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Chauntecleer the Rooster #3
The Third Book of the Dun Cow: Peace at the Last
The long awaited conclusion to the National Book Award-winning "The Book of The Dun Cow" Trilogy, from Walter Wangerin, Jr.
Praise for The Book of The Dun Cow
"Belongs on the shelf with Animal Farm, Watership Down and The Lord of the Rings. It is, like them, an absorbing, fanciful parade of the war between good and evil." -Los Angeles Times
Praise for "The Second Book of The Dun Cow: Lamentations"
"[A] profoundly imagined and beautifully stylized fable of the immemorial war between good and evil." -The New York Times
Pertelote, widow of Chauntecleer the Golden Rooster, takes up his mantle as leader of the Animals as they seek safety from the great evil of the Wyrm and his children. Two other groups of Creatures are making their own journeys through the perilous land: Eurus the merciless yellow-eyed Wolf and his pack, and the sociable pair, Wachanga the Cream-Colored Wolf and her friend Kangi Sapa, the Raven. When Pertelote meets Wachanga and Kangi, she finds much-needed allies in her travels. Allies that become all the more valuable after cruel Eurus begins following the weary Animals with a murderous intent.
When the Creatures converge on a hidden crater high in the mountains, they make a monumental discovery that may finally mean an end to their tribulations.
The epic journey begun in "The Book of the Dun Cow" reaches its powerful conclusion in "The Third Book of the Dun Cow: Peace at the Last," proving the sacrifices of Chauntecleer and the Animals were not in vain.
Praise for The Book of The Dun Cow
"Belongs on the shelf with Animal Farm, Watership Down and The Lord of the Rings. It is, like them, an absorbing, fanciful parade of the war between good and evil." -Los Angeles Times
Praise for "The Second Book of The Dun Cow: Lamentations"
"[A] profoundly imagined and beautifully stylized fable of the immemorial war between good and evil." -The New York Times
Pertelote, widow of Chauntecleer the Golden Rooster, takes up his mantle as leader of the Animals as they seek safety from the great evil of the Wyrm and his children. Two other groups of Creatures are making their own journeys through the perilous land: Eurus the merciless yellow-eyed Wolf and his pack, and the sociable pair, Wachanga the Cream-Colored Wolf and her friend Kangi Sapa, the Raven. When Pertelote meets Wachanga and Kangi, she finds much-needed allies in her travels. Allies that become all the more valuable after cruel Eurus begins following the weary Animals with a murderous intent.
When the Creatures converge on a hidden crater high in the mountains, they make a monumental discovery that may finally mean an end to their tribulations.
The epic journey begun in "The Book of the Dun Cow" reaches its powerful conclusion in "The Third Book of the Dun Cow: Peace at the Last," proving the sacrifices of Chauntecleer and the Animals were not in vain.
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2013
15 people are currently reading
579 people want to read
About the author
Walter Wangerin Jr.
95 books228 followersWalter Wangerin Jr. is widely recognized as one of the most gifted writers writing today on the issues of faith and spirituality. Starting with the renowned Book of the Dun Cow, Wangerin's writing career has encompassed most every genre: fiction, essay, short story, children's story, meditation, and biblical exposition. His writing voice is immediately recognizable, and his fans number in the millions. The author of over forty books, Wangerin has won the National Book Award, New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year Award, and several Gold Medallions, including best-fiction awards for both The Book of God and Paul: A Novel. He lives in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he is Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
May 17, 2015
Dun at last.
Wangerin's final installment in the Dun Cow Trilogy comes 28 years after "Book of Sorrows" and over 30 years since the first Dun Cow book was published. It's strange and wonderful to me how much someone's writing can change over that span, and yet still be completely recognizable. Like how our handwriting changes over time, but is still always, always ours only.
Without giving away spoilers, "Peace at the Last" essentially brings our troop of Animals, sans Chauntecleer, into their final Safety. Wangerin edits himself down, down, down -- it seems more like a collection of short stories than a novel. As the story progresses, he curiously replaces all of his male leads with female ones -- both antagonists and protagonists. I'm still not sure what to make of that.
The morals are many: perseverance and bravery being two of them, especially perseverance even without faith or vision to help you sleep at night. And much to do with the past, too: how you cannot outrun it. Wangerin uses a beautiful illustration of how when you look at the cross section of a tree, she carries the evidence of her growth (through fat and lean years) in rings inside of her. You can't exactly get away from them, but God makes way for us to carry our histories along to Paradise and leave the grief behind. He doesn't do us the dishonor of wiping our memories clean, but simply eliminates the burden of pain. This idea appeals to me a lot.
It's also worth noting that Wangerin doesn't completely do away with Evil in the story. All three installments in the Trilogy have their epic clashes between Good and Evil -- that's really the whole point of the stories, at least at first glance. But what he does is remove the Animals from the impact of Evil. Evil is never gone for good, but the Good escape it, and the Evil ones are simply left to their own empty selves, from now until--?
I love these books because of their beautiful language, their originality, even (yes, me Emma says this!) for their intense violence, because it serves a purpose. Though "Peace at the Last" wasn't the greatest novel I've ever read, I'm glad Wangerin attempted the resolution the AMAZING "Book of Sorrows" desperately needed. Funny how even the smallest, most obvious resolution can take 28 years to arrive.
Read these books. You won't regret it.
Wangerin's final installment in the Dun Cow Trilogy comes 28 years after "Book of Sorrows" and over 30 years since the first Dun Cow book was published. It's strange and wonderful to me how much someone's writing can change over that span, and yet still be completely recognizable. Like how our handwriting changes over time, but is still always, always ours only.
Without giving away spoilers, "Peace at the Last" essentially brings our troop of Animals, sans Chauntecleer, into their final Safety. Wangerin edits himself down, down, down -- it seems more like a collection of short stories than a novel. As the story progresses, he curiously replaces all of his male leads with female ones -- both antagonists and protagonists. I'm still not sure what to make of that.
The morals are many: perseverance and bravery being two of them, especially perseverance even without faith or vision to help you sleep at night. And much to do with the past, too: how you cannot outrun it. Wangerin uses a beautiful illustration of how when you look at the cross section of a tree, she carries the evidence of her growth (through fat and lean years) in rings inside of her. You can't exactly get away from them, but God makes way for us to carry our histories along to Paradise and leave the grief behind. He doesn't do us the dishonor of wiping our memories clean, but simply eliminates the burden of pain. This idea appeals to me a lot.
It's also worth noting that Wangerin doesn't completely do away with Evil in the story. All three installments in the Trilogy have their epic clashes between Good and Evil -- that's really the whole point of the stories, at least at first glance. But what he does is remove the Animals from the impact of Evil. Evil is never gone for good, but the Good escape it, and the Evil ones are simply left to their own empty selves, from now until--?
I love these books because of their beautiful language, their originality, even (yes, me Emma says this!) for their intense violence, because it serves a purpose. Though "Peace at the Last" wasn't the greatest novel I've ever read, I'm glad Wangerin attempted the resolution the AMAZING "Book of Sorrows" desperately needed. Funny how even the smallest, most obvious resolution can take 28 years to arrive.
Read these books. You won't regret it.
August 22, 2014
Although it lacks much of the beauty and wisdom of the previous two books – and the first chapter in particular reads about as comfortably as a fist in the face – Peace at the Last is worth reading for the finale alone. A good-but-not-great volume that, in the end, overcomes its weaknesses and wraps up the Dun Cow series well.
November 30, 2020
As I began this book I had high expectations. Following the first two in this trilogy and seeking to bring about resolution and some peace was a high task which I hoped it could accomplish. The first chapters, however, left me with little hope of this. Not only had the story seemed to take a rather undesirable turn, the writing itself seemed to have lost a coherence. It felt disjointed and thrown together. Unfortunately, this lead me to lay this book aside for a time. Now that I have been able to return and finish it I found I had left off at the worst moment. The disjointed writing is not unlike the disjointed memories of grief and sin, what follows is not unlike the peace and joy of grace. Perhaps, the redemptive arc is not only narrative but stylistic in this tale? In conclusion, well worth the read, stick through to the end and you will find a beautiful resolution to a sorrowful tale.
October 4, 2019
The Book of the Dun Cow is a modern fantasy classic, up there with Watership Down, but I just don't understand the sequels, which are a Job-esque series of endless ghastly trials and miserable deaths for the remaining talking animals from the first book, basically a barely relieved litany of suffering. This one, the shortest book of the series, continues the religious analogy as the survivors of the first two books trek across the country in search of respite, following the voice of God's messenger and making their way to, basically, heaven. Everything in this book feels arbitrary and disconnected, from the abrupt and unsettling deaths to out-of-nowhere developments in the plot, and none of it carried much weight or meaning for me.
November 10, 2024
I love The Book of the Dun Cow, Wangerin's original book in this series. It's one of my all-time favorites. This, however, is far from it. I do not recommend you read either of the newly revised sequels, The Second Book of the Dun Cow: Lamentations or this third book, The Third Book of the Dun Cow: Peace at the Last.
I have learned that the original sequel was written in the 1980's, a few years after the first book, yet these two editions, currently being published, were heavily revised and reworked in 2014. Do not read them. I will be tracking down the original sequel and giving it a go, seeing if it's any better.
I have never read a book with so many misprints and editorial issues. Certain pages have numerous misspellings and grammatical errors. It's egregious, and I find it hard to believe a company produced such a faulty product. Not to mention, the cover materials and paper are both very cheap, like, made-in-a-garage-cheap.
This brings us to the story.
Uugh.
So very disappointing. For some reason, Wangerin took some of the best characters of the first book and discarded them unceremoniously. By doing so, he undid much of the character growth that took place in the first book. It's really disappointing, and I hated it.
There's also a greater level of crassness that gets introduced. The original Dun Cow was not a simple children's tale; it had its gritty elements. But these sequels take everything to a new, uncomfortable level. There's language that is not necessary, and, yes, there is wolf sex. Other reviewers aren't exaggerating when they say it's bad. Yes, believe us, it's bad.
Ewww.
I am very disappointed by these sequels.
Please, please don't let this turn you away from reading the original though. It's wonderful as a standalone book.
I have learned that the original sequel was written in the 1980's, a few years after the first book, yet these two editions, currently being published, were heavily revised and reworked in 2014. Do not read them. I will be tracking down the original sequel and giving it a go, seeing if it's any better.
I have never read a book with so many misprints and editorial issues. Certain pages have numerous misspellings and grammatical errors. It's egregious, and I find it hard to believe a company produced such a faulty product. Not to mention, the cover materials and paper are both very cheap, like, made-in-a-garage-cheap.
This brings us to the story.
Uugh.
So very disappointing. For some reason, Wangerin took some of the best characters of the first book and discarded them unceremoniously. By doing so, he undid much of the character growth that took place in the first book. It's really disappointing, and I hated it.
There's also a greater level of crassness that gets introduced. The original Dun Cow was not a simple children's tale; it had its gritty elements. But these sequels take everything to a new, uncomfortable level. There's language that is not necessary, and, yes, there is wolf sex. Other reviewers aren't exaggerating when they say it's bad. Yes, believe us, it's bad.
Ewww.
I am very disappointed by these sequels.
Please, please don't let this turn you away from reading the original though. It's wonderful as a standalone book.
May 14, 2015
REVIEW WIP
Like the previous book, Lamentations, this book seemed rather rushed, as if it was abridged from a much longer original story. However, Lamentations WAS abridged from an original story, which Peace at the Last isn't. Nothing seemed to be given adequate time to sink in, which robbed the story of a chance to REALLY have me emotionally invested.
That ending, however, was a beautifully welcome relief. After the sheer hell of The Book of Sorrows, it's good to know that the innumerable heartbreaking personal sacrifices of these characters were not in vain. If Sorrows left you in an emotional wreck (like it did me), perhaps this book may assuage your pain.
Like the previous book, Lamentations, this book seemed rather rushed, as if it was abridged from a much longer original story. However, Lamentations WAS abridged from an original story, which Peace at the Last isn't. Nothing seemed to be given adequate time to sink in, which robbed the story of a chance to REALLY have me emotionally invested.
That ending, however, was a beautifully welcome relief. After the sheer hell of The Book of Sorrows, it's good to know that the innumerable heartbreaking personal sacrifices of these characters were not in vain. If Sorrows left you in an emotional wreck (like it did me), perhaps this book may assuage your pain.
September 6, 2017
3.5 stars
This is not a book for children (not that the first 2 books were either, but neither were they cringe-worthy). I was frankly shocked at the gruesome violence, strong language, and indelicate passages. I know this is to portray the dark/evil ones, but I'm old-fashioned. There are ways of showing, not telling. And honestly, couldn't he have given us more Dun Cow? Isn't that what we were all hoping for? A good ending, but I wanted to see her at the end.
This is not a book for children (not that the first 2 books were either, but neither were they cringe-worthy). I was frankly shocked at the gruesome violence, strong language, and indelicate passages. I know this is to portray the dark/evil ones, but I'm old-fashioned. There are ways of showing, not telling. And honestly, couldn't he have given us more Dun Cow? Isn't that what we were all hoping for? A good ending, but I wanted to see her at the end.
August 13, 2019
Meandering and at times unnecessarily graphic for the point being made. Kinda wish I’d stopped with book 1.
July 22, 2025
This conclusion, though very short and years removed from the first two and not nearly as good, is everything I needed it to be (and still miles better than a great lot of literature). This whole trilogy rightfully ought to be placed alongside Narnia and Lord of the Rings in acclaim, but part of me is glad that it's remained undeservedly obscure - its obscurity has shielded it from the misinterpretation and appropriation that plagues so many beautiful and healing stories.
"Going to the Cow's 'holy mountain'. This does not feel like anyone's 'home'. Holiness is not a habitation. It can be - can't it be? - an immolation. What happens when a Creature comes face-to-face with her God?
Pertelote knows only three possibilities. Stay. Go back. Go forward.
But there is no Back. And there can be no staying here. Pertelote's compulsion has always been forward. She and her band were wanderers, wayfarers, nomads on earth. But, really? Go forward? Now? - when forward means hazarding holiness? There are certain dyings worse than common death."
"Wrapped in the center of a Cottonwood is the sapling of her childhood. The rings around that first slender stalk are her youth, and all the rings that widen around the infant and the youth are the years of her growth. Today they are what she has become. There are rings in us, sweet Wachanga, of the good times past and the bad times too - but they have not passed."
"Going to the Cow's 'holy mountain'. This does not feel like anyone's 'home'. Holiness is not a habitation. It can be - can't it be? - an immolation. What happens when a Creature comes face-to-face with her God?
Pertelote knows only three possibilities. Stay. Go back. Go forward.
But there is no Back. And there can be no staying here. Pertelote's compulsion has always been forward. She and her band were wanderers, wayfarers, nomads on earth. But, really? Go forward? Now? - when forward means hazarding holiness? There are certain dyings worse than common death."
"Wrapped in the center of a Cottonwood is the sapling of her childhood. The rings around that first slender stalk are her youth, and all the rings that widen around the infant and the youth are the years of her growth. Today they are what she has become. There are rings in us, sweet Wachanga, of the good times past and the bad times too - but they have not passed."
January 1, 2018
This final installment is strange, to say the least. Repeating what everyone else has said in their reviews, it was written far long after the first two, and the 30some year gap between the first and the final book is very obvious. While it still is the battle between good and evil, it does not have the same level of allegory as its predecessors. There were a few sections I highlighted in my kindle that are references to scripture, but not as many as in the books before. I found that a little disappointing because I was very much moved by those, especially in the first book, which is to me could almost be read parallel to Paradise Lost (I am no Milton scholar, forgive me).
It could have done without the wolf sex. That's a sentence I never expected to say. That's part of the reason it lost a star from me (the other is the shift in tone/lack of allegory). I still find myself left with some questions (besides who built the chicken coop in the first book). Mainly, I hoped for an explanation of what happened with Wyrm and how the Wyrmsmere functioned, but I got nothing.
The ending. Oh my God the ending. I hoped that the ending would make up for the rather ehhhhhh other parts and hoo boy did it ever. I cried, okay? I honestly cried. It's worth it, ultimately. I think this series is an example of why books spread so far apart should be handled carefully to retain the previous style, but the final chapters and epilogue are a good conclusion.
It could have done without the wolf sex. That's a sentence I never expected to say. That's part of the reason it lost a star from me (the other is the shift in tone/lack of allegory). I still find myself left with some questions (besides who built the chicken coop in the first book). Mainly, I hoped for an explanation of what happened with Wyrm and how the Wyrmsmere functioned, but I got nothing.
The ending. Oh my God the ending. I hoped that the ending would make up for the rather ehhhhhh other parts and hoo boy did it ever. I cried, okay? I honestly cried. It's worth it, ultimately. I think this series is an example of why books spread so far apart should be handled carefully to retain the previous style, but the final chapters and epilogue are a good conclusion.
September 16, 2025
Overall, an unsavory and unsatisfying conclusion to what could have been a brilliant trilogy. The author switches registers too much, rendering the prose disjointed. Lovely at one moment and unbelievably crass at the next, the writing is all over the place. The work's random and unsettling ribaldness make it sound like the author is trying to be the modern Chaucer without any charm or context.
While all of the trilogy concludes each book with a dea or deus ex machina plot savior, this book does it quite poorly. I'd compare it to the annoying conclusion of CS Lewis' The Last Battle (though, make no mistake, Lewis' work quite surpasses this). All of the plot holes are neatly tied up by a random cosmic event, and everyone lives happily ever after.
The distinction between anthropomorphism and making the animals entirely human is something the author constantly struggles with. Romance and love especially in this book becomes very strange when the line between animal and human is blurred.
The trilogy suffered from a constant downward trajectory that culminated in a very sorry ending. While it held great promise, the stylistic and plot mistakes of the author ruined his work.
While all of the trilogy concludes each book with a dea or deus ex machina plot savior, this book does it quite poorly. I'd compare it to the annoying conclusion of CS Lewis' The Last Battle (though, make no mistake, Lewis' work quite surpasses this). All of the plot holes are neatly tied up by a random cosmic event, and everyone lives happily ever after.
The distinction between anthropomorphism and making the animals entirely human is something the author constantly struggles with. Romance and love especially in this book becomes very strange when the line between animal and human is blurred.
The trilogy suffered from a constant downward trajectory that culminated in a very sorry ending. While it held great promise, the stylistic and plot mistakes of the author ruined his work.
March 24, 2018
This was a disappointing ending to what is one of my favorite series. The first two books, The Book of the Dun Cow and the The Book of Sorrows are fantastic stories of good and evil. This book seemed thrown together just to end the trilogy. The story line isn't compelling. It was poorly edited, leaving multiple spelling errors and punctuation errors. Wangerin added unnecessary detailed sexual description of animal copulation that subtracts from the story. I had gone back to read the first two after 20 years, and convinced my young son that they would be a great read. Unfortunately, I won't let him read this one due to the above gratuitous sexualazition of the animals as well as needless profanity that only subtracts from the story line. I was really left wondering what happened to Walter Wangerin Jr.. He definitely seems to have lost his mojo.
December 27, 2019
The epilogue is a travesty. Until then, this book would have received 2 stars, even in spite the indulging in canine procreation. Because there are some nice points. I like the Raven and the light wolves, even though... Uh. Christian allegories.
The twisting of real animals to fit as characters of his story continues, making grotesque caricatures of both real animals and their human counterparts, so grotesque they become incongruous. This means that people reading the story cannot identify people in the story and the fable loses its power.
This also makes the actual facts of animals and their behavior unnecessary and confusing, not adding anything to the story. This is a short book, only about 150 pages, but... apparently it wasn't short enough. So much could - and should - have been cut out.
The twisting of real animals to fit as characters of his story continues, making grotesque caricatures of both real animals and their human counterparts, so grotesque they become incongruous. This means that people reading the story cannot identify people in the story and the fable loses its power.
This also makes the actual facts of animals and their behavior unnecessary and confusing, not adding anything to the story. This is a short book, only about 150 pages, but... apparently it wasn't short enough. So much could - and should - have been cut out.
December 19, 2021
I had to read this final of the three books in order to get to the end. Disappointingly, the story just did not pull me in like the previous two. I had to endure the racy animal-sex and crass language hoping the end would redeem all that. I was left wondering what happened to the author’s moral perspective in the thirty years between the first and the last books. However, I will give credit to him for “peace at last.” The end was satisfying.
March 1, 2024
I liked the first book best. The second book was ok. This third book was also ok. I laughed at some parts (John Weasley Weasel is one of the best characters I've read in fiction) but there was sensual content that was unnecessary for the story and too explicit...which sounds crazy since this is about animals but it's still true.
January 25, 2020
While I loved Wangerin's first 2 of the Dun Cow series, this one left me disappointed. Don't think it needs to be read to complete the story - 1 & 2 will do that. This one seemed to stray from the beauty of the first 2 books.
February 25, 2022
Satisfying conclusion. I’m not sure book twos and three are necessary in this series. There are flashes of brilliance on them. And are insightful pictures of good vs evil.
I think John Double-U is my favorite.
I think John Double-U is my favorite.
May 29, 2024
Peace at last! All is well. This series was beautiful and very hard to read at times but I think that’s just because Wangerin was really good at encapsulating the disgusting nature of sin and a fallen world. But there is hope! And one day there will be total peace when all is restored!!!!
November 13, 2018
It is pretty good to read but little nonsense
June 21, 2019
Disappointed after loving the first two so much.
June 8, 2021
These books are creative and I like the Christ-image of the Dun Cow, but this one was a bit esoteric for my tastes
October 8, 2021
i will love these 3 books forever.
April 21, 2023
Not as strong as the other two but a satisfying coda to the story.
February 18, 2025
Nice and short conclusion to the trilogy!
Read
January 6, 2015I only made it a couple chapters in to this final book in the Dun Cow trilogy. It had some pretty graphic descriptions on the outset that set it apart from the first two books in my opinion, as well as a much heavier peppering of language. The writing also seemed to have less of that rich innocence that made the raw transparency of the previous books so worthwhile. I'm sad to have to give any part of this series a somewhat negative review, since I have been such a huge fan of it on the whole!
Before I began reading Peace at the Last, I did a bit of research that helped me better understand the development of the trilogy. The first book was published in 1978, the second in 1985, and this one just last year (2013). The space of almost 30 years between the formulating of two books must invariably cause some noticeable differences in an author's writings, both in the effects of altered life-perspective and a more developed writing style. These differences were pretty evident to me right away. Another reviewer noted that if you have read The Book of Sorrows, the plot in this book will have inconsistencies with it's predecessor, because it was written as a follow-up to a revised, edited and re-named version of the original second book. The updated version is now titled "The Second Book of the Dun Cow: Lamentations". I haven't read this new version, but I have heard that the style is also more in keeping with Peace at the Last.
Having never made it very far into this last book, I would hate to deter other Wangerin Jr. fans from completing the trilogy. For me, it just didn't have the same quality as the Dun Cow books that I have come to love. I'd prefer to remember Chanticleer and his creatures in their former glory. My appreciation for Walter Wangerin Jr. still holds, and the first two books in this trilogy (in their original form) will continue to be some of my favorites.
(Now, at a later month, I was prompted to read the last chapter of this book. Whether you choose to end your reading with the second book or the third, this chapter is worth finding a copy of Peace at the Last. The heavenly reunion of the animals should not be missed.)
Before I began reading Peace at the Last, I did a bit of research that helped me better understand the development of the trilogy. The first book was published in 1978, the second in 1985, and this one just last year (2013). The space of almost 30 years between the formulating of two books must invariably cause some noticeable differences in an author's writings, both in the effects of altered life-perspective and a more developed writing style. These differences were pretty evident to me right away. Another reviewer noted that if you have read The Book of Sorrows, the plot in this book will have inconsistencies with it's predecessor, because it was written as a follow-up to a revised, edited and re-named version of the original second book. The updated version is now titled "The Second Book of the Dun Cow: Lamentations". I haven't read this new version, but I have heard that the style is also more in keeping with Peace at the Last.
Having never made it very far into this last book, I would hate to deter other Wangerin Jr. fans from completing the trilogy. For me, it just didn't have the same quality as the Dun Cow books that I have come to love. I'd prefer to remember Chanticleer and his creatures in their former glory. My appreciation for Walter Wangerin Jr. still holds, and the first two books in this trilogy (in their original form) will continue to be some of my favorites.
(Now, at a later month, I was prompted to read the last chapter of this book. Whether you choose to end your reading with the second book or the third, this chapter is worth finding a copy of Peace at the Last. The heavenly reunion of the animals should not be missed.)
November 21, 2013
Like the previous two books in the Book of the Dun Cow series, Peace at Last continues the fight between good and evil. Now that evil has entered the world and infected many animals, the world has become a very dangerous place for those who would follow the path of righteousness. The disparate group of animals, this Band of the Meek, finds itself trapped between a huge mob of vicious killers intent on destroying them and the promised sanctuary which is hidden at the bottom of a steep ravine. It will take a leap of faith for them to enter but, if they can make this leap, rest and freedom from the sorrows of the world will be their reward even to the Least of them.
I have seen this series compared to books like Animal Farm and The Lord of the Rings. To me, it more resembles Pilgrim’s Progress both in style and in content. Despite its modern language, there is something archaic in its telling. There is an elegance and lyricism to the prose which is so rarely seen in modern literature outside of poetry which I found an absolute joy like reading a hymn of praise by Bach.
One word of warning, however. There is some use of swearing in the tale. Personally, I felt it fit the narrative, sort of like a dissonant note in a concerto meant to jolt the reader and move the story but I suspect that some readers may be offended by this.
I have seen this series compared to books like Animal Farm and The Lord of the Rings. To me, it more resembles Pilgrim’s Progress both in style and in content. Despite its modern language, there is something archaic in its telling. There is an elegance and lyricism to the prose which is so rarely seen in modern literature outside of poetry which I found an absolute joy like reading a hymn of praise by Bach.
One word of warning, however. There is some use of swearing in the tale. Personally, I felt it fit the narrative, sort of like a dissonant note in a concerto meant to jolt the reader and move the story but I suspect that some readers may be offended by this.
January 21, 2014
In order to review this book because I got an advance copy, I felt it was necessary to do the homework of reading the first two books of the dun cow. I do not care for fantasy but as a fan of Wangerin I was up for the challenge. I am so pleased to have read the trilogy. The first book introduces the characters and their lives (when animals could talk). In the second evil stalks the land and in the third the animal world reaches peace at last. However, that is too simple a description of evil that lurks in the land. The emergence of evil and the struggles against it are told through these exceptional animal characters that are quirky, brave, and more than human. I recommend it to anyone who wants a good read and an adventure of depth.
April 25, 2016
Not nearly as good as the first... just had to add graphic descriptions of sex and cursing, which felt very out of place when compared to the first two. This made it seem as though Wangerin was trying to push edginess into a Christian allegory, like a pastor who thinks it's cool to drop F-bombs. It was also very rushed and just felt like a tacked on obligation than a well conceived fable like the first two. But, if you want these characters you've grown to love to advance beyond where Book of Sorrows left them (in a very cruddy place), then it is worth a read for completeness' sake.
May 16, 2015
I really liked the first two books in this series. This book, published more than 20 years after the first two, was a bit of a disappointment. It resolved the loose ends of the story, but in a way that seemed somewhat artificial. I wont give away the plot twists and resolutions, but other readers may find the story here a bit labored and out of character with the first two books.
July 13, 2020
After so much of sorrow, why is so little time given to joy? And why do we have to keep reading about wolves having sex?
The story felt rushed and disjointed, especially at the end. The very end is sweet, but doesn't contain the depth I would've expected from the previous two books. Overall, I'm disappointed to find such a weak ending to an incredible series.
The story felt rushed and disjointed, especially at the end. The very end is sweet, but doesn't contain the depth I would've expected from the previous two books. Overall, I'm disappointed to find such a weak ending to an incredible series.
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