Seabiscuit (Stranger Than...) (Ballantine Reader's Circle)

by Laura Hillenbrand

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of the runaway phenomenon Unbroken comes a universal underdog story about the horse who came out of nowhere to become a legend.

Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes:

Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon.

Praise for Seabiscuit

“Fascinating . . . Vivid . . . A first-rate piece of storytelling, leaving us not only with a vivid portrait of a horse but a fascinating slice of American history as well.”—The New York Times

“Engrossing . . . Fast-moving . . . More than just a horse’s tale, because the humans who owned, trained, and rode Seabiscuit are equally fascinating. . . . [Laura Hillenbrand] shows an extraordinary talent for describing a horse race so vividly that the reader feels like the rider.”—Sports Illustrated

“REMARKABLE . . . MEMORABLE . . . JUST AS COMPELLING TODAY AS IT WAS IN 1938.”—The Washington Post

• ISBN10: 0345467396
• ISBN13: 9780345467393
• Publish Date: 1 July 2003 (first published 6 March 2001)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Random House Publishing Group
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 346
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

As many of you know I love horses. I ride and spend time at a local stable on a regular basis. I have not, I’ll admit, never been a huge fan of horse focused fiction novels. They never seem to capture the thrill I feel when I ride or the love I feel when I care for them. Now, horse-based movies, whoa doggie, I love those. And I remember when my husband and I saw ads for Seabiscuit. My husband turned to me and said, “I suppose you have to go see that one?”

We did see Seabiscuit and he eventually bought me the DVD which came with a copy of Laura Hillenbrand’s novel, Seabiscuit: An American Legend, on which the movie was based. It’s languished on my shelves since. Then came the #ShelfLove Challenge and I thought, “I should read it at some point.” Then I thought, “I really don’t like non-fiction books and that one looks soooo long.” So I kept passing it over.

Well, it was silly of me to pass Seabiscuit: An American Legend over for so long. It is a meat and potatoes book. Hillenbrand spends a great deal of time setting up the story, getting our main characters in the right space at the right time, but once they join forces behind a scrappy horse named Seabiscuit. We got off to the races…

I’ve seen the movie, I knew how this book would end. What I didn’t anticipate were all the twists and turns to get there. The movie doesn’t delve into the lives of the jockeys (which was brutal) and the politics of horse racing. There were horrible accidents, backroom deals and a nation united behind an underdog. So while there were dry moments, I was fascinated by the history of horseracing in America and I loved learning more about a horse with a lot of heart.

Seabiscuit: An American Legend won’t be for everyone. It’s thick and at times, dense and boring. But if you thought the movie Seabiscuit was a bit lackluster, you might give the book a shot especially if you enjoy horses and are looking for a book that will give you hope during a dark time in American history.


This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews