Big Red

So, we have a 17-year old hillbilly Danny Pickett, living in a shack with his father, Ross. They support themselves by hunting, fishing and trapping. Occasionally they do some odd jobs for the rich guy, Mr. Haggin, on whose estate they have been squatting for years. I'm guessing they're somewhere in Appalachia, although we're also told they're only 300 miles from New York City. Whatever, they live an idyllic life, albeit a bit on the rough side.

One day Danny goes to see Mr. Haggin and is greeted effusively by an Irish Setter, whom Danny calls Red. Red is a show dog, so has a fancy name, but Danny doesn't much cotton to such fanciness. Anyway, it's obvious to all that Red and Danny can't be separated, so Mr. Haggin hires Danny to be show more Red's caretaker and also, through osmosis mostly it seems, to learn to handle show dogs.

Danny's father, of course, thinks they should turn Red into a varmint dog, like his blue tick hounds. So, there's some tension there because everyone, save Ross, knows that a quality setter should be eschewing varmints in favor of birds. Also, there's tension in that a giant bear, Old Majesty, occasionally shows up in their valley to terrorize farm animals, people, and the creatures of the forest. Only Red, it seems, is not afraid of Old Majesty. So, mostly we have a story about a boy and his dog in the woods.

Along about 5th or 6th grade, I read this book and adored it. I was determined to get myself an Irish Setter. So, when I was allowed to get a new dog, a year or so after our sheltie, Jeanne, was run over by a laundry truck, I started calling people advertising Irish Setters. Well, the first one seemed "sort-of" ok, but then someone who had called before I had showed up and snagged the dog. The second person I called told me they were selling Irish Terriers? WTF? I thought (well, in those days, WTF? hadn't been coined). Oh well, I want a damn dog! So I got an Irish Terrier, who was the grand daughter of the legendary Ch. Wahoo Satellite, one of the few Irish Terriers to have ever won a Best in Show. Bridget wasn't show quality, but was a great pal. She had a daughter, by Ch. Ahtram Legacy, named Colleen. Colleen was also a great companion. Then, after almost 30 years of Irish Terriers, I ended up for some reason, with Golden Retrievers for about 25 years. Now, thanks to my daughter, I'm stuck a little Jug dog.

The above is all to say, I love dogs and have had a number of them. But sadly, none of them has ever come close to matching Big Red. He's a veritable paragon of dogdom, smart, quick to learn, loving and loyal to a fault, and so forth.

I think this is a book better suited to impressionable 10- or 11-year olds, than to jaded geezers. It was a fun enough read, but rather fanciful in its telling. No dog could possibly be so wonderful as Big Red. But, to his credit, Big Red wasn't a racist asshole like Lad a Dog. Then too, no 17-year old hill billy could ever be quite so worldly wise and manly as Danny Pickett. Still, it was an enjoyable adventure. After all, what's better for a dog lover and Eagle Scout than reading about a boy and his dog in the wilderness? show less

Lovely as usual. Not _quite_ realistic, but not blatantly unrealistic either - Danny has been handling himself in the hills for quite some time, so his survival with the help of Big Red is reasonable, despite the desperate situations they get into. I loved the scene when Big Red's mate showed up...good thing she focused on Ross, though. And when Red found Ross in the snow, and why. Lots of lovely little stories. Mr. Haggin's attitude is the most unlikely part of it, and it's not impossible...as Kjelgaard says, when he's dealing with Danny and Red, it's not as a rich man with a valuable dog but as one dog man with another. OK, next one please...

Big Red was a very good book. My first from Jim Kjelgaard but I don’t think will be my last. The dog was believably good. The best part was imagining what it would be like to live a life mostly outdoors.
The book leaves a lot to be discussed with a small child. Reading with my boys was my favorite thing, but unfortunately, no grandchildren yet. I know some adults would quibble at some points, or try to apply different standards based on our current time. I see it as conversation topics (maybe after you have enjoyed the book for it’s own sake.) Do bears have rage in the way described? Was it ok for them to hunt and trap animals? Overall, it would be fun to contrast our usual life in a suburb to that of a life out in the woods.
I am show more going to rate this book 5 stars, but because I read so many books on dogs I would like to compare how it rates against other classics. This book is different from other classic dog books, like each dog is different, but in the spirit of what dog books to prioritize your time reading, I would put Old Yeller, Lad: A dog, and Lassie ahead of it, but best to read all of those classics.
I would like to point out one quote from the book that I thought was an excellent discussion topic. Someone is talking to the boy about dog shows. In it I thought the author was expressing a fine ideal for dog shows. In real life, AKC dog shows put too much on the looks of a dog, and virtually nothing on the other qualities of the breed. And I know from a brief brush into that world with a Newfoundland I had once, winning dog shows are only partly the dog, and the rest is grooming, handling, and politics, but maybe anyone reading this review can just look to the sentiment this passage speaks to and appreciate the thought.
“A dog show is illustrative of man’s achievement, and blue ribbon is more than a bit of silk. It’s a mark, Danny, one that never can be erased. The dog that wins it will not die. If we send Boy to the show, and he comes back as best of breed, then that’s something for all future dog lovers and dog owners to build on. Don’t you see? A hundred years from now someone may stand on this very spot with a fine Irish setter, and he’ll trace it lineage back to some other very fine setter, perhaps to Boy. And he will know that he has built on what competent men have declared to be the very best. He will know also that he, too, can go one step nearer the perfection that men must and will have in all things. It did not start with us, Danny, but with the first man who ever dreamed of an Irish setter. All we’re trying to do is advance one step farther and Boy’s ribbon, if he wins one, will simply be proof that we succeeded.” - Jim Kjelgaard, 'Big Red' show less

Big Red was a very good book. My first from Jim Kjelgaard but I don’t think will be my last. The dog was believably good. The best part was imagining what it would be like to live a life mostly outdoors.
The book leaves a lot to be discussed with a small child. Reading with my boys was my favorite thing, but unfortunately, no grandchildren yet. I know some adults would quibble at some points, or try to apply different standards based on our current time. I see it as conversation topics (maybe after you have enjoyed the book for it’s own sake.) Do bears have rage in the way described? Was it ok for them to hunt and trap animals? Overall, it would be fun to contrast our usual life in a suburb to that of a life out in the woods.
I am show more going to rate this book 5 stars, but because I read so many books on dogs I would like to compare how it rates against other classics. This book is different from other classic dog books, like each dog is different, but in the spirit of what dog books to prioritize your time reading, I would put Old Yeller, Lad: A dog, and Lassie ahead of it, but best to read all of those classics.
I would like to point out one quote from the book that I thought was an excellent discussion topic. Someone is talking to the boy about dog shows. In it I thought the author was expressing a fine ideal for dog shows. In real life, AKC dog shows put too much on the looks of a dog, and virtually nothing on the other qualities of the breed. And I know from a brief brush into that world with a Newfoundland I had once, winning dog shows are only partly the dog, and the rest is grooming, handling, and politics, but maybe anyone reading this review can just look to the sentiment this passage speaks to and appreciate the thought.
“A dog show is illustrative of man’s achievement, and blue ribbon is more than a bit of silk. It’s a mark, Danny, one that never can be erased. The dog that wins it will not die. If we send Boy to the show, and he comes back as best of breed, then that’s something for all future dog lovers and dog owners to build on. Don’t you see? A hundred years from now someone may stand on this very spot with a fine Irish setter, and he’ll trace it lineage back to some other very fine setter, perhaps to Boy. And he will know that he has built on what competent men have declared to be the very best. He will know also that he, too, can go one step nearer the perfection that men must and will have in all things. It did not start with us, Danny, but with the first man who ever dreamed of an Irish setter. All we’re trying to do is advance one step farther and Boy’s ribbon, if he wins one, will simply be proof that we succeeded.” - Jim Kjelgaard, 'Big Red' show less

I can most easily compare this book to [Where the Red Fern Grows]. While it doesn't quite have the overall quality, the themes of family and maturing are present. Danny is an older protagonist, and unlike Billy, who wants his own hounds, he wants something greater. It's an adventure story, and an easy read, with lost of wilderness activity but also includes a positive perspective on dog shows along with working dogs that as someone with a show dog myself, I appreciate. Along with the story, Kjelgaard makes an argument for breed type and lineage.

Danny Pickett is too poor to own one of Mr. Haggin’s champion Irish setters, but that
doesn’t stop him from losing his heart to a beautiful dog he calls Big Red. The two are drawn to
each other from the start and soon become inseparable. But their loyalty and courage are
tested as they face grave danger in the harsh wilderness, including Old Majesty, a massive
bear, and a fierce snowstorm.
The publisher

I see this book has a couple of sequels. I must read them. Because
WHAT IN THE WORLD!!!!!
THE ENDING.
Seven thousand dollars. In 1945 or whenever this book is set????
I enjoyed it, but... Got caught up in the details.