Horse Heaven

The one prejudice I have against Jane Smiley (and it's an obscure one), is that waaay back when, a number of years ago, I chose to consult a psychiatrist for my depression, and went through lengthy (and boring, I caught her smothering a yawn once) talk therapy, my shrink had Smiley's Moo on her desk for a long time.

Since then, I've avoided Smiley, thinking her a cynical, highbrow writer of liter-AH-ture, read by brainy psychiatrists and other high-end professionals. It did take me a while to get through Horse Heaven, but only due to the incredible twists of characters and plots that mark, for me, one damn hard-working author.

Not only does Smiley give life to the people surrounding racehorses, she gives life (in the form of personalities, and quirks and charms and real pathos) to the horses. Yet another thing to admire in an author. You cared about every one of the five horses whose world she portrayed.

Now, I'm a natural-born horse afficianado, so I'm curious as to whether Moo makes cows as personable...