Rate this book

Buddy: How A Rooster Made Me A Family Man (2012)

by Brian McGrory(Favorite Author)

3.57 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0307953068 (ISBN13: 9780307953063)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Crown

review 1: Endearing, humorous and as much a story of family as of a pampered rooster named Buddy. The story was touching, sweet, and comical. It often had me laughing aloud. Recommended for fans of memoirs and animal stories. Quotes:"I never knew joy and sorrow could be so intricately entwined" (p. 161)."Me defending Buddy. It was the start of something odd" (p. 181)."If women were a mystery to me at my advanced age, take it as a fact that girls were a total enigma" (p. 229)."Say this about that bird, his timing was impeccable" (p. 241)."...I was about one more set of paws from completely cracking up" (p. 249).
review 2: As most everyone else has said, the most engaging part of this book is when the author describes his relationship with Harry, his Golden Retriever.I did... more love that part of the book, but it only serves the purpose of a springboard to how he met his manipulative second wife, the Golden's veterinarian, and her atrociously spoiled rotten offspring.It went completely downhill from there.As a women who has a blended family, where my husband and I have 5 children combined from our first marriages and a child shared, I was absolutely appalled that a woman of Pam's apparent intelligence could be so one sided in her relationship with Brian, and allow her girls free reign to obtain anything and everything they wanted under the guise of "OH, SO WOE ARE WE MOM. YOU AND DADDY ARE DIVORCED."Gross. She taught her daughters well though. Or the sex between the author and his future wife must have been spectacular because he jumps through hoops for these three females that Ringling Brother's Canine troop wouldn't consider.The children show absolutely no respect for any adult figure in their lives, including the author, yet fawn over poultry. Granted, Buddy, the title character IS a PET rooster, but Mr. McGrory's feelings, comfort, place in the household, safety and respect are put behind a bird that is allowed to defecate in the house.Really?I read this book in one day, only because I was anxious to see that a major turn around was coming. I prayed that someone [the mother?] would teach the girls that that manners and others' feelings count, before a pet rooster. I kept hoping, even by the 75% mark, the epiphany would come and the author would realize that REAL people don't act like his highly educated fiancée and her demon spawn. I wish he would realize that blended families may have a tough go of it at first, but not to the lengths that these kids and the Mom put him through for a divorce and a rooster. A rooster.Mr. McGory spends a lot of time describing how ideal his childhood was, and I have to say, mine wasn't perfect, but we had a heck of a lot of fun in a childhood and it was very similar to the authors. My favorite line? When Pam says "I'll see if the girls are on board." [with a vacation he planned] and he writes "We were put on board [growing up]" Yet, he allows his wife and step children to shove their wants and demands down his throat while ignoring his basic needs.I was saddened to see that his life lesson was that he is destined forever to play 5th fiddle behind his wife, his two demanding, spoiled step children and the memory of a rooster. [Re]Marriage is about commitment, respect and compromise. This family has none of that.The most disturbing aspect of this book is that the author chose to portray his new family in the light he does. This isn't going to get better. Children raised such as the these girls are only going to grow even more entitled and demanding. I wish the author good luck, especially when his step children actually grow up enough to read a book on their own. They are going to use this against him. In so many ways. less

Download links for: Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man

Advertising