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Falling from Horses
In a new novel from the best-selling author of The Hearts of Horses and The Jump-Off Creek, a young ranch hand escapes a family tragedy and travels to Hollywood to become a stunt rider. In 1938, nineteen-year-old ranch hand Bud Frazer sets out for Hollywood. His little sister has been gone a couple of years now, his parents are finding ranch work and comfort for their loss where they can, but for Bud, Echol Creek, where he grew up and first learned to ride, is a place he can no longer call home. So he sets his sights on becoming a stunt rider in the movies — and rubbing shoulders with the great screen cowboys of his youth.
On the long bus ride south, Bud meets a young woman who also harbors dreams of making it in the movies, though not as a starlet but as a writer, a real writer. Lily Shaw is bold and outspoken, confident in ways out of proportion with her small frame and bookish looks. But the two strike up an unlikely kinship that will carry them through their tumultuous days in Hollywood — and, as it happens, for the rest of their lives.
Acutely observed, Falling from Horses charts what was to be a glittering year in the movie business through the wide eyes and lofty dreams of two people trying to make their mark on the world, or at least make their way in it. Molly Gloss weaves a remarkable tale of humans and horses, hope and heartbreak, narrated by one of the most winning narrators ever to walk off the page.
On the long bus ride south, Bud meets a young woman who also harbors dreams of making it in the movies, though not as a starlet but as a writer, a real writer. Lily Shaw is bold and outspoken, confident in ways out of proportion with her small frame and bookish looks. But the two strike up an unlikely kinship that will carry them through their tumultuous days in Hollywood — and, as it happens, for the rest of their lives.
Acutely observed, Falling from Horses charts what was to be a glittering year in the movie business through the wide eyes and lofty dreams of two people trying to make their mark on the world, or at least make their way in it. Molly Gloss weaves a remarkable tale of humans and horses, hope and heartbreak, narrated by one of the most winning narrators ever to walk off the page.
330 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2014
135 people are currently reading
1386 people want to read
About the author
Molly Gloss
43 books176 followersMolly Gloss is a fourth-generation Oregonian who lives in Portland.
Her novel The Jump-Off Creek was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for American Fiction, and a winner of both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the Oregon Book Award. In 1996 Molly was a recipient of a Whiting Writers Award.
The Dazzle of Day was named a New York Times Notable Book and was awarded the PEN Center West Fiction Prize.
Wild Life won the James Tiptree Jr. Award and was chosen as the 2002 selection for "If All Seattle Read the Same Book."
Her novel The Jump-Off Creek was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for American Fiction, and a winner of both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the Oregon Book Award. In 1996 Molly was a recipient of a Whiting Writers Award.
The Dazzle of Day was named a New York Times Notable Book and was awarded the PEN Center West Fiction Prize.
Wild Life won the James Tiptree Jr. Award and was chosen as the 2002 selection for "If All Seattle Read the Same Book."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 215 reviews
December 18, 2023
reread in 2023. Truly an astonishing novel on this second read. Loved it the first time, loved it even more this time! There was an early review by someone who had expected this to be the glamour-stories of Hollywood. Instead she found truth and was not one bit happy. Horses and men were cruelly mistreated in the old Hollywood Westerns. I recall my father looking over to where I was enjoying a B&W Oater on television, probably in the late 50s. He had stand his adolescence and younger years in LA before the Second WW. (He was in high school with Jane Wyman, who would pay a small fortune to rid herself of her first husband, Ronald Reagan.) He told me about trip wires used to bring down horses for the camera. So what I found here was not news. What I treasure is not just the accuracy of her history, but the compassion of her story, the love between people who have more to lose that money or simple romance.
I will add that cruelty to horses and other animals during filmmaking is illegal in almost every nation today. I recall watching a film with friends in the 80s and wondering how that famous actor had appeared to punch the baby camel and the camel dropped like a stone; how horses legs seemed to be slashed with swords? When I got home, I did research and discovered that camel died and that horse was cut. The film had been made in Spain, the only nation that allowed such barbarism. Please don't watch Conan the Barbarian or its sequel. I was ashamed to have gone to a theater.
_________
Martha Lesson’s son, Bud, tells the story of his year in Hollywood cowboy movies in the 30s. We learn a lot about Bud Fraser while he’s learning a lot about the world and himself while falling from horses on movie sets. Bud’s narration alternates with third-person chapters about his family, providing a necessary bridge from Gloss’s earlier novel to this story.
In some ways Falling from Horses is a direct sequel to The Hearts of Horses, since it centers on the next generation of the Fraser family. But in many ways it is another sort of book altogether. I think I wrote on Facebook that I “loved” this book right off, which isn’t quite true. I liked it right away, but it was someplace after page 40 or so that I was completely in love. I cried on page 102 and at the ends of many chapters after that. It’s not a sad book, though it has sadness. And it’s not a book about cruelty or loss, though these are significant aspects of the novel. What It has left me with, and what remains in my mind after reading it, is an appreciation for the shape of entire lives. A satisfying book will choose the places to leave the reader in comfort—not a storybook “happy ending” but with a sense of purpose or insight or strength. Maybe because I am getting old myself, I appreciate thinking about the shape of a person’s lifetime. Gloss respects both the unavoidable sorrow none of us can escape in life and the ability of people to make something of themselves as a result of their experiences and the people they meet along the way.
A young man leaves home after the loss of his sister, seeking, like his mother before him, to find heroism and adventure. What he finds is a life quite different than he imagined and people who challenge and inspire him. It is a story of ordinary heroism, the kind that matters in our lives, the sort of people who save us, especially from ourselves.
The stunt riders and wranglers, and Lily, the screenwriter who most affects Bud, each emerge as fully rounded people. (I could read an entire novel about Lily, though most of her life is right here, told by Bud, who loved her like family, because that's what she was in his life.) There is tenderness and generosity. There is what feels like truth.
This was a book I talked to while I read it, and these are people I feel I know like family. I should quote a line here, but people familiar with the writing of this author know the beauty and depth of her prose like cold, clear water. Readers who don’t know the work of Molly Gloss will probably surprise themselves by crying somewhere along the way.
I read passages, which became entire chapters, aloud to my husband. Eventually I will read him the entire thing, as we did with Hearts of Horses. I think this might be my favorite by Gloss, and Gloss is among my favorite authors. She respects people and how people interact and love and care for one another. There is a paradox here: There is tragedy and cruelty in the novel, but the story itself is neither of those things, but another reality entirely, a world where I want to dwell. I feel like I understand people better after I have read one of Gloss's books. I feel like a better person. I see the world as a bigger and more meaningful place.
NOTE I had ordered a copy of the novel, but a short time ago I won an Advance Reader copy on Goodreads. The novel will be released in hardcover in October 2014.
I will add that cruelty to horses and other animals during filmmaking is illegal in almost every nation today. I recall watching a film with friends in the 80s and wondering how that famous actor had appeared to punch the baby camel and the camel dropped like a stone; how horses legs seemed to be slashed with swords? When I got home, I did research and discovered that camel died and that horse was cut. The film had been made in Spain, the only nation that allowed such barbarism. Please don't watch Conan the Barbarian or its sequel. I was ashamed to have gone to a theater.
_________
Martha Lesson’s son, Bud, tells the story of his year in Hollywood cowboy movies in the 30s. We learn a lot about Bud Fraser while he’s learning a lot about the world and himself while falling from horses on movie sets. Bud’s narration alternates with third-person chapters about his family, providing a necessary bridge from Gloss’s earlier novel to this story.
In some ways Falling from Horses is a direct sequel to The Hearts of Horses, since it centers on the next generation of the Fraser family. But in many ways it is another sort of book altogether. I think I wrote on Facebook that I “loved” this book right off, which isn’t quite true. I liked it right away, but it was someplace after page 40 or so that I was completely in love. I cried on page 102 and at the ends of many chapters after that. It’s not a sad book, though it has sadness. And it’s not a book about cruelty or loss, though these are significant aspects of the novel. What It has left me with, and what remains in my mind after reading it, is an appreciation for the shape of entire lives. A satisfying book will choose the places to leave the reader in comfort—not a storybook “happy ending” but with a sense of purpose or insight or strength. Maybe because I am getting old myself, I appreciate thinking about the shape of a person’s lifetime. Gloss respects both the unavoidable sorrow none of us can escape in life and the ability of people to make something of themselves as a result of their experiences and the people they meet along the way.
A young man leaves home after the loss of his sister, seeking, like his mother before him, to find heroism and adventure. What he finds is a life quite different than he imagined and people who challenge and inspire him. It is a story of ordinary heroism, the kind that matters in our lives, the sort of people who save us, especially from ourselves.
The stunt riders and wranglers, and Lily, the screenwriter who most affects Bud, each emerge as fully rounded people. (I could read an entire novel about Lily, though most of her life is right here, told by Bud, who loved her like family, because that's what she was in his life.) There is tenderness and generosity. There is what feels like truth.
This was a book I talked to while I read it, and these are people I feel I know like family. I should quote a line here, but people familiar with the writing of this author know the beauty and depth of her prose like cold, clear water. Readers who don’t know the work of Molly Gloss will probably surprise themselves by crying somewhere along the way.
I read passages, which became entire chapters, aloud to my husband. Eventually I will read him the entire thing, as we did with Hearts of Horses. I think this might be my favorite by Gloss, and Gloss is among my favorite authors. She respects people and how people interact and love and care for one another. There is a paradox here: There is tragedy and cruelty in the novel, but the story itself is neither of those things, but another reality entirely, a world where I want to dwell. I feel like I understand people better after I have read one of Gloss's books. I feel like a better person. I see the world as a bigger and more meaningful place.
NOTE I had ordered a copy of the novel, but a short time ago I won an Advance Reader copy on Goodreads. The novel will be released in hardcover in October 2014.
September 19, 2020
Oh my heart. Initially, I didn't like the first person narrative of the story. I kept thinking, "Show, don't tell" through the first thirty pages or so. But once I got into the story of Bud and his sister Mary Claudine, I was all in.
Bud travels to Hollywood after a terrible loss on the farm where he worked along side his parents and his sister. He is set on making it as a cowboy in film. This is a tough career and one that is tough on the body and soul. Bud finds his way to Gower Gulch and finds himself a job with a man that rents out horses for the movies. Bud finds this will be an easy way to get himself on a movie set.
On the bus to Hollywood, Bud befriends Lily Shaw. She is a young woman that is focused on becoming a screen writer. She and Bud represent two different parts of Hollywood. Lily is up against the patriarchy of filmmaking (still in place today) and Bud hangs his hopes that this will be his big break to the dream of stardom.
The story also flashes back to the reason for Bud's sudden departure from Echol Creek (his parent's farm in Oregon). We get the relationship between Bud and his sister, Mary Claudine. We also see the machinations of a working farm. Bud knows about hard work and his parents are not prone to sentimentality. We also come to better understand Bud's all in attitude when it comes to falling off horses. It's not just about making the scene work, it is really about a physical punishment Bud owes to himself.
As the story unfolds, there is a reckoning coming for which I felt prepared because Gloss creates a gossamer-like protective dome over me. The portions narrated in the first person by Bud are told from the perspective of a life well lived; one where he is ready to see the value of his experience in Hollywood. The portions that take place in Echol Creek are good at showing us how the family works together. We get a feeling for the love that envelops the family.
I am so glad I didn't give up on this one. Her last book, The Hearts of Horses, is so good also. Falling From Horses is considered a sort of sequel to that book.
Bud travels to Hollywood after a terrible loss on the farm where he worked along side his parents and his sister. He is set on making it as a cowboy in film. This is a tough career and one that is tough on the body and soul. Bud finds his way to Gower Gulch and finds himself a job with a man that rents out horses for the movies. Bud finds this will be an easy way to get himself on a movie set.
On the bus to Hollywood, Bud befriends Lily Shaw. She is a young woman that is focused on becoming a screen writer. She and Bud represent two different parts of Hollywood. Lily is up against the patriarchy of filmmaking (still in place today) and Bud hangs his hopes that this will be his big break to the dream of stardom.
The story also flashes back to the reason for Bud's sudden departure from Echol Creek (his parent's farm in Oregon). We get the relationship between Bud and his sister, Mary Claudine. We also see the machinations of a working farm. Bud knows about hard work and his parents are not prone to sentimentality. We also come to better understand Bud's all in attitude when it comes to falling off horses. It's not just about making the scene work, it is really about a physical punishment Bud owes to himself.
As the story unfolds, there is a reckoning coming for which I felt prepared because Gloss creates a gossamer-like protective dome over me. The portions narrated in the first person by Bud are told from the perspective of a life well lived; one where he is ready to see the value of his experience in Hollywood. The portions that take place in Echol Creek are good at showing us how the family works together. We get a feeling for the love that envelops the family.
I am so glad I didn't give up on this one. Her last book, The Hearts of Horses, is so good also. Falling From Horses is considered a sort of sequel to that book.
June 11, 2024
Falling from Horses is a gentle story about an ordinary ranching kid that ventures forth into the chaos of Hollywood in the late 1930s. He’s looking to find himself and to forget about his past.
It’s likely that if I had been a big fan of the black-and-white Western movies of the ‘30s, then this novel would have been far more appealing. Molly Gloss constantly name drops the names of old movies and movie stars, and gives a clear picture of how quickly and cheaply these B-movies were made. However, this aspect of the book was not that interesting to me.
Then there’s the main character, Bud. Bud is basically just and ordinary young dude fresh from the ranch who experiences a rather ordinary shock of moving to the big city. Everything falls into place for Bud and he eventually gets his big city wish to fall off horses for the movies. But Bud’s role is mostly used to tell of the brutal secrets of movie making in the ‘30s when men and horses were mostly expendable for the sake of a dramatic and low-budget scene.
The writing is very good. Gloss has a natural way of writing Western images and characters that brings the down-to-earth mood home to the reader. She creates a feeling of western sincerity with Bud’s first-person narration. However, Bud is not a very deep thinker, which keeps his focus on stuntmen and their stunts rather than trying to understand the hardships of his life or the cruelty of his work.
Still, there were some charming points in Falling from Horses that made it worthwhile. Friendship is a major theme that sadly gets overwhelmed. Also, the contrasting settings of Hollywood and the Oregon ranchlands in the 1930s brought forth images of trolley cars, one-street towns, and horse carts slowly being replaced by motorcars. But unfortunately, these charming points were not the main points of the novel.
It’s likely that if I had been a big fan of the black-and-white Western movies of the ‘30s, then this novel would have been far more appealing. Molly Gloss constantly name drops the names of old movies and movie stars, and gives a clear picture of how quickly and cheaply these B-movies were made. However, this aspect of the book was not that interesting to me.
Then there’s the main character, Bud. Bud is basically just and ordinary young dude fresh from the ranch who experiences a rather ordinary shock of moving to the big city. Everything falls into place for Bud and he eventually gets his big city wish to fall off horses for the movies. But Bud’s role is mostly used to tell of the brutal secrets of movie making in the ‘30s when men and horses were mostly expendable for the sake of a dramatic and low-budget scene.
The writing is very good. Gloss has a natural way of writing Western images and characters that brings the down-to-earth mood home to the reader. She creates a feeling of western sincerity with Bud’s first-person narration. However, Bud is not a very deep thinker, which keeps his focus on stuntmen and their stunts rather than trying to understand the hardships of his life or the cruelty of his work.
Still, there were some charming points in Falling from Horses that made it worthwhile. Friendship is a major theme that sadly gets overwhelmed. Also, the contrasting settings of Hollywood and the Oregon ranchlands in the 1930s brought forth images of trolley cars, one-street towns, and horse carts slowly being replaced by motorcars. But unfortunately, these charming points were not the main points of the novel.
September 14, 2015
I don't give five stars to a book lightly. This was gorgeous. The voice was so true, the account so vivid, that I had to continually remind myself I wasn't reading an autobiography.
It's a year-in-the-life story, but interspersed with chapters of backstory that explain how Bud came to Hollywood and the dangerous mindset he carried there. Along the way, we're treated to a tremendous amount of detail on ranch life, stunt riding, and women in Hollywood. The cruelty to the stunt horses was difficult for me to read, but it was true to the period. Everything feels like it could be observed by a smart and sensitive kid with an artist's eye. The prose is somehow stunning and invisible at once. I sometimes find myself skimming at parts of a book, but I had to read this closely. Not one sentence wanted to be ignored.
I'd read Molly Gloss's short fiction before, but this my first time reading one of her novels. I'm looking forward to catching up on the rest. Wow.
It's a year-in-the-life story, but interspersed with chapters of backstory that explain how Bud came to Hollywood and the dangerous mindset he carried there. Along the way, we're treated to a tremendous amount of detail on ranch life, stunt riding, and women in Hollywood. The cruelty to the stunt horses was difficult for me to read, but it was true to the period. Everything feels like it could be observed by a smart and sensitive kid with an artist's eye. The prose is somehow stunning and invisible at once. I sometimes find myself skimming at parts of a book, but I had to read this closely. Not one sentence wanted to be ignored.
I'd read Molly Gloss's short fiction before, but this my first time reading one of her novels. I'm looking forward to catching up on the rest. Wow.
June 9, 2014
This book is told more than finely written: Many chapters are told first person by the protagonist, Bud Frazer, a rancher turned stunt rider in the movies in the 1930s. And even the interspersed third-person sections have a meandering "telling a story" feel.
I've never really thought about old Western movies, but after reading Falling from Horses (an Advanced Reading Copy), I never want to watch a Western of any era again. The violence against horses is hard on the stomach. There is violence against people as well, but the people chose to participate in it; the horses did not. And the book is, in many ways, about the commonplace violence that is often a part of living. Author Molly Gloss says it a lot better than I can (from chapter 33):
I can see it, Ms. Gloss. I'm glad I read this, but it was tough on the emotions.
I've never really thought about old Western movies, but after reading Falling from Horses (an Advanced Reading Copy), I never want to watch a Western of any era again. The violence against horses is hard on the stomach. There is violence against people as well, but the people chose to participate in it; the horses did not. And the book is, in many ways, about the commonplace violence that is often a part of living. Author Molly Gloss says it a lot better than I can (from chapter 33):
. . . I always seem to be looking at the hard knot that is our myth of the cowboy West: the violence on the movie screen and behind it and the way the humanity has been hollowed out of our movie heroes and villains, the poverty, isolation, and precariousness of ranch work, the dignity and joy of it, and the necessary cruelty. At the start I thought that if I could get everything right, people would see where the cowboy stories went wrong, what we have missed or lost, and they might see that the cowboy life doesn't have to be so goddamn brave and bloody and lonesome as the movies make it out to be. But I have learned over the years that all I can do is reach for something difficult--try to get the colors right and the negative space, the angle of the light. And if a few people can see it, that has to be enough.
I can see it, Ms. Gloss. I'm glad I read this, but it was tough on the emotions.
March 13, 2018
3.5 stars
Molly Gloss is an excellent writer, but this isn’t my favorite of her books. I loved Wild Life, and The Hearts of Horses is a lovely examination of a rural community. This one is a sequel of sorts to The Hearts of Horses, featuring Martha’s son Bud, who at age 19 takes off for Hollywood to become a stunt rider. Much of the book is about the difference between the real American West and the West as portrayed in cowboy movies, and about the dirty underbelly of Hollywood at the time: the frequent injuries and deaths of men and horses in stunts, the sexual harassment, the various tricks used to make everything in movies look more exciting than it really is.
And I think the best of this book is in its themes, in its examination of Hollywood and its contrast between the myth of a West full of heroes, villains and derring-do and the real world in which a hardscrabble ranching family does unromantic work and loses a child in a meaningless accident. It’s a very well-written book, and there’s a resonance to Gloss’s writing that more literary-oriented readers will enjoy. But I found the plot of this one a little lacking. It has a very long, slow start – half the book passes in Bud’s bus trip to Hollywood, initial attempts to find work and first job working for a stable that rents horses for the tamer scenes – which doesn’t leave much time for the meat of the story. Bud also interested me less than Gloss’s heroines; his friend Lily, a budding screenwriter whom he meets on the bus to Hollywood, is a more interesting and colorful character, but she isn’t the narrator and so we see less of her.
Overall, then, this book has a lot going for it, but my expectations for this author are very high. I liked it, but for most readers I’d recommend Wild Life or The Hearts of Horses first.
Molly Gloss is an excellent writer, but this isn’t my favorite of her books. I loved Wild Life, and The Hearts of Horses is a lovely examination of a rural community. This one is a sequel of sorts to The Hearts of Horses, featuring Martha’s son Bud, who at age 19 takes off for Hollywood to become a stunt rider. Much of the book is about the difference between the real American West and the West as portrayed in cowboy movies, and about the dirty underbelly of Hollywood at the time: the frequent injuries and deaths of men and horses in stunts, the sexual harassment, the various tricks used to make everything in movies look more exciting than it really is.
And I think the best of this book is in its themes, in its examination of Hollywood and its contrast between the myth of a West full of heroes, villains and derring-do and the real world in which a hardscrabble ranching family does unromantic work and loses a child in a meaningless accident. It’s a very well-written book, and there’s a resonance to Gloss’s writing that more literary-oriented readers will enjoy. But I found the plot of this one a little lacking. It has a very long, slow start – half the book passes in Bud’s bus trip to Hollywood, initial attempts to find work and first job working for a stable that rents horses for the tamer scenes – which doesn’t leave much time for the meat of the story. Bud also interested me less than Gloss’s heroines; his friend Lily, a budding screenwriter whom he meets on the bus to Hollywood, is a more interesting and colorful character, but she isn’t the narrator and so we see less of her.
Overall, then, this book has a lot going for it, but my expectations for this author are very high. I liked it, but for most readers I’d recommend Wild Life or The Hearts of Horses first.
May 11, 2015
Find a comfy chair and settle in. Molly Gloss’ Falling from Horses is hard to put down.
Bud Frazer and Lily Shaw meet on the long bus ride from Eastern Oregon to Hollywood, California. Bud, nineteen, considers himself a pretty fair hand with horses and cattle. His folks run a ranch and he grew up knowing how to ride and rope. He has his sights set on being a stunt rider and work with the great screen cowboys of his youth. The story takes place in the 1930s.
Bud has never met anyone like Lily Shaw. She says what’s on her mind and has unwavering ambitions to become a screenwriter. The only thing these two have in common is that they arrive in Hollywood at the same time. They form a friendship and see one another from time to time, take in Sunday movies, play cards, and talk. Along the way we learn about Hollywood-style cowboying and screen writing.
Hollywood isn’t anything like Bud expects. Stunt riding is a tough business–tough on riders and especially tough on horses. Knowing the gentle care his folks give their stock, seeing the mistreatment of horses is sickening to Bud. It isn’t pretend when the movie sets run horses off cliffs, use wires to trip them while at a fast run, seriously, if not fatally, injuring both horses and riders.
The “myth of the cowboy West” carries harsh realities. Coming from the real thing, Bud’s eyes are open to these fake, fast-paced scenes. He had never run a horse so fast or recklessly while actually working on a ranch. The false bloodless fistfights are almost comical. The costumes often uncomfortable. He becomes disillusioned, but hangs in there, always hoping to get a big part.
The novel toggles between Bud’s Hollywood experiences and his youth. The narrative voice is natural and insightful; the characters real and compelling. The stark contrast between the real thing, cowboys working on ranches, and Hollywood’s interpretation, is entertaining, but also an eye-opener. Nowadays there are animal protection laws, but this book made me wonder how closely those laws are followed.
Falling from Horses is a beautifully written novel. To learn more about bestselling author, Molly Gloss, visit http://mollygloss.com/
Bud Frazer and Lily Shaw meet on the long bus ride from Eastern Oregon to Hollywood, California. Bud, nineteen, considers himself a pretty fair hand with horses and cattle. His folks run a ranch and he grew up knowing how to ride and rope. He has his sights set on being a stunt rider and work with the great screen cowboys of his youth. The story takes place in the 1930s.
Bud has never met anyone like Lily Shaw. She says what’s on her mind and has unwavering ambitions to become a screenwriter. The only thing these two have in common is that they arrive in Hollywood at the same time. They form a friendship and see one another from time to time, take in Sunday movies, play cards, and talk. Along the way we learn about Hollywood-style cowboying and screen writing.
Hollywood isn’t anything like Bud expects. Stunt riding is a tough business–tough on riders and especially tough on horses. Knowing the gentle care his folks give their stock, seeing the mistreatment of horses is sickening to Bud. It isn’t pretend when the movie sets run horses off cliffs, use wires to trip them while at a fast run, seriously, if not fatally, injuring both horses and riders.
The “myth of the cowboy West” carries harsh realities. Coming from the real thing, Bud’s eyes are open to these fake, fast-paced scenes. He had never run a horse so fast or recklessly while actually working on a ranch. The false bloodless fistfights are almost comical. The costumes often uncomfortable. He becomes disillusioned, but hangs in there, always hoping to get a big part.
The novel toggles between Bud’s Hollywood experiences and his youth. The narrative voice is natural and insightful; the characters real and compelling. The stark contrast between the real thing, cowboys working on ranches, and Hollywood’s interpretation, is entertaining, but also an eye-opener. Nowadays there are animal protection laws, but this book made me wonder how closely those laws are followed.
Falling from Horses is a beautifully written novel. To learn more about bestselling author, Molly Gloss, visit http://mollygloss.com/
October 5, 2014
This was an excellent book. I never thought about the horses and stunt men in the westerns and how badly they were hurt making these movies. It was a very good story with really vivid descriptions of the scenery and how cruel the bosses were to the men and animals. I sympathized with Bud and Lily trying to become successful in Hollywood and all of their struggles.
September 15, 2022
I almost gave this story a 4 star rating because of the very difficult segments of horse abuse and the literally heart breaking tragedy the family faces. Those parts of the story were hard for me, but story was set primarily in 1938 and life in that era was hard. It was a time when you weren’t supposed to show emotions if you were a man, and you were supposed to behave like a lady if you were a woman. This story put a twist on those stereotypes. I didn’t realize this is a sequel. I’ll be checking it out.
January 24, 2016
This work of fiction is a memoir of a year in the life of a stunt cowboy in 1938 Hollywood. Bud Frazer, writing this in later years, gives glimpses of his past and present life as he pursues his Hollywood dream and tries to escape haunting memories back home on the ranch in Harney County, Oregon. I felt I knew the entire life of this wonderful protagonist; his voice is irresistible. Written in the style of 19-year old Bud, the reader sees him as a decent, intelligent, hard working young man with a sense of humor laced with deep sadness. As the story opens he is traveling by Greyhound bus from southern Oregon to Hollywood. At the end of the book we see him traveling the same route, heading home, injured and finished with Hollywood stunts and the cruelty accorded men and horses for the sake of cowboy movie mythology.
As observed by Bud, major and minor characters come to life. Lily Shaw is a girl he meets on the bus, with Hollywood dreams of becoming a writer; she is plain and probably too honest to make it in Hollywood. Bud's hardworking mother likes working with horses better than housework; she is careful but allows her children as toddlers to get the feel of horses. Bud's kind but tough father is the family cook and hides his feelings well. Mary Claudine is the sweetest, most hard-riding little sister ever. Her tragic death at age ten is a center point of Bud's story even as he narrates the events of his cowboy-movie days.
It is evident early in the story that Mary Claudine's death and the loss of their ranch in Oregon are causes for deep sadness in Bud's family. But is there more to what is troubling Bud? For instance, why did he choose to distance himself from his parents, and why does a young man of nineteen suffer from insomnia? Is his enduring friendship with Lily a substitute for his relationship with his sister? Anger in Bud occasionally leaks out, and in many cases it's easy to see why. But is there more? These questions and action in every chapter kept me turning pages, reading to the end. Past and present, occasionally the young man's future, are skillfully woven into Bud's memoir of 1938, as he writes his memoir from his adult perspective.
Some narrative chapters are interspersed between the sections of Bud's memoir, but these chapters present necessary back story in third person p.o.v. without interrupting the flow of Bud's memoir.
Descriptions of place--from arid ranch lands of Dust Bowl days in Oregon to staged western Hollywood sets--immerse the reader in the settings. The behaviors of horses and Hollywood horse owners, movie directors, stunt men, actors, and ramrods (some unbelievably kind, others downright mean) put me in the middle of the action. And the author's insight into momentary experiences of life are spot on, such as Bud's view of the bus accident on the way to Hollywood: "This all seemed to happen slowly. Or not slowly but as if each fraction of a second had its own point of interest, its own separate weight..."
The author's knowledge and ease of writing about ranching and movie-making in 1938 Hollywood is nothing short of amazing. She must have grown up with horses to know them so well--every flick of the ears, every nervous shift of the feet, every scream of terror when falling over a trip wire or over a cliff. The horses in the novel are as alive as the people.
The novel makes some points about the mythology and cliches contained in early cowboy movies or 'oaters' as they are sometimes referred to. Animal cruelty is plainly seen, and the horse owners who protect them are heroes remembered fondly by Bud.
Fair warning--this story can be a tear jerker, although it is not written in a sentimental way. However, I question whether it was necessary to show (or imagine) the details of Mary Claudine's demise. This part is a heartbreaking read. But even so, this section touched me, as it was a reminder of Bud's sister's sweetness, and this revelation leads to a further understanding of her tragedy by the Frazer family.
The author uses imagery for emotional emphasis. The image of Mary Claudine sitting on the porch steps with her dog, welcoming Bud home from boarding school is echoed to wonderful effect in the book's ending lines.
As observed by Bud, major and minor characters come to life. Lily Shaw is a girl he meets on the bus, with Hollywood dreams of becoming a writer; she is plain and probably too honest to make it in Hollywood. Bud's hardworking mother likes working with horses better than housework; she is careful but allows her children as toddlers to get the feel of horses. Bud's kind but tough father is the family cook and hides his feelings well. Mary Claudine is the sweetest, most hard-riding little sister ever. Her tragic death at age ten is a center point of Bud's story even as he narrates the events of his cowboy-movie days.
It is evident early in the story that Mary Claudine's death and the loss of their ranch in Oregon are causes for deep sadness in Bud's family. But is there more to what is troubling Bud? For instance, why did he choose to distance himself from his parents, and why does a young man of nineteen suffer from insomnia? Is his enduring friendship with Lily a substitute for his relationship with his sister? Anger in Bud occasionally leaks out, and in many cases it's easy to see why. But is there more? These questions and action in every chapter kept me turning pages, reading to the end. Past and present, occasionally the young man's future, are skillfully woven into Bud's memoir of 1938, as he writes his memoir from his adult perspective.
Some narrative chapters are interspersed between the sections of Bud's memoir, but these chapters present necessary back story in third person p.o.v. without interrupting the flow of Bud's memoir.
Descriptions of place--from arid ranch lands of Dust Bowl days in Oregon to staged western Hollywood sets--immerse the reader in the settings. The behaviors of horses and Hollywood horse owners, movie directors, stunt men, actors, and ramrods (some unbelievably kind, others downright mean) put me in the middle of the action. And the author's insight into momentary experiences of life are spot on, such as Bud's view of the bus accident on the way to Hollywood: "This all seemed to happen slowly. Or not slowly but as if each fraction of a second had its own point of interest, its own separate weight..."
The author's knowledge and ease of writing about ranching and movie-making in 1938 Hollywood is nothing short of amazing. She must have grown up with horses to know them so well--every flick of the ears, every nervous shift of the feet, every scream of terror when falling over a trip wire or over a cliff. The horses in the novel are as alive as the people.
The novel makes some points about the mythology and cliches contained in early cowboy movies or 'oaters' as they are sometimes referred to. Animal cruelty is plainly seen, and the horse owners who protect them are heroes remembered fondly by Bud.
Fair warning--this story can be a tear jerker, although it is not written in a sentimental way. However, I question whether it was necessary to show (or imagine) the details of Mary Claudine's demise. This part is a heartbreaking read. But even so, this section touched me, as it was a reminder of Bud's sister's sweetness, and this revelation leads to a further understanding of her tragedy by the Frazer family.
The author uses imagery for emotional emphasis. The image of Mary Claudine sitting on the porch steps with her dog, welcoming Bud home from boarding school is echoed to wonderful effect in the book's ending lines.
November 4, 2014
I won an ARC of Falling from Horses by Molly Gloss after entering a First Reads Giveaway contest on Goodreads.
This was an interesting and powerful read. Bud Frazer travels to Hollywood by bus in 1938. He is 19 years-old and has lived on a Ranch almost all of his life. He wants to become a stunt rider in the Western Films in Hollywood. While on the bus, he meets a strong willed young woman by the name of Lily Shaw. She is also on her way to Hollywood. She has dreams of becoming a screen writer. The two become friends and their lives parallel each other through-out the book. Bud ends up finding out more about the Westerns he loves and is changed because of it.
Falling from Horses brings up topics some know about and even less talk about. The horrible treatment of livestock during the making of the popular Westerns of the time, is the underlining focus of this book. The novel transports the reader back to a time when horses, mules and other four-legged bests were just props to be used at the whim of the director. It is a hard read, if you are an animal lover. Falling from Horses peels back the the chaps,the flowing dress, and the western heroes to reveal the darker side of the American Western.
The novel is told in two parts. This might create some confusion for some readers, at first. One part is Bud when he is in Hollywood. The other part contains flashbacks to his childhood and the untimely death of his younger sister on his home ranch. The closer the reader gets to the end of the novel the more often these flashbacks happen.
This novel reads like a autobiography. Molly Gloss is an amazing story teller. In Falling from Horses she brings the dust and grit of this time in history to the surface. She doesn't hedge around the not so glamorous facts of this time period. She hits you with it right in the face. After one reads Falling from Horse, the American Western will never look the same.
Thank you the Author, the publisher and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this fantastic novel.
This was an interesting and powerful read. Bud Frazer travels to Hollywood by bus in 1938. He is 19 years-old and has lived on a Ranch almost all of his life. He wants to become a stunt rider in the Western Films in Hollywood. While on the bus, he meets a strong willed young woman by the name of Lily Shaw. She is also on her way to Hollywood. She has dreams of becoming a screen writer. The two become friends and their lives parallel each other through-out the book. Bud ends up finding out more about the Westerns he loves and is changed because of it.
Falling from Horses brings up topics some know about and even less talk about. The horrible treatment of livestock during the making of the popular Westerns of the time, is the underlining focus of this book. The novel transports the reader back to a time when horses, mules and other four-legged bests were just props to be used at the whim of the director. It is a hard read, if you are an animal lover. Falling from Horses peels back the the chaps,the flowing dress, and the western heroes to reveal the darker side of the American Western.
The novel is told in two parts. This might create some confusion for some readers, at first. One part is Bud when he is in Hollywood. The other part contains flashbacks to his childhood and the untimely death of his younger sister on his home ranch. The closer the reader gets to the end of the novel the more often these flashbacks happen.
This novel reads like a autobiography. Molly Gloss is an amazing story teller. In Falling from Horses she brings the dust and grit of this time in history to the surface. She doesn't hedge around the not so glamorous facts of this time period. She hits you with it right in the face. After one reads Falling from Horse, the American Western will never look the same.
Thank you the Author, the publisher and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this fantastic novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 17, 2015
Falling from Horses is the story of two different phases of fictional character Bud Frazer's life. About half the book is written as if its a memoir (I actually did a double check to confirm this was a fictional book and not a memoir when I started reading) detailing Bud's time as a Hollywood stunt rider in the 30s. The other half is told in a more traditional fictional style detailing Bud's childhood to teen years growing up on a ranch. The two parts are interspersed with a few chapters of each at a time. In the Hollywood part you learn that things were certainly different in those days with most people having little care for the well being of horses or most people for that matter. Intertwined in the story of some of Bud's trials as a stunt reader is the story of a female want to be writer he meets on the bus ride down to LA who has her own struggles as a female trying to make it in a male dominated career. The ranch life is difficult in its own way and some of that is shared. Also Bud's family life is particularly shaped by the death of his sister. That this happened is something we learn early on whereas the story of how it happens is slowly unwound as the story of Bud's childhood is told.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is certainly not a happy story by any means and there are some horrifying moments, but I found it to be a really interesting look into another world. I was engaged and interested throughout.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads first read program.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It is certainly not a happy story by any means and there are some horrifying moments, but I found it to be a really interesting look into another world. I was engaged and interested throughout.
Note: I received this book for free through Goodreads first read program.
February 11, 2015
Her writing can be elegant; her description spot-on. And she knows her topics inside-out: stunt-riding, early days of movie-making, Cowboy films of the 20's and 30's, ranching before it became very machine-dependent or mechanized, and horses? This writer is a HORSE EXPERT.
I enjoyed all that about this book; reading it was effortless and I often felt 'transported' to a different time, location and even, sensibility.
However, this is a book which tells us things; it seldom shows very much. One can almost imagine the author sitting on a big log under a large shade tree saying, 'Now kids, this next episode is when I...'
Then she tells it. Tells
I don't read many books like this; most of those I really like are written first or third POV and you are there. You see, feel, touch, taste and hear what is going on, but in this book that happens, well, not so much. And the plot or storyline, when laid out - well what is it? More like a fictional memoir than a real 'story' with a beginning, middle and end.
Still, for the beauty of the writing, the description, the time period it evokes, I give it four stars.
I received a copy of this book through the goodreads giveaway program.
I enjoyed all that about this book; reading it was effortless and I often felt 'transported' to a different time, location and even, sensibility.
However, this is a book which tells us things; it seldom shows very much. One can almost imagine the author sitting on a big log under a large shade tree saying, 'Now kids, this next episode is when I...'
Then she tells it. Tells
I don't read many books like this; most of those I really like are written first or third POV and you are there. You see, feel, touch, taste and hear what is going on, but in this book that happens, well, not so much. And the plot or storyline, when laid out - well what is it? More like a fictional memoir than a real 'story' with a beginning, middle and end.
Still, for the beauty of the writing, the description, the time period it evokes, I give it four stars.
I received a copy of this book through the goodreads giveaway program.
October 28, 2014
Here is an excerpt from my review: "Recently, I've been reading a lot of books that I picked up at Book Expo America, and I have to say that Molly Gloss' Falling from Horses is the best book I've read from this group of books. The writing is fantastic, and I just couldn't put the book down!
The book tells the story of 19-year-old Bud Frazer and his year in Hollywood trying to make money as a horse-riding stuntman. The year is 1938, and Bud has left his ranchhand mom and dad behind in Oregon. He's also left behind, or thinks he has, a bit of baggage from the death of his younger sister."
You can read my full review here: http://cookscrapcraft.blogspot.com/20...
The book tells the story of 19-year-old Bud Frazer and his year in Hollywood trying to make money as a horse-riding stuntman. The year is 1938, and Bud has left his ranchhand mom and dad behind in Oregon. He's also left behind, or thinks he has, a bit of baggage from the death of his younger sister."
You can read my full review here: http://cookscrapcraft.blogspot.com/20...
February 8, 2015
I love Molly Gloss' writing, in part because the work that I've read is set in Oregon and while I'm a city girl, I do love the descriptions of the West. They evoke places I've hiked or camped and make me want to get outdoors. To echo another review here (sorry I can't find it again to provide credit), Molly Gloss' writing is like clear, cold water. You can smell the horses, the fires and the sage, but she doesn't waste words.
I did not know anything about the making of Westerns prior to reading this book and not having watched many, I had never given much thought to how physically difficult it would be for the people and animals involved; clearly well researched.
I did not know anything about the making of Westerns prior to reading this book and not having watched many, I had never given much thought to how physically difficult it would be for the people and animals involved; clearly well researched.
August 28, 2023
A young ranch hand leaves his home and rides the bus to Hollywood, hoping to become a stuntman. He strikes up a friendship with a young woman who wants to become a screenwriter. Both see the seamy side of Hollywood, she from the perspective of a young woman in a man's world (today she would have a wrongful termination suit) and he sees the abuse heaped on horses and riders in low budget Westerns. They remain friends for life as their paths diverge.
The book gives wonderful descriptions of high country ranch life during the Depression-working hard in a beautiful setting isn't enough to guarantee success. Our hero is pretty green--on the bus ride an accident occurs when a car forces the bus off the road. The driver of the car dies and all have to wait for the police and a replacement bus. As they are finally ready to leave, our hero notices that a
cattle fence has come down in the accident and he can't understand why the police don't fix the fence since the cattle will surely wander off when they all leave. Just a great moment that distills our hero's naïveté.
The depiction of early Hollywood is also fantastic reading. Humans and horses alike were abused but at least the humans had a choice. The directors didn't care in the least about safety and could get away with it back then.
One of my favorite recent reads.
The book gives wonderful descriptions of high country ranch life during the Depression-working hard in a beautiful setting isn't enough to guarantee success. Our hero is pretty green--on the bus ride an accident occurs when a car forces the bus off the road. The driver of the car dies and all have to wait for the police and a replacement bus. As they are finally ready to leave, our hero notices that a
cattle fence has come down in the accident and he can't understand why the police don't fix the fence since the cattle will surely wander off when they all leave. Just a great moment that distills our hero's naïveté.
The depiction of early Hollywood is also fantastic reading. Humans and horses alike were abused but at least the humans had a choice. The directors didn't care in the least about safety and could get away with it back then.
One of my favorite recent reads.
March 28, 2021
I give this one 3.5* - i liked the writing but I didn’t end up caring much about the characters. It was horrifying to learn about the way they treated the horses (and riders) - I better understand the need for the “no animal was harmed during filming“ disclaimer now.
August 4, 2015
I have heard Molly Gloss described as an amazing writer, but the only book of hers that I had previously picked up and tried to read (Wild Life) was not my cup of tea. This year, her latest book was chosen as the "city read" for my town. I was on the committee that picks the annual "reads" book from 2008 through 2014, and this year, when I heard it was a Molly Gloss book that was chosen, I wasn't very enthused, and decided not to read it. Then a week before the author presentation, I changed my mind and got it from the library.
Molly Gloss is definitely an exceptional writer, and the book kept my interest, even though the subject matter, movie stunt riding, is not something I am interested in. What puzzled me, though, is that I didn't really feel much for the main characters, Bud and Lily, or, for that matter, Bud's back story, which certainly had its devastating events. All in all, the story seemed as dry as the desert scenes where the action took place. The plot point that affected me the most was the callous and despicable treatment of the horses used for the movie stunts depicted in the book. I'm sure Ms Gloss wanted to make this point, but it seems strange to me that I cared more for the horses in the story than I did for the human characters.
I have to admit that there is one other factor that may be influencing my opinion of the book. Two days before the author presentation—which I was planning to attend—I received an email saying that it had been cancelled. I know these things happen, often because of illness, death in the family, or other circumstances beyond the author's control, but I was disappointed and I also felt bad for my former colleagues on the committee. I'm pretty sure that the cancellation affected my opinion of the book, which I was still reading at the time of the cancellation.
So, definitely a well-written book, but only three stars from me.
Molly Gloss is definitely an exceptional writer, and the book kept my interest, even though the subject matter, movie stunt riding, is not something I am interested in. What puzzled me, though, is that I didn't really feel much for the main characters, Bud and Lily, or, for that matter, Bud's back story, which certainly had its devastating events. All in all, the story seemed as dry as the desert scenes where the action took place. The plot point that affected me the most was the callous and despicable treatment of the horses used for the movie stunts depicted in the book. I'm sure Ms Gloss wanted to make this point, but it seems strange to me that I cared more for the horses in the story than I did for the human characters.
I have to admit that there is one other factor that may be influencing my opinion of the book. Two days before the author presentation—which I was planning to attend—I received an email saying that it had been cancelled. I know these things happen, often because of illness, death in the family, or other circumstances beyond the author's control, but I was disappointed and I also felt bad for my former colleagues on the committee. I'm pretty sure that the cancellation affected my opinion of the book, which I was still reading at the time of the cancellation.
So, definitely a well-written book, but only three stars from me.
September 19, 2014
Review written for and published by the Portland Book Review:
Molly Gloss, award-winning author of The Jump Off Creek and Wild Life, returns to her Western roots with a powerfully unsentimental story of innocence lost, the loneliness of grief and the transitional meaning of home. Beginning with a grimy bus ride south, and ending with a long ride north again, Falling From Horses spans the year of 1938, when nineteen-year-old Bud Frazer set out to become a stunt rider in Hollywood movies. Brought together by a shared bus ride, Bud Frazer and Lily Shaw—an aspiring writer with more backbone than beauty—would become lifelong friends, sharing hope and heartache in Hollywood and the years to come.
Though lightly educated and youthfully inexperienced, Bud learns to see clear through the glamour of Hollywood to the off-hand cruelty of budget-conscious studios, which have no concern for desperate riders and even less for the horses that carry them. Come to Hollywood looking to lose himself and the darkness he carries, Bud is slow to outrage against the violence around him, but a terrible accident finally unveils the reality of movie-making and forces Bud to find a way home.
Falling From Horses is mercilessly evocative, bringing to life the Western landscape and the diversity of characters that make it their home. The heartbreak of lost friends and loved ones—those left behind, those who have died—is nearly outweighed by the devastation of lost horses, carelessly sacrificed for cheap Hollywood thrills. Molly Gloss upends the cowboy archetype, exposing this cinematic construction as a hollow fantasy, and offers a more truthful depiction of the cowboy life. Both beautiful and unflinching, Falling From Horses may be hard to love, but it should prove impossible to forget.
Molly Gloss, award-winning author of The Jump Off Creek and Wild Life, returns to her Western roots with a powerfully unsentimental story of innocence lost, the loneliness of grief and the transitional meaning of home. Beginning with a grimy bus ride south, and ending with a long ride north again, Falling From Horses spans the year of 1938, when nineteen-year-old Bud Frazer set out to become a stunt rider in Hollywood movies. Brought together by a shared bus ride, Bud Frazer and Lily Shaw—an aspiring writer with more backbone than beauty—would become lifelong friends, sharing hope and heartache in Hollywood and the years to come.
Though lightly educated and youthfully inexperienced, Bud learns to see clear through the glamour of Hollywood to the off-hand cruelty of budget-conscious studios, which have no concern for desperate riders and even less for the horses that carry them. Come to Hollywood looking to lose himself and the darkness he carries, Bud is slow to outrage against the violence around him, but a terrible accident finally unveils the reality of movie-making and forces Bud to find a way home.
Falling From Horses is mercilessly evocative, bringing to life the Western landscape and the diversity of characters that make it their home. The heartbreak of lost friends and loved ones—those left behind, those who have died—is nearly outweighed by the devastation of lost horses, carelessly sacrificed for cheap Hollywood thrills. Molly Gloss upends the cowboy archetype, exposing this cinematic construction as a hollow fantasy, and offers a more truthful depiction of the cowboy life. Both beautiful and unflinching, Falling From Horses may be hard to love, but it should prove impossible to forget.
November 23, 2016
As a horsey kid, my favorite movies and TV shows were westerns. It wasn't till later that I learned to recognize how they romanticized and distorted a long-gone past, and later still that I considered their cost in equine and human lives. How did they make the horses in all those cavalry charges fall? How about the stagecoaches that tipped over at a dead run?
This is the world evoked by Molly Gloss so vividly in Falling from Horses. In the late 1930s, Bud Frazer and Lily Shaw meet on a bus headed for Hollywood. Bud, the horse-wise son of hardscrabble Oregon ranchers, wants to be a stunt man. Lily wants to be a screenwriter. The story is primarily Bud's, but Lily is never far away. From different angles each learns more than expected about how celluloid illusions are created.
Gloss recreates their worlds, especially Bud's, in such astonishing detail that I kept thinking she had to have time-traveled to do her research. Bud, the first-person narrator of the novel, is smart, thoughtful, and observant, but not given to deep introspection or articulating everything in words. So his character is revealed and developed in those details, so masterfully that he came alive on the page and I came to see his world through his eyes.
Gloss also does a particularly good job of handling two timelines: Bud's adventures in Hollywood and the slow downward mobility of his parents, Martha and Henry, starting before he was born. We learn early on that Bud's younger sister, Mary Claudine, died as a child, but the story is revealed gradually over the course of the novel, as Bud comes to terms with it. The lives of real cowboys are juxtaposed with their scripted cinematic counterparts, with Bud the bridge between them.
This is a novel I'll most likely be rereading, to see how Molly Gloss managed to do what she did.
This is the world evoked by Molly Gloss so vividly in Falling from Horses. In the late 1930s, Bud Frazer and Lily Shaw meet on a bus headed for Hollywood. Bud, the horse-wise son of hardscrabble Oregon ranchers, wants to be a stunt man. Lily wants to be a screenwriter. The story is primarily Bud's, but Lily is never far away. From different angles each learns more than expected about how celluloid illusions are created.
Gloss recreates their worlds, especially Bud's, in such astonishing detail that I kept thinking she had to have time-traveled to do her research. Bud, the first-person narrator of the novel, is smart, thoughtful, and observant, but not given to deep introspection or articulating everything in words. So his character is revealed and developed in those details, so masterfully that he came alive on the page and I came to see his world through his eyes.
Gloss also does a particularly good job of handling two timelines: Bud's adventures in Hollywood and the slow downward mobility of his parents, Martha and Henry, starting before he was born. We learn early on that Bud's younger sister, Mary Claudine, died as a child, but the story is revealed gradually over the course of the novel, as Bud comes to terms with it. The lives of real cowboys are juxtaposed with their scripted cinematic counterparts, with Bud the bridge between them.
This is a novel I'll most likely be rereading, to see how Molly Gloss managed to do what she did.
May 30, 2016
I was very excited to finally get to this advanced reading copy of Falling From Horses that I received through Goodreads and I must say it exceeded my expectations. Molly Gloss has done a wonderful job of painting a picture of 1930s Hollywood culture and although my first read by her, I very much enjoy her style and depth. Written from the prospective of a older Bud Frazer, she effortlessly transitions back and fourth between his childhood life in Oregon and his life as a young adult trying to make it in Hollywood as a rider, weaving bits and pieces of fabric to form a wonderfully detailed story. I was was able to grasp the characters and time period with ease and was captivated by Bud and Lily throughout the entire book. I was especially interrested in the early Hollywood movie culture aspects as I have theatre background.
I very much look forward to the next read by this author.
But when the sun came up, I woke her and tried again, and she blearily helped me figure out what goes where. It was one of those gifts a woman will sometimes bestow on a boy, and I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with liking to fuck. It wasn't optimal sex, nowhere near, and it was over in seconds, but I halfway remember the way the daylight came through the blinds and lit up the fine fuzz of hair on her soft and breasts.
The only other thing she said, after a long, long silence, was "I hope you don't get killed in one of their stupid movies, Bud."
I kept my eyes on the cards in front of me. "I've been killed a bunch of times already, so I'm starting to get the hang of it."
She threw me a look. "Ha ha. Funny boy."
I very much look forward to the next read by this author.
But when the sun came up, I woke her and tried again, and she blearily helped me figure out what goes where. It was one of those gifts a woman will sometimes bestow on a boy, and I'm pretty sure it had nothing to do with liking to fuck. It wasn't optimal sex, nowhere near, and it was over in seconds, but I halfway remember the way the daylight came through the blinds and lit up the fine fuzz of hair on her soft and breasts.
The only other thing she said, after a long, long silence, was "I hope you don't get killed in one of their stupid movies, Bud."
I kept my eyes on the cards in front of me. "I've been killed a bunch of times already, so I'm starting to get the hang of it."
She threw me a look. "Ha ha. Funny boy."
October 26, 2014
Falling from Horses is the story of a year that a young man named Bud, who came from a ranching family, spent working in Hollywood westerns. Not my usual fare. I’m not a rancher, don’t really like horses, or care much about Hollywood. But Molly Gloss creates characters that are rich, thoughtful, and honest. Characters that you love to spend time with, that you can’t wait to get back to. Time itself is almost a character. It pools and unfurls in unexpected ways. A single incident grows rich with meaning while years lay quiet and unheeded. Listen:
The novel will be published at the end of October. It will be a wonderful way to spend an Autumn evening or two or three.
It was a relief to be away from the concrete sidewalks and under the shade of those big old canyon oaks. And a shock, almost, to hear quiet for the first time in two days. Once I left the road and hiked down into the gully, there was almost no traffic noise, no rattling streetcars, no buses whining through the gears, no muttered voices through cheap hotel walls, just a lot of bird chatter–California birds, their strange sounds not the ones I recognized–and the understory buzz that crickets and grasshoppers make, and every so often the dry rustle of a snake or a squirrel or a gopher moving off through the brush. I think that may have been the point at which I realized I’d been taking such things for granted my whole life.
The novel will be published at the end of October. It will be a wonderful way to spend an Autumn evening or two or three.
October 11, 2014
Excellent storytelling but difficult subject matter
Bud Frazer, 19 years old (son of Henry and Martha Frazer - Martha's story starts out in "The Hearts of Horses") won some money in a rodeo up in Oregon and decided he belonged in the movies. So he catches a bus and heads to Hollywood. On the bus he meets Lily Shaw, a few years older than him and heading to Hollywood to become a screenwriter. Thus starts a lifelong friendship between the two.
Bud does find his way into the movies as a stunt man on horses. FALLING FROM HORSES is him reminiscing about a few months of his life in 1938 - during the heyday of cowboy shoot-em-ups - although there are some additional details added about his life before and after Hollywood.
This is a wonderful character study about a rancher's son and his life, not only on the ranch, but the ideals he carried forward from his ranching parents into the big world beyond.
This was a difficult book to read because it takes place during a time of moviemaking where safeguards weren't in place to protect the animals in movies or the stuntmen. There are graphic portions of the story detailing horrific abuse of especially horses.
I loved that the women in this tale are strong willed and roles are bent, allowing women to be more than "barefoot and pregnant" in this period piece. I especially liked Martha, Bud's mother, and am looking forward to reading her story next.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Bud Frazer, 19 years old (son of Henry and Martha Frazer - Martha's story starts out in "The Hearts of Horses") won some money in a rodeo up in Oregon and decided he belonged in the movies. So he catches a bus and heads to Hollywood. On the bus he meets Lily Shaw, a few years older than him and heading to Hollywood to become a screenwriter. Thus starts a lifelong friendship between the two.
Bud does find his way into the movies as a stunt man on horses. FALLING FROM HORSES is him reminiscing about a few months of his life in 1938 - during the heyday of cowboy shoot-em-ups - although there are some additional details added about his life before and after Hollywood.
This is a wonderful character study about a rancher's son and his life, not only on the ranch, but the ideals he carried forward from his ranching parents into the big world beyond.
This was a difficult book to read because it takes place during a time of moviemaking where safeguards weren't in place to protect the animals in movies or the stuntmen. There are graphic portions of the story detailing horrific abuse of especially horses.
I loved that the women in this tale are strong willed and roles are bent, allowing women to be more than "barefoot and pregnant" in this period piece. I especially liked Martha, Bud's mother, and am looking forward to reading her story next.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 2, 2014
I loved this book before I even cracked the cover, just knowing that it was from the author of Hearts Of Horses, an all-time favorite. But I admit I was disappointed once I was a few chapters in. Falling From Horses starts really, really, slow. It took me forever to get through the first half of book. The second half is far more interesting, worthy of 4 stars.
This story is set in the 1930's, and follows a 19-year-old ranch kid out to make his fortune as a Hollywood rider. Along the way he befriends a young woman who is determined to find her way as a Hollywood screenwriter. The story illustrates the abuse that horses were subjected to, making motion pictures in that era. It is a thought-provoking story, but may be upsetting for some readers.
Disclosure: I received a pre-release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story is set in the 1930's, and follows a 19-year-old ranch kid out to make his fortune as a Hollywood rider. Along the way he befriends a young woman who is determined to find her way as a Hollywood screenwriter. The story illustrates the abuse that horses were subjected to, making motion pictures in that era. It is a thought-provoking story, but may be upsetting for some readers.
Disclosure: I received a pre-release copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2014
The thing I love about Molly Gloss’s writing is its tenderness – between and among all creatures. In her new book, Falling from Horses, the writing is as tender as ever, even as a story unfolds that is quite the opposite. Falling from Horses tells the story of Bud, a young man from Eastern Oregon, who decides to make his way as a Hollywood stunt rider during the Great Depression. This was long before “No animals were injured in the making of this film.” Quite the opposite. Bud’s experiences are enough to make you sick. And yet. The story proceeds with classic Gloss tenderness and beauty. Especially of interest to me as an East Oregonian was the story of Bud’s family’s private, simple crucible – told in alternating chapters. Do yourself a favor. Add another Gloss notch to your belt.
October 15, 2014
I received this book through the First Reads giveaway program on Goodreads.
A book about cowboys and horses?! I already love it!
Falling From Horses is a story set in the 30's about 19 year old ranch hand Bud Frazer who sets off for Hollywood in hopes of becoming a stunt rider. On the bus ride there, he hooks up with Lily Shaw who also dreams of making it in the movies and the two form a life long bond.
What I didn't anticipate and what really bothered me was the abuse of all the horse while making these old Westerns. It's something that I had never really thought of until reading this book and to be honest, I will probably never watch another one again.
A book about cowboys and horses?! I already love it!
Falling From Horses is a story set in the 30's about 19 year old ranch hand Bud Frazer who sets off for Hollywood in hopes of becoming a stunt rider. On the bus ride there, he hooks up with Lily Shaw who also dreams of making it in the movies and the two form a life long bond.
What I didn't anticipate and what really bothered me was the abuse of all the horse while making these old Westerns. It's something that I had never really thought of until reading this book and to be honest, I will probably never watch another one again.
July 22, 2016
I wasn't as in love with this book as I was "The Hearts of Horses," maybe just because the main character here was a fella I didn't relate to as much as the character of Martha Lessen. However, the writing style that I enjoyed so much was still present. The setting and story were meticulously researched. Her depictions of Hollywood and the early movie industry were as vivid and wonderful as her depictions of Oregon. This cast of characters wasn't quite as vivid as in Hearts of Horses, which was an area it lacked a little for me, but the story was still gorgeous and it was a book I thoroughly enjoy reading and would highly recommend.
October 8, 2015
While reading this book I couldn't help but think of Marty, my first art teacher who was a stunt rider in Hollywood during the 40's and 50's. I remember his many stories of working on various movies and now I wished I had asked more questions. I knew it was a tough and tumble world for both riders and horses but didn't realize how tough it was. Her depiction of California was spot on and she won my good side with carrying over the feeling and history of the state. Anytime a book rings true, I am happy.
September 18, 2016
I read everything Molly Gloss writes. If she would publish her grocery lists online, I would read them. Gloss has such an understanding and love of horses. It just shines through every story. Her understanding of people of country quiet mode is just the same. She writes what she knows, and what she knows is deep and beautiful as the ebb in a roiling river. You inspire me, Molly Gloss!
January 6, 2017
I sort of liked what Gloss was trying to do artistically, but although the book was well-written, the way she handled flashbacks to an important event in the protagonist's life just didn't work for me. Louise Erdrich does something similar but she's a bit more deft about it, as is Ivan Doig. Well-written book but still left me meh.
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