Review of Horses

[Alexander C Schmoock]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Horses" by Patrick Ford.]

---

3 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

George Gillespie’s proficiency and love for horses stemmed from growing up around them in the wild New England ranges in Australia. Nurtured and trained by their father, the Gillespie brothers grew to be strong, skilled horsemen. News of war against the Turks led by Johnny Turk sparked curiosity and interest in these brothers, who set out to join the Australian Light Horse regiment. George is met with many ill fates as he works endlessly to protect and save others. He is betrayed by his fiancee at home and loses his three brothers to the war, fighting dauntlessly until the end. He finds love in the most peculiar places but loses her as well to the pandemic of the Spanish flu. He is engrossed with his profound love for horses upon return home and seeks peace in the depression of his losses. His is a story of a man and his bond with horses, of adventures and mending.

I love the sequential arrangements of the events in this book. The author did a commendable job trying to make the story better graspable by arranging the happenings chronologically. Also, the storyline and plot were compelling from start to finish. It engages the reader and creates an eagerness to know what happens next. This book contained several lessons worth noting and emulating. Attributes of love, sacrifice, selflessness, brotherhood, and resilience are shown in the characters, and their importance and result are clearly stated. Another thing worth appreciating is the author’s construction of the story. He created a mental picture of a realistic representation of the characters and their actions throughout the story. It made it easier to identify with the characters in their many emotions. The book was professionally edited. I found just a few spelling errors while going through it.

One thing I found quite objectionable was the technicality of some parts of the book. A person unfamiliar with horse-related and war-related vocabulary may not be able to comprehend the story and keep full interest in the book. Even though I am familiar with such terms, I had to search for the meaning of certain words at intervals. Also, the chapters were incomplete; the fifteenth chapter was missing in the book. Other than that, I found the book riveting due to its intriguing storyline.

Attributing to the points made in the previous paragraphs, I would rate Horses by Patrick Ford three out of four stars. It was quite entertaining, but my interest was abated a bit in those technical areas of the book.

I recommend Horses by Patrick Ford to anyone willing to gain some knowledge using some of the lessons identified throughout this text. Anyone experiencing gnarly times can also pick up this book and draw strength from some of the characters that have gone through the same.

******
Horses
View: on Bookshelves

[Not available anymore]

Wow!
I would really like to read a book about a man's bond with horses

[Paully_]

This is a great book about horses. Thanks for the review.

[Abiodunakinola]

This is a story of how George was been trained by his father along with his brothers to become skilled horsemen. It also talks about how George lost his brothers and loved ones to war. The book's storyline and plot were compelling. Thanks for the great review.

[Joevet Agbor]

This is great story which George has so much love for horses because he grew up around them. Because of this love George was trained along side his brother by the father to be come strong and skillful horsemen. This a story of a man with his great love for his horse.
I like the story and the preceding of events and the way the author unfold it.

[Fearnia Laurel]

The story sounds like it is well-written. The presence of many horse-related technical terms deterred me from being interested in it though. Thank you for the honest review.

[Summer Henrietta]

This is a story about man's connection with horses. This is a nice review.