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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
An easy read about a pig that changed many lives
This was a fun book if you like memoirs in the "All Creatures Great and Small" line. It's the story of an animal biology writer and her husband who live in a small town in NH, and take a runt piglet from a friend to try and save it. They coddle it and "Christopher Hogwood" eventually grows into a 700 lb. pet - luckily, a very good-natured one.
Montgomery's a good writer, and her descriptions of her pig's greedy enjoyment of his life are just a blast to read. There were tons of interesting facts on pigs interlarded (sorry, couldn't resist it) throughout the book.
Occasionally Montgomery's writing gets a little too mystical-searching-for-meaningful for me, but these passages are offset by truly beautiful and insightful ones about her neighbors, her parents, and her friends.
I will definitely check out other books by her. And the accounts of food enjoyed by Christopher were great fun.
Montgomery's a good writer, and her descriptions of her pig's greedy enjoyment of his life are just a blast to read. There were tons of interesting facts on pigs interlarded (sorry, couldn't resist it) throughout the book.
Occasionally Montgomery's writing gets a little too mystical-searching-for-meaningful for me, but these passages are offset by truly beautiful and insightful ones about her neighbors, her parents, and her friends.
I will definitely check out other books by her. And the accounts of food enjoyed by Christopher were great fun.
I was disappointed. The structure was very good and it was well edited, but for me there just wasn't enough story there. The pig is limited in his activities, so despite the author's obvious intent, I didn't get a very good picture of him as a unique individual. I do think that it's a good example of a memoir regarding structure, pacing, and movement through time. Subject matter just wasn't strong enough, though, in my opinion.
This book was charming but slight, sometimes more of a slog than it had any right to be. Montgomery's insistent antisocialness at the beginning was tiring, but it ebbed by the end and thus became more tolerable. Honestly, I often found myself more intrigued by the mid-book descriptions of her other writings than by the very book I was reading, which is pretty awkward.
All in all, this is a wholly pleasant, enjoyable read. It's light and airy and feels like a great book to read on the beach or something, just something to keep you from snoozing. (Which is not a slam, by the way!!) Also there is an almost hilariously high prevalence of cancer so be on the lookout for that.
All in all, this is a wholly pleasant, enjoyable read. It's light and airy and feels like a great book to read on the beach or something, just something to keep you from snoozing. (Which is not a slam, by the way!!) Also there is an almost hilariously high prevalence of cancer so be on the lookout for that.
Despite initial reticence, I actually really liked this book. It certainly gave me new insight on pigs, which, until now, terrified me. Due to a bad experience with a pig when she was young, my aunt raised me on tales of vicious, slavering hogs that would gore anyone they happened to come across. Looking at pictures of huge, curly tusked, beady eyed boars, I believed her. The picture of Christoper presented couldn’t be more different, apart from the slavering, which is just a sign of how much he enjoyed his dinner. I wouldn’t say it made me want a pig, but I’ll say that perhaps I’ll regard pigs I meet with less suspicion.
I’m particularly charmed by Montgomery’s descriptions of a life spent flying off into distant jungles to look for exotic animals and new experiences, and plan to do the same thing, but maybe with less man eating tigers. I also think it’s nice that when she’s done tracking tigers and tarantulas through the jungle, she has a farm load of animals and a family who loves her to go back to.
I’m particularly charmed by Montgomery’s descriptions of a life spent flying off into distant jungles to look for exotic animals and new experiences, and plan to do the same thing, but maybe with less man eating tigers. I also think it’s nice that when she’s done tracking tigers and tarantulas through the jungle, she has a farm load of animals and a family who loves her to go back to.