![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() She is a marvel of comedy, and might be nothing but a figure of fun, except that she does communicate with animals (and makes a smart bit of money at the track with the useful information gleaned thereby). Take Elizabeth, a large, loud woman in her 60s who practices tantric sex and claims to communicate with animals. Of the dozens of characters woven through this tale of four yearling horses and how they grew, many are concerned with spirituality in one form or another. This sweetly comic novel takes advantage of the chaotic world of the track to convey a warm, mature, spiritual philosophy as well. ![]() But she has more in mind than horse racing. What's more, the sheer amount of information Smiley has on hand about horses and horse racing is astonishing, and in less-skilled hands, might overwhelm. The novel is Dickensian in its multiplicity, its minor and mischievously named comic characters (rapper Ho Ho Ice Chill anyone?), its length, and its wit. Smiley, author of A Thousand Acres and Moo, among many others, takes us on a thundering ride through the high-end horse-racing industry, and through the minds and hearts of every creature in it: owners and trainers, breeders and bettors, jockeys and grooms, horses, and one small dog. But like a thoroughbred, all that power and size come in a splendid shape, kept under perfect control. Jane Smiley's new novel is enormous and overflowing - a cheerful, generous monster of a book. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |