After reading Unbroken several years ago, I realized I had Seabiscuit, also by Hillenbrand, and decided I should read it. I'm glad I finally did.
I'm not even a horse racing fan, but I really enjoy the way Hillenbrand tells a story. She has a way of building the tension and excitement that is unique.
We are introduced to the original owners of Seabiscuit and then told how he ended up with the Howards, who eventually were successful. We are introduced to the trainer (Smith), and the jockey (Pollard). And then we follow them through the training, and race by race, through the ups and downs of Seabiscuit's inconceivable career.
We are also introduced to the atmosphere of early horse racing, where jockeys took their lives in their hands every time they went out. Not to mention the starvation in order to make weight. Pollard suffered several life-threatening injuries, which each time used up all of his savings and then some. During some of this time, Seabiscuit had a different jockey, Woolf, who was also famous. It was a brutal, dangerous life.
Seabiscuit's rise to fame took place during the Depression when the public needed some distraction. And boy was he a distraction. People would come from all over to watch him race and the race tracks were overflowing. If you weren't watching him, you were listening to the races on the radio.
Some sections were perhaps a bit too detailed for me, but most of the time, I couldn't put Seabiscuit down. Like I said, it's the way she tells the story. So if you are a fan of Hillenbrand, even if you aren't a horse fan, you should consider this book. Even without the horses, it's a fascinating look at a unique aspect of the Depression.
Copy obtained from my library (not sure where I got it)
347 pages
Rating: 4/5
I haven't read this book though I thought Unbroken was fantastic. I did see the movie, which I am sure has been Hollywood-ized, but thought it was very good. I am not a horse racing fan, either, but I love an underdog story or following an athlete's triumphant story.
ReplyDeleteI think a very interesting aspect of both this book and Unbroken is how hard it is for Laura Hillenbrand to write. She has a serious chronic disease which is debilitating and keeps her housebound. This article/interview about her disease and how she benefited from writing Unbroken is very helpful and revealing. https://stanmed.stanford.edu/2016summer/leaving-frailty-behind.html
ReplyDeleteI had heard that. Thanks for the link.
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