A Year at the Races Audiobook By Jane Smiley cover art

A Year at the Races

Reflections on Horses, Humans, Love, Money, and Luck

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A Year at the Races

By: Jane Smiley
Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
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"Every horse story is a love story," writes Jane Smiley, who has loved horses for most of her life and owned and bred them for a good part of it. To love something is to observe it with more than usual attention, and that is precisely what Smiley does in this irresistibly smart, witty, and engaging chronicle of her obsession. In particular she follows a sexy filly named Waterwheel and a grey named Wowie (he "tells" a horse communicator that he wants it changed from Hornblower) as they begin careers at the racetrack. Filled with humor and suspense, and with discourses on equine intelligence, affection, and character, A Year at the Races is a winner.

©2004 Jane Smiley (P)2014 Audible Inc. Animal Sports Equestrian Sports Pets & Animal Care Sports Witty

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All stars
Most relevant  
The good:
First, Horse Heaven is one of my favorite books.
Also the narration was excellent.

The bad:
I was looking for a book about what it is like to own and race thoroughbred horses. How could I go wrong with this author describing her experience handling a racing stable?
Of 18 chapters, there may be the equivalent of 3 about racing. The rest of just dreadful rubbish. It is less about the horses than it is about the author.

She explains the danger of anthropomorphizing and then proceeds to do so through most of the rest of the book.

"I am not an expert...." and then goes on to explain in great detail the cherry picking the science that explains her perceptions and ignoring the rest.

This seems to be a book written by a woman of the leisure class who does not need to worry about the financial aspects of racing as much as she does what her horse psychic friend and astrologer have to say on the subject. t

It was a very disappointing book and really was not worth time spent listening.

<br />T his is NOT about Horse Racing

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