Horse: A Novel Paperback – January 16, 2024

While the book is indeed about a horse, the narrative is as much or more about the caretaker of the horse and the racial abuse he and others suffered.The author also has a parallel narrative set in the present, and also underscoring and attempting to demonstrate the need to better recognize and comprehend racial discrimination portayed through the eyes of those experiencing it.As a reader I wish I had dug deeper before reading as most descriptions do not highlight the author’s social commentary - so I expected a different book.With all that said, there’s a great deal of research and history which offer glimpses of what the novel could have been had it stayed focused on the story line initially presented.

This was one of those novels that grabs you from the start with fun and interesting characters, moving around in time, all with a common focal point - a horse named Lexington, based on a legendary racehorse from the 1850s. In a broader context, Lexington is used as a prop to examine slavery and its legacy in the context of several interpersonal relationships. This is a book that engages the reader right from the get go, as the three different stories slowly but surely merge together at the end. A very big thumbs up for a fabulous book that will keep you up at night.

Terrific book on the greatest American racehorse in the pre-Civil War era, and the people connected with him. The history of the horse (Darley and Lexington are two of the names for him) is chronological, from birth to death, as is that of his (fictionalized) trainer, enslaved Jarrett, and an accomplished equine artist, Thomas Scott. However, this account is interwoven with a dual timeline story about the skeleton of the horse at the Smithsonian Museum showing how it was discovered and studied. Another timeline story about the paintings of the horse could confuse the story, but doesn’t. The dual stories interconnect in a way that makes sense (not always true in dual timeline stories). The author does a superb job of keeping everything straight for the reader.All the story lines are interesting and you learn a lot about horse training and racing, about what a skeleton can tell about the living animal, and more. Because the story takes place mainly in Kentucky in the pre-Civil War era, the story must include a lot about enslavement. The author, who is a well-known white woman from Australia (living in the USA for many years), portrays all the black characters as real, complex figures. She is as sensitive in this portrayal as I reckon a white person can be. I especially enjoyed relationship between Jarrett (Lexington’s trainer) and the horse. They really loved each other. Also the budding romance between the Smithsonian Museum worker and the art history Phd candidate was well done.I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good yarn. It’s well-researched, but reads like a novel ( a really good one). No swearing, minimal grisly violence (only one brief war scene I can think of), and a good romance with no lurid sex scenes. Great for adults who like a complex story with multiple themes and timelines.

I greatly enjoyed Horse: A novel. I liked the way the author moved between contemporary and historical times to keep the story moving forward, but never giving away what was to come. The multiple story lines of racial tensions now and during the pre-civil war times was well done, and a necessary part of the story of the famous racehorse that was the key to all of the story lines as they came together. I highly recommend the novel.

Love the eloquent way Geraldine Brooks writes. Her stories are works of art to me, the beauty she portrays through her words. The story of Horse was also fascinating and had me enthralled. While the end was hard, it fit totally plausible and fit. Recommend all her books!

When I started reading Horse, I was sure I was going to stop reading it before the end. After the first hundred pages I felt captivated by Lexington and Jarriet. It inmerses you in the not so popular world of horses and the passion their groom put in their care.

I was excited to read this book as horses are one of my passions and I enjoy the study of art. I love historical fiction, so it seemed this was right up my alley. This author is an excellent writer and I was fascinated by the story right from the start. The story switches from the past to current times and about a quarter of the way in to the book I started noting references to certain political ideology. I actually stopped reading the book for a time as I prefer my reading choices to be a good escape from reality. After a few weeks, I decided to continue on as it is not my nature to not finish a book, especially a good one. I did not like the ending of the book, but too be fair, most of this book is very good and it covers very interesting topics from which I learned a good bit. I just wish the author hadn’t felt the need weave political perspective into a really good story.

The book centers on the famous thoroughbred Lexington. Covers 3 periods: the mid 1800's just before and during the American Civil War when the horse was racing, the 1950's when his portrait became of interest, and 2019 when his skeleton was reassembled for museum display. The people connected to Lexington in each period are well drawn, some from actual history and some embellished. The book is not just about the history of the horse though but man's history.