Holy Cow!

Holy Cow! By David Duchovney   206 pages

I thought the least I could do is read a book from one of my displays and I could use some humor after the recent reads, so I was drawn to the premise of the story:

Elsie Bovary and her best friend Mallory are living life as only contented cows can, until they decide to sneak out one night and flirt with the bulls. Elsie, however, is drawn to the light of the Box God inside the farmhouse, where she watches the gory details of meat processing, and finally understands where her mother disappeared to. She resolves to escape her inevitable fate by running away to India, where cows are revered and thus safe from harm. There are no secrets in a close-knit community and soon Jerry and Tom have convinced Elsie that escape is their only means of self-preservation. Jerry, or Shalom as he calls himself after his recent conversion to Judaism, wants to be in Israel among his ‘people’, who have an aversion to all things pig-related, so he will be safe from slaughter. Tom, the anorexic turkey in light of pending Thanksgiving, aims to live in Turkey, where surely turkeys are esteemed and not eaten. Does the trio make it to their desired destinations?

I’d love to say I recommend the book, but it is just too … in so many ways. There are many laugh-out-loud phrases, which is to be expected in a story narrated by a cow and all expressions are of the teenaged-bovine variety. But these inane moments are interspersed with some deep personal views about human maltreatment of animals; not that I disagree with the author’s opinion, but the preachy parts deter from the silliness of the story. The writing style, although intended to reflect the immaturity of the narrator, is awkward and grating throughout, just annoying enough to make you reconsider finishing the book. 

Posted By:  Regina C.