- Hardcover: 252 pages
- Publisher: Russian Hill Pr (April 1997)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0965352439
- ISBN-13: 978-0965352437
- Product Dimensions: 23.1 x 15.2 x 2.5 cm
- Shipping Weight: 544 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #160,966 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Library Journal
Ella Ginsberg, the narrator of this debut novel, comes from a dysfunctional home: her sister commits suicide, her mother descends into psychosis, and her father is imprisoned. Ella, who feels she was "born the wrong species," escapes into her own private world and is protected by her brother, Simon, who takes over the parental reins in their dissolving family. As a growing adult, Ella discovers the tragedy of her abnormal behavior through the help of a therapist. Simon, on the other hand, who never dealt with the horrors in their family, disappears one day without warning from what appears to be a happy family and a successful career. Ella embarks on a journey to recover her brother and, in a series of dramatic episodes, learns to accept her past and move on with her life. Hyde, a noted short story writer, successfully offers a rich blend of metaphors and genuine characters that will touch the hearts of readers. Highly recommended for all collections.?David A. Berona, Univ. of New England, Biddeford, Me.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Catherine Ryan Hyde's best novel,
By Traveler (New England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Funerals for Horses (Hardcover)
It's so odd that the best books by Catherine Ryan Hyde (this one and her book of short stories, "Earthquake Weather") are out of print while her lesser work is still being published."Funerals for Horses" is not nearly as uplifting as "Pay it Forward" (it's not its purpose) and it is a million times more realistic than either "Electric God" or "Walter's Purple Heart." In both of these more recent novels it was obvious that Hyde was in way over her head. Not so with "Funerals." Here she flexed her literary muscle. "Funerals" is a descent into a family's dark past and, at times, even into madness. I believe it could even be described as cathartic, especially for anyone recovering from their own childhood. Through it all Hyde maintains a believable tone and atmosphere which is a tough path to follow. Not too many authors can approach this topic (metaphor, family abuse, mental illness) without coming off as melodramatic or just incoherent. I can't say that "Funerals" is for everyone. But it is an excellent novel nonetheless. I highly recommend it.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews) 15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Required reading for all sentient beings.,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Funerals for Horses (Hardcover)
This is a book borrowed from the library, which I must now purchase to have on my bookshelf to reread in several years to check whether I went where my instincts want to lead me now. Funerals for Horses is one of those rare books wherein a seemingly weak woman harnesses her nature to exceed even her own expectations. The protagonist, Ella, embarks on a journey to locate her missing brother and in the process discovers herself. Any woman who has suffered deeply and wanted to leave that pain for the road she can now see ahead, will feel that Catherin Ryan Hyde gave voice to her emotions. What woman has not wished to hear the words offered to Ella by an old man she meets at a critical juncture of her journey: "You have a mission. Most of us only wish we did. It's the purest, most untarnished way to live a life. All the universe envies you. All the people, the animals, even the sun and the clouds and the night. If we could trade places with you, we would. So we line up at your back in admiration. We are all with you, Ella." The lyrical prose which is Ella's voice will stay with you like the hawk on the Mesa. Bravo.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Make time for this book,
By deborahk@interaccess.com - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Funerals for Horses (Hardcover)
Funerals for Horses is a novel that adds an incredible physical journey to the kind of emotional voyage of The Yellow Wallpaper. Ella's "descent into madness" is more a series of frightening dips into a breathtaking clarity, where the surface of the mind is broken again and again with the haunting memories that threaten to ruin her. Ella's final aim seems not to triumph over these visions but to come to an understanding of their impact and, utlimately, of their origins. Catherine Ryan Hyde creates seamless transitions between the levels of Ella's reality. Most striking to me is the development --within Ella's mind-- of the character of DeeDee. More than a stabilizing, conscience-type voice, DeeDee is a parallel to Ella, an other-world, alternate life version of her. DeeDee's urgings to make decisions based on other-than-sensible logic may be Ella's best defense against her own emotions.The novel's voice is a crushing one, heavy with layers of sensation that must be felt simultaneously before they can be experienced separately. Catherine Ryan Hyde has created a story that cannot be interrupted, one that will make you miss your stop on the bus, eat cold cereal for dinner, and stay up long past your normal bed time. Plan accordingly; Funerals for Horses is not to be missed. 8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well orchestrated dance through the dysfunctional family,
By "bevjkelly" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Funerals for Horses (Hardcover)
A beautiful, seamless blend of yesterday's memories and today's realities I was drawn to follow Ella through her dysfunctional childhood to the one place in her life where she makes a conscious decision. She pulls herself together and takes charge in an effort to find Simon, her missing brother, following her instincts and trusting her strengths. Becoming responsible for her destiny instead of constantly being dragged through the dirt by life's past experiences. It reminds me how fragile and random life is and how brave we sometimes have to be to overcome our weaknesses. A deep and powerful read.
|
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
