La ley de la granja

by Laura Zigman

LA LEY DE LA GRANJA es una novela-testimonio novelado-libro de ayuda más que de autoayuda; en definitiva, una obra original, sagaz y reveladora sobre las conflictivas y misteriosas relaciones entre los hombres y las mujeres.

Jane Goodall, productora de televisión, se enamora del hombre equivocado (Ray, atractivo productor ejecutivo) y a partir de su propia experiencia amorosa -y también la de sus amigos- emprende una investigación sobre la conducta sexual del macho en las diferentes especies animales. Con un ejemplar de El origen de las especies de Darwin en una mano e innumerables estudios y artículos en la otra, compara lo que los científicos han descubierto sobre el comportamiento animal con el de los hombres, y empieza a descubrir sospechosas coincidencias:

* El hombre también es polígamo por naturaleza.
* El hombre también es infiel.
* El hombre también ejerce grotescos rituales de cacería
* Al hombre, por naturaleza, también le encanta el cambio.

Pronto, Jane desarrolla su propia teoría: la TEORÍA DE LA VAQUITA VIEJA Y LA VAQUITA NUEVA y emprende una promisoria carrera como experta en comportamientos sexuales. Sin embargo, nada es tan simple como parece en esta ingeniosa novela sobre los hombres, las mujeres y los dictámenes del corazón humano.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Humor, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Book Club

301 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 1997

About the author

Laura Zigman is the author of five novels, including Separation Anxiety (which was optioned by Julianne Nicholson and the production company Wiip (Mare of Easttown) for a limited television series); Animal Husbandry (which was made into the movie Someone Like You, starring Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd), Dating Big Bird, Her, and Piece of Work. She has ghostwritten/collaborated on several works of non-fiction, including Eddie Izzard's New York Times bestseller, Believe Me; been a contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Huffington Post; produced a popular online series of animated videos called Annoying Conversations; and was the recipient of a Yaddo residency. Her sixth novel, Small World, will be published in January 2023. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Reviews

[L.E. Fidler · Rating 2 out of 5]

this novel is essentially the inspiration for the movie "Someone Like You" starring the precocious ashley judd and the ruggedly manicured hugh jackman.

given my druthers, i'd skip the book entirely and just go for the movie.
the whining feels less...offensive...there.

plus, you know, hugh jackman.

that's that.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me (not the first) and I'm happy to see the book holds up consistently over time. This book came out in 1998 and I very much enjoy that "going back in time" to life before cell phones and internet searching and the ease of looking into people you are dating. A simpler time if you will...haha!

This is Jane's story. She meets Ray at work and they fall in love. But what we're told on page 1 is that this is not a love story. This is a story of an optimistic woman in love who gets blindsided when Ray dumps her with no explanation and she is left alone, confused and in dire need to of a place to live. Jane winds up moving in with Eddie, another co-worker, who is wonderfully described as a modern day Marlboro Man and a notorious womanizer.

In an attempt to heal (time wounds all heels) and to understand why men behave the way they do, Jane embarks on a deep dive of research and develops what she calls the Old-Cow-New-Cow theory. And when it comes to her and Ray she is officially and Old Cow.

I really love Laura Zigman's writing and I think anyone who has had their heart broken can relate to Jane's mission to not just understand why men leave but why men leave *her*. I appreciate that this book does not rely on the all the typical rom-com tropes. Jane is a strong character and a strong woman with a solid career and good friends. I think she ends up exactly where she's supposed to at the end of the book too.

I will definitely read this book again and certainly get something out of it each time I read it (and underline different passages). FYI - If you've seen the movie "Someone Like You" which was adapted from the book please know the book is very different in it's storyline and ending so definitely worth the read even if you saw the movie.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three words: New Cow Theory. If you haven't read this, or seen the movie Someone Like You, the New Cow Theory states that men are like bulls: they tend to mate and then get the hell out of Dodge. What this means is that you may date a man for x number of months or years, but eventually he will leave you for a newer, younger, fresher cow/woman. You may try to disguise yourself as a newer, younger, fresher version of yourself, but the man/bull will always know you're "mutton dressed as lamb." This may sound depressing, and it kind of is, but Animal Husbandry tells the tale of Jane Goodall, a producer for a small television talk-show, as she tries to figure out what it means to be a thirtysomething woman looking for love and dealing with love-lost in a quirky, heartwrenching, funny and all-around enjoyable way. As you read you become invested in the characters, laughing and crying along with them, which is all you can ask for in a good piece of fiction. So come see how Jane tries to weed through the "Old Cow Sob Stories" as she tries to find a truly sympathetic, loving and monogamous man.

[Molly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know where the author was trying to go with this book, but I think her car broke down along the way.

[Linda Knauer · Rating 2 out of 5]

So..... I really wanted to like this book. I love the movie Someone Like You and recently learned it was inspired by this book. In a VERY rare case, the movie is better than the book. The ending left a lot to be desired and she just seemed a bit like a physopath by the second half of the book.

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way this woman writes! Clearly a new vision for relationships--Old Cow versus New Cow. Clever, clever, clever. Funny, too.
Also, clearly, written in the times. late 1990's and everyone is smoking. (Hey times were different then.)

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like most women (at least it felt that way) in the 90s I went through a series of wonderfully written, delightfully inciteful, witty chick books. If I had to put them in order and rate them by how much I liked them, how much they helped me understand me and how much they helped me understand men, this book would rank 2nd...a close 2nd, mind you, to Bridget Jones' Diary. Jane's life lessons are my own! :D

And, what I love about this book is that they don't get together in the end...and, that's the whole point, right? Sometimes a guy that you are attracted to REALLY can just be your best-friend...Seriously, if you want to read some refreshing 'chick lit' read this book!

If you really like this book go watch the movie "Someone Like You" with Hugh Jackman, Greg Kinnear and Ashley Judd, it's based on the book, the ending is totally different!

[Shannon Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found the premise clever and the research thorough and well presented, the characters weren't likable and the ending was unsatisfying. The way it ended, I wondered what the point had been in reading all the whining. Considering the main character was willing to be with a man who was engaged to another woman, and that the relationship was short, she had no right to act like a neurotic psycho once they'd broken up. It was over the top and ridiculous. Having said that, Zigman is a good writer with solid pacing and flow, so I would still consider reading something else by her, especially since I think I saw this was her first book.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Goodall (not that Jane Goodall) gets a dream job as a TV producer for a prime time talk show and soon finds herself in a relationship with a coworker named Ray…who just happens to still be in a multi-year long relationship… It gets deep, it gets serious and soon they are planning to move in together. He will leave his girlfriend! They are happy together! They are IN LOVE! She breaks her lease on her New York City apartment and they are all set to move in together…

Then it goes sideways. Suddenly Ray becomes distant…emotionally unavailable. Uninterested with her…and then he decides to break it off with her. And now Jane is homeless (a section about the hopelessness of trying to find an affordable NYC apartment feels pretty darn real).

Desperate, she moves in with coworker Eddie, a notorious Lothario. Woman after woman, all the time. Jane, fascinated, takes notes on his behavior. Like the more famous primate researcher, Jane goes into the field. And that is when she comes across the Old Cow theory: that a bull will only mate with a cow once before moving on to another. Applying this theory to mankind, it makes a lot of sense…it might even explain why Ray dumped her! She starts working on a series for the talk show she produces, under a pen name…

I was happy this didn’t take some of the steps I thought it might take. It didn’t turn into zany romantic comedy or madcap misunderstandings and near misses. It goes somewhere else, and that is terrific.

Animal Husbandry was Laura Zigman’s first novel. I decided after reading Separation Anxiety that I wanted to read all her novels. This one has a few rough spots (did she really have to be named Jane Goodall? It’s a little on the nose) but overall, it’s what I came for. Her writing is so enjoyable and this is pretty right on.

[Rose Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

A unique take on the classic tale of lost love, Animal Husbandry is a sharp and incisive look at heartbreak – but it’s best to read if you are feeling a little bit lonely yourself.

This is actually the second time that I have read Laura Zigman’s take on the mating habits of humans, and I’ve had very different reactions both times. I picked it up for the first time about eight years ago, when I had just moved to Canada following a bad breakup, and I loved it. I thought it was pure genius. Now, as a happily married woman, I still found it witty and fresh and interesting, but also just a little bit sad. Our protagonist is incredibly bitter, and when I was in the throes of a breakup, she was relatable and inspiring and fascinating. When I wasn’t… she was an extreme example, not just the kind of girl I wouldn’t want to be, but the kind I wouldn’t even want to be around. At times, I wanted to slap her.

You can read my full review on my blog: http://rosemoorewrites.com/book-revie...

[meowdeleine · Rating 1 out of 5]

another fluffy bourgeois 90s romance between two wholesome smart quirky klunky welldressed (well according to themselves they are welldressed, since they wear jcrew) liberal ivy leaguers that leaves you with a heightened sense of revulsion at not only your own self and your own exes, but also a distaste for every human in the nyc dating scene, like is this it, this is just lazy, poorly written writing, ostensibly about love but actually about the panopticon

quotes https://docs.google.com/document/d/1a...

[Julene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hysterical, good writing, totally engaging comedy. I learned about her from the Dangerous Writers in Portland, OR. They made a movie out of it, but it is worth it to read the book. It will have you laughing out loud.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this, laughed a bit, but was a bit put off by the whole concept. Then saw the movie "Someone Like you" and went "oh- that was that book.... but wait-this is better than the book..." But hey, Hugh Jackman can make anything better!

[Chuckles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book where the narrator main character studies the loutish behavior of men, and her name is Jane Goodall. Of course it is. It had to be. This book was not just funny, it was hilarious. Jane just got better and better as a character.

I recalled this book from the era when it was released, it was so popular, at least it seemed that way to me, many (women) I knew were reading it. But looking at it now and reading a few reviews as I considered getting it, it seemed like it never was that popular, and many apparently never made the connection between this book, which they had read, and a film adaptation, Someone Like You (had never heard if it), which they also report they had watched. This seems strange since this book was a NYT Bearseller, and overall I was surprised how forgotten it is today and at the very low rating here (3.31 stars as of today). Nevertheless, I decided to give it a read as I’ve found ratings here are pretty meaningless, as are many cover and front page “blurbs” or celebrity endorsements. The past year or more I’ve been interested in reading more female protaganists, specifically by female authors, and books written in or set in the ‘80s, or early ‘90s; this published in ‘98, is close enough. This has led me to some genres I typically don’t read, including romance, YA, chick-lit, I guess this book might fit in the last category but I consider it also standard commercial fiction.

So as to the reading, it went fast. My copy was three hundred pages but there is a lot of white space. This could be read in a day easily, maybe even one long sitting with a few breaks. I found the continual “bull/cow” jokes and comments got old quickly. I did feel like she cut down the usage of it to a degree as the novel progressed or maybe I just became numbed to it a little. One thing I found strange was that the part about her sharing her actual new cow-old cow theory with the public as described on the back cover did not happen until well into the final quarter of the book. So it was kind of a spoiler since its almost what things are leading up to. Yet… I didn’t really care, I was enjoying it because the characters and story were so great.

The story flowed so smoothly, it was easy to read, and all the character development and descriptivness in setting, etc…, its all there. I really didn’t want to stop reading. Not literary fiction by any means but well written for this genre. I’ve read several Taylor Jenkins Reid books the past few years, and I see a similar style when it comes to humor. Say Carrie Soto, very similar vibe-wise with the characters’ sardonic wit and sarcasm. Also see simularities to Nathan Hale’s novel Wellness, in its use of citations of scientic research by a character in the midst of emotional turmoil, to hilarious effect, though this book is nowhere near that level of brilliance and heaviness. That was literary fiction, this as I said is commercial.

The book was incredible really, up until the last few pages where it absolutely fell apart. I really don’t get it, how could they actually end things like that? All that build up, the angst, anger, hurt, fueling her funny research and insane associations between animals and man, it builds up to the boiling point (her rage does certainly); then Jane basically is told “there, there, by Eddie, with a hug, and she’s done. Over it and done, the author built it all up for nothing. What an kick in the pants to me as a reader. We get basically two pages of conclusion, where Jane briefely summarizes what happened to the orther characters all in a few lines. It was over in the blink of an eye, no final act. All of which was unsatisfying. It was so abrupt and confusing, the only thing that might explain it was the author died while writing it (she didn’t, I checked) or the world ran out ink for her pen/typerwiter (don’t recall that happening), or there was for some bizare reason like a hard and fast deadline she had to meet and ran out of time and just rushed that ending at the literal last minute, like me a half hour before a paper was due in college.

This was one of the most unsatisfying conclusions to a book I have ever read. I truly can’t believe the author and publisher were satisfied with this and put it out like this. Up to that point, this was a 5/5 star novel. By which I mean, I loved it on the Goodreads scale, till that point. Yet, as disappointing and bad as I found that ending, it only loses one star. The rest of it was just that good. And I would still recommend it to anyone with the caveat, that ending… WTF? 4/5 stars.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this because it’s the book that the film Someone Like You (which I love) is based on. Unfortunately, this was terrible.

It’s smart and well-written — hence 2 and not 1 stars — but terrible.

It’s a first-person POV, so there’s no escaping Jane’s self-absorption and obsession. She goes off the deep end pathologizing male serial dating — inventing a whole fake academic persona to do so — over a 3-month relationship with a guy who was very clearly an asshole from the very beginning. (He started off by complaining about and mocking his fiancée and then spends the next 3 months cheating on her with Jane. He might have “washboard abs” but he’s clearly bad news.) SHE is the one who’s pathological, and she also reads rather uncomfortably like an authorial self-insert.

Also, spoiler: the Eddie / Hugh Jackman subplot, which redeems the whole story? Nonexistent here. Eddie exists, he’s still Jane’s roommate, but the story basically ends when she’s crying about how she’ll never love anyone again. I generally try to avoid including spoilers in my reviews but figure this is a public service for anyone who, like me, wanted to read the inspiration for the movie.

Finally, this is a book very much of its late-90s time (references to AOL, Seinfeld, etc.), which I generally found charmingly nostalgic, but be warned that 90s-era usage of the r-word is also present and hasn’t aged well.

[Zoe McCormick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book up at a used book sale years ago; the word that comes to mind is "fine". Jane is a pretty shallowly characterized protagonist, and to be honest, I didn't really fully understand why she was so upset about Ray?? Likely because there is absolutely no background on her other than the fact that she has a "deep pit of sadness" in her. Girl... don't we all? It just felt a little underdeveloped, and overdeveloped with scientific jargon that, while at times served a purpose, at other times just kind of felt like reading a cut together science journal that was trying to make you think it was sophisticated and sardonic. It was entertaining, but that's about it.

[Gema Hermosín · Rating 2 out of 5]

Me ha hecho gracia pero realmente no es un libro increíble. Me ha gustado mucho como está escrito y el ritmo de los capítulos, bastante entretenido y ameno. A su vez, muy básico, como la típica película romántica.
He de decir que empecé a leerlo pensando que era de otra cosa, y ya me quedé leyéndolo. No lo recomendaría a menos que necesites un libro para no pensar mucho.

[Mckinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

FUNNY!
There's a good reason to help students find books in the stacks -- I come back with something to read too. How can I resist those rows and rows?

Laura Zigman has written a bunch of novels since this, her first one. I'm not sure if I'd call it chic lit; I think it predates the term? It was written in 1998. It is a good read, fast, easy, and entertaining. If you are in the mood for a break-up-for-no-apparant-reason story all the better. If you not, there's still lots of fun and witty story-telling to enjoy. And for the more academically minded, you might like how the herione of the story develops a theory and details her research and investigation into her unoriginal observation: the tendency of human males to love you and leave you. Even if you disagree (and it's not clear in the end where even she stands regrading her New Cow theory) you'll learn some interesting facts along the way.

Larua Zigman has a website with a brant (her term for blog) if you're interested to know more -- like how much is real and how much she makes up.

[Amalia Dillin]

This is a rare instance where I think the movie might have been a little bit stronger than the book. BUT that might also be a product of my familiarity with the movie FIRST, in part. The book isn't unsatisfying for what it is, but unlike the movie, it definitely isn't a rom-com. There's no happily ever after here, except for the happily ever after of a woman realizing she can put something that was traumatic behind her a move on -- and honestly, that's kind of refreshing in its own way, too. But if you're expecting this book to be a love story/romantic comedy like the movie that was based on it, you're going to be disappointed.

[Britainy Constance · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to find out that Someone Like You was based off a book. However, the book was a huge let down. I about threw my iPad across the room with how it ended. No Eddie for Jane?! Come on! My advice - skip the book & watch the movie! Hugh Jackman is superb as Eddie & Ashley Judd does a not so bad job as Jane (even if her wardrobe/hair is complete ‘90s!) Plus the movie takes many conversations word for word from the book. So what are you waiting for - go rent it.

[Michelle (MichelleBookAddict) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has a more realistic and completely different HEA ending than the movie. If it weren't for Hugh Jackman, I would've been mad that the heroine fell in love with the commitment phobic guy (who probably has STD). The book made the guy out to be twice worse than Barney Stentson from How I Met Your Mother.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to relate to for anyone who has gone through a breakup. Very quick read with some genuinely funny moments. The "new cow old cow" repetition gets a little boring, and the inclusion of "Marie Goodall's" articles was unnecessary as the narrator says all that stuff anyway, but I liked it. Not bad chick lit.

[CJ - It's only a Paper Moon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately it couldn't keep my attention more than a few pages and even skipping around didn't help. I think this is a case in which the movie is better than the book.

[Marie Astor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book - you don't have to have been cheated on by a slimy ex-boyfriend to relate to all the trials and tribulations that Jane goes through in the book.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breezy, witty and wise.

[Laura.has.too.many.books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jane Goodall is living her best life as a talent manager for a national talk show. But that is just until starts a passionate love-affair with one of her co-workers, Ray Brown. Because Ray dumps her after a couple of weeks and cannot deal with the situation. Forced to move in with her grumpy, chain-smoking colleague Eddie, Jane's mind is starting to spin. In her hurt she creates the New-Cow Theory, based of scientific research, but unexpectedly it really catches on with the main public.

Pro's:
+ This book is very easy to read, I thought it would take more time than it actually did. I flew though it, the pacing is nice and even with all the little disruptions with the scientific stuff the story stays really well on track.
+ The cover of this book might be the funniest cover in my entire book collection, the cow with the earring is one of the funniest things ever.

Con's:
- This book is quite depressing, full of hurt and grief and you will get to the point where you just want to shake Jane and tell her there are more men in the world. Also, all the people around her are just as sad, not giving this book a lot of lighthearted moments.

Well, this was a disappointment. I love ( LOVE) the movie that is based on this book and I hoped reading this book would give me more details about the story from the movie. That was not this book, there are A LOT of differences with the movie and none of them are for the better. The story was really depressing and the fact that there was no happy ending made it even worse. It didn't feel whiney and it was very readable, but it was sad and since all the people around Jane are also sad it wasn't very lighthearted. Now I am sad and in need of a hug, so please do not do this to yourself.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: there is a major Goodreads error here. This book was written by Laura Zigman. Perhaps Laura Hicks is the actress who read the audio?

This novel of romance gone wrong is very funny, and often, all too true. Prior to listening to the audio book, I had watched the film adaptation, Someone Like You, which is an amusing romantic, though somewhat formulaic, comedy starring Ashley Judd, Hugh Jackman, Marisa Tomei, Greg Kinnear, and Ellen Barkin. It's been freely adapted, but is still entertaining. The book (okay, audio book) is much better, though I would have loved Marisa Tomei to have been the reader – she would have been perfect.

The book has an original idea and premise – applying theories of animal behavior to human romantic relationships. I related to a number of the events that occurred, and was able to laugh when I thought back how they personally applied to my own history.

Only thing that brings the book down is its datedness. It is very much of the 1980s-90s, full of smoking and drinking, which are certainly less common now (smoking at least), and landline phone calls. The internet was just getting started, and cell phones were not really in use, and it is really clear how much everyday life has changed in the last 25 years since this book came out. That being said, if you were young or youngish, and single, and living in New York or at least could relate to that time and lifestyle, you will recognize something of yourself here, and most likely enjoy the time travel.

[Anna K. Amendolare · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was as bad as I thought it was going to be. Even given the assumption, ok - perhaps she was the FIRST female to learn that men are dogs and that the only reason that I, as a female, recognize all of red flags is perhaps because Jane experienced them first, and documented them for the rest of us. Even, perhaps giving her the benefit of the doubt of being led down this path which we could all quite clearly see was only going to lead to heartbreak, that doesn't excuse the rest of her behavior. Her wallowing in self-pity for months, her vengeful research and writing project, or the fact that even though it was plain as day and everyone else knew, she couldn't see that her ex was involved with her coworker.

This book was dumb because this character was just plain stupid. She deserved everything that happened to her, and I hated the ending.

[Paulina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro que habla de la experiencia amorosa y lo que sucede cuando le rompen el corazón a Jane (la protagonista), en su desesperación de saber el por qué y sin encontrar una respuesta lo suficientemente satisfactoria tanto en Ray (el crush en cuestión), Joan (la BFF), David (el BFF) o Eddie (co-worker & roommate)... comienza a investigar la relación entre el comportamiento animal y humano, acerca del apareamiento gestando una interesante teoría: “la vaquita nueva vs la vaquita vieja” . Hay una adaptación al cine sobre este libro hecha en el 2001, se llama “Someone like you” que tiene (como sucede casi siempre) algunos cambios/ajustes. Hace años vi la película y no sabía que estaba basado en un libro, hasta que hace una semana en una librería de libros usados, lo encontré 😬

[Luca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non sono sicuro di aver capito il messaggio che questo libro e la sua autrice hanno voluto trasmettere.
La teoria della Mucca Nuova ideata dalla protagonista (della quale continuo a chiedermi perché continuassero a ribadire la sua omonimia con la primatologa) ha delle basi valide, certo... però poi si perde un po' in sè stessa, ribadendo continuamente gli stessi concetti ed addirittura quasi smentendosi nel finale.
Ciò che tiene vivo il libro è però la trama in sè, scritta con vivacità ed ironia e costellata di "caratteri", più che personaggi: ognuno però è solo un piccolo puntino dimensionale, quasi una maschera del teatro, che non viene mai approfondito ed è soltanto utilizzato a "fini saggistici".