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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
This book was written in 1893 by [a:Margaret Marshall Saunders|288202|Margaret Marshall Saunders|http://www.goodreads.com/assets/nophoto/nophoto-F-50x66-2a9d702c2a0f483c9f7dd119cc28a9a7.jpg]. What a remarkable, compassionate author she is. The story is of a dog, Beautiful Joe, and is told by the dog. The entire story focuses on his life and the the humane treatment of animals. I just loved the last sentence of the book:
"Boys and girls, be kind to dumb animals, not only because you will lose nothing by it, but because you ought to; for they were placed on the earth by the same Kind Hand that made all living creatures."
"Boys and girls, be kind to dumb animals, not only because you will lose nothing by it, but because you ought to; for they were placed on the earth by the same Kind Hand that made all living creatures."
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
I was just remembering this book quite fondly. I must have read this book a dozen times as a kid. My Mom had a hardback edition from when she was a kid.
Wonderfully empathetic story from the dog's perspective, like Black Beauty. You can see the dawning ethic of animal welfare in these turn of the century stories.
Wonderfully empathetic story from the dog's perspective, like Black Beauty. You can see the dawning ethic of animal welfare in these turn of the century stories.
BEAUTIFUL JOE will shock young readers because of its very violent beginning, and yet that violence is handled well in the story, and it creates the lasting impression upon young minds that its author intended. For the writer tells the story from the point of view of a dog cruelly abused, his suffering, and his rescue. In a culture where children see a lot of violence, this book is a refreshing truth: violence hurts. It brings pain and grief, and good people still try to heal pain and grief and bring an end to violence.
Younger readers will quickly come to identify with Beautiful Joe, this lonely dog who enters a world of respect, kindness, and care, and blossoms under it. There are a few parts of the book that moralize a bit too much, and some children may need some guidance to understand that the setting of the book is from an era before ours. (Don't be surprised if your young reader asks, "What's a milkman?")
As an adult, and a Christian, reading the book, I find some of Saunders' optimism about the ascent of man incredibly naive. She was a peer of LM Montgomery, writer of Anne of Green Gables, and lacks the subtle and agile pen of Anne's creator. But children will not notice these flaws. And BEAUTIFUL JOE, as an engaging means of showing that animals deserve to be treated with kindness and care, is a worthy book for readers 9-11.
Younger readers will quickly come to identify with Beautiful Joe, this lonely dog who enters a world of respect, kindness, and care, and blossoms under it. There are a few parts of the book that moralize a bit too much, and some children may need some guidance to understand that the setting of the book is from an era before ours. (Don't be surprised if your young reader asks, "What's a milkman?")
As an adult, and a Christian, reading the book, I find some of Saunders' optimism about the ascent of man incredibly naive. She was a peer of LM Montgomery, writer of Anne of Green Gables, and lacks the subtle and agile pen of Anne's creator. But children will not notice these flaws. And BEAUTIFUL JOE, as an engaging means of showing that animals deserve to be treated with kindness and care, is a worthy book for readers 9-11.
I own (or used to somewhere) this exact version of this book. I read it when I was a kid, and even then, the book was falling apart. Very good story about being kind to animals...
Wow this was painful to read. It's a kids classic, so I thought I would rip through it pretty quick...but no...
Beautiful Joe is the story of a dog in his own words. Think Black Beauty if you've ever read the book or watched the movie. The only difference is book really encompasses all kinds of animals, rather than just focusing on one type.
So Beautiful Joe is a dog who was abused by his first master. Had his ears and tail chopped off with an axe because the guy got in a bad mood. Luckily for him someone with a better heart came along just as it happened, heard the noise poor Joe was making, and rescued him after laying the owner down low. The gentleman we later learn is named Harry, takes Joe to his cousin's house (farm, really. This all takes place out in the country) where he is visiting and the family soon sets him to rights.
Now this family has a thing for all animals. They have quite the menagerie going at their home: horses, dogs, birds, a cat, cows, guinea pigs, you name it there's probably one kicking around the property that these folks have saved. And honestly it warms the heart to think that there are people like that out there.
The rest of the story is Joe telling us about his life with these people, and the stories he hears along the way about the myriad ways people are cruel and abusive to animals. Some things are typical and you would expect, and some things, if true, chill your blood.
It's a really good book, but I would have liked it better if not for a few things. First off, it's the wrong choice of book for me. I consider myself a kind hearted soul, and it was hard for me to read the abuses that the animals suffered in the book. Even though they're fictional, the abuses they undertake are quite real.
The other fact is that it is steeped in Christianity. Always referring to how Gad made man and beast to be such-n-such and not so-n-so. Not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, I can see where it would have installed some good morals in the kiddies reading it when it first came out, but if you're not a religious person it does tend to hamper the reading I find.
That and the fact that every time people were talking about animals, be it as a whole or an individual, they were always "poor dumb beasts". And then the animals would be lauded for their intelligence. Can't decide if that's ironic or hypocritical...
So all in all I did like Beautiful Joe. It is a touching, heart warming, and at times fun story. Worth picking up if you're interested in animal stories, I just would have like it better if it wasn't for the aforementioned factors.
Beautiful Joe is the story of a dog in his own words. Think Black Beauty if you've ever read the book or watched the movie. The only difference is book really encompasses all kinds of animals, rather than just focusing on one type.
So Beautiful Joe is a dog who was abused by his first master. Had his ears and tail chopped off with an axe because the guy got in a bad mood. Luckily for him someone with a better heart came along just as it happened, heard the noise poor Joe was making, and rescued him after laying the owner down low. The gentleman we later learn is named Harry, takes Joe to his cousin's house (farm, really. This all takes place out in the country) where he is visiting and the family soon sets him to rights.
Now this family has a thing for all animals. They have quite the menagerie going at their home: horses, dogs, birds, a cat, cows, guinea pigs, you name it there's probably one kicking around the property that these folks have saved. And honestly it warms the heart to think that there are people like that out there.
The rest of the story is Joe telling us about his life with these people, and the stories he hears along the way about the myriad ways people are cruel and abusive to animals. Some things are typical and you would expect, and some things, if true, chill your blood.
It's a really good book, but I would have liked it better if not for a few things. First off, it's the wrong choice of book for me. I consider myself a kind hearted soul, and it was hard for me to read the abuses that the animals suffered in the book. Even though they're fictional, the abuses they undertake are quite real.
The other fact is that it is steeped in Christianity. Always referring to how Gad made man and beast to be such-n-such and not so-n-so. Not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, I can see where it would have installed some good morals in the kiddies reading it when it first came out, but if you're not a religious person it does tend to hamper the reading I find.
That and the fact that every time people were talking about animals, be it as a whole or an individual, they were always "poor dumb beasts". And then the animals would be lauded for their intelligence. Can't decide if that's ironic or hypocritical...
So all in all I did like Beautiful Joe. It is a touching, heart warming, and at times fun story. Worth picking up if you're interested in animal stories, I just would have like it better if it wasn't for the aforementioned factors.
This book ripped my heart out and pieced it back together again. Such a gem.
Beautiful Joe is the story of a dog, a mongrel whose first owner abused him, going so far as to chop off his ears and tail. He was rescued and went on to live a much happier life. The author of this story, Margaret Marshall Saunders1 met the real Beautiful Joe while visiting her brother in law and his wife, the inspiration for Laura in the book. She was touched by Joe’s story, and having recently read Black Beauty2 decided to write “a dog’s own tale”.
A lot of comparisons to Black Beauty might be made, but to my mind this is much more simply written than Black Beauty, although I suppose I haven’t read that one in a long while. I could be misremembering.
Beautiful Joe is also much more didactic, its main purpose is to highlight the abuses and animal cruelty that were rampant at the time. Different chapters cover different episodes in Joe’s life, and sometimes cover different animals that were mistreated. Many were rescued by the same family that take in Joe, but some don’t get that happy ending. A lot of the dialogue between the characters is about how animals should be treated, and why they should be treated better. The book was originally an entry into a Human Society competition, and that focus is very much in evidence.
I liked a lot about this book, but it is very much of its time, and the author, and the family she writes about are clearly in a position of privilege in society. They may not be the richest, but they certainly don’t have to worry about where the next meal is coming from, and a lot of their attitudes come across as very paternalistic, if only those poor people knew we could cure them. That grated a little on me.
But aside from that it is a certainly a touching story, and any dog lover will probably enjoy it.
A lot of comparisons to Black Beauty might be made, but to my mind this is much more simply written than Black Beauty, although I suppose I haven’t read that one in a long while. I could be misremembering.
Beautiful Joe is also much more didactic, its main purpose is to highlight the abuses and animal cruelty that were rampant at the time. Different chapters cover different episodes in Joe’s life, and sometimes cover different animals that were mistreated. Many were rescued by the same family that take in Joe, but some don’t get that happy ending. A lot of the dialogue between the characters is about how animals should be treated, and why they should be treated better. The book was originally an entry into a Human Society competition, and that focus is very much in evidence.
I liked a lot about this book, but it is very much of its time, and the author, and the family she writes about are clearly in a position of privilege in society. They may not be the richest, but they certainly don’t have to worry about where the next meal is coming from, and a lot of their attitudes come across as very paternalistic, if only those poor people knew we could cure them. That grated a little on me.
But aside from that it is a certainly a touching story, and any dog lover will probably enjoy it.