this book and proves she is a person worth getting to know.
February 18, 2010
I truly enjoyed reading this autobiography, and yes that is what I would call it, of author Rita Mae Brown. If you are not already a fan, don't start here. Read Ruby Fruit Jungle and at least several books in one of her mystery series. Once you are a solid fan, come back to it and you will get a better understand of Ms. Brown as a woman and a writer. Essentially, each chapter offers a life lesson based on the author's experiences from childhood through adulthood with a particular animal and his or her owner. This was my "bathroom" book for the month (yes, that is what I wrote) because each chapter stood alone and, while chronological, one chapter did not require a recall of details from the previous. Good stuff.
February 24, 2016
See Denise's and E.'s review, below.
I've been reading the Sneaky Pie Brown books every time one comes out, and the "horsey" books too, although there were a little too many details about riding to hounds for me. I really enjoyed getting to know the real animals in Ms. Brown's life, and her life on the farm. Unlike some of the reviewers, I didn't find each chapter being a separate segment a problem. And yes, I laughed, and cried, and laughed again. I find I agree with her on nearly every issue. Incidentally, she is VERY pragmatic about the death of her "best friends" which helped me a bit.
Thank you, Ms. Brown, for showing us your truthfulness. May you ride long, hard, and with few injuries!
I've been reading the Sneaky Pie Brown books every time one comes out, and the "horsey" books too, although there were a little too many details about riding to hounds for me. I really enjoyed getting to know the real animals in Ms. Brown's life, and her life on the farm. Unlike some of the reviewers, I didn't find each chapter being a separate segment a problem. And yes, I laughed, and cried, and laughed again. I find I agree with her on nearly every issue. Incidentally, she is VERY pragmatic about the death of her "best friends" which helped me a bit.
Thank you, Ms. Brown, for showing us your truthfulness. May you ride long, hard, and with few injuries!
January 25, 2019
It is INCREDIBLY distracting to hear the narrator suck in great lungfuls of air every few seconds. Go to narrator school and learn how to not let us hear that.
Finished -- I liked the book because it was about animals. The narrator had the perfect Southern voice to read this, but MAN, the so-very-annoying sucking of air. I did find that I tuned that out to some degree as I went along, but I'm just amazed to hear a narrator do that. Another negative was the humble-bragging that Brown did periodically. I found myself rolling my eyes when she did that.
Finished -- I liked the book because it was about animals. The narrator had the perfect Southern voice to read this, but MAN, the so-very-annoying sucking of air. I did find that I tuned that out to some degree as I went along, but I'm just amazed to hear a narrator do that. Another negative was the humble-bragging that Brown did periodically. I found myself rolling my eyes when she did that.
October 18, 2010
I found this book to be so interesting. I'd really never heard of Rita Mae Brown but this book just caught my eye at the library. I'm so glad I read it. I love hearing others points of view especially when they are so different from my own. I found her to be an extremely fascinating woman and I really admire her passion. There were parts of the book that went way over my head (all the hound hunting) but I appreciate all her enthusiasm. It makes me want to read some of her books....in fact I checked one out this weekend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews