Holy Cow

This is a cute and entertaining book. I much needed a light read plus a few laughs, and Duchovny’s story about a cow who wanted to travel to India truly cracked me up. I also found the pen-and-ink drawings by Natalya Balnova adorable.

The idea was that the cow, Elsie Bovary, discovers that people eat cows so she decides to travel away to a place where cows are not eaten. Before she can do that, a pig and a turkey decide they need to travel with her as well. This trio then have to figure out how to accomplish that.

The most hilarious part was when Jerry, a pig renamed Shalom, interacted with the Jewish population of New York! I just loved that!

The conversations between the trio, always in the script of a play, were so funny!

I liked this show more book quite a bit because it is unlike anything else I’ve read, deals with animals, and is written simply for the joy of fantasy. It worked well for me and left me feeling happy. I appreciate the author reaching out with his prose to keep his readers smiling.

I used to love watching Duchovny as Fox Mulder on "The X-Files" years ago and really enjoyed experiencing his work as an author. I hope others get a chance to read this book as well. show less

Elsie the curious cow wanders to the window of the farmhouse where her human owners are watching a graphic TV show about the slaughter of animals at industrial meat farms. Shaken by this revelation of her own imminent fate, Elsie is determined to escape, but to where? She later learns of a country called India, where cows are worshipped, and devises a plan to get there.

Of course, word spreads quickly on a farm. Enter Jerry the Torah-quoting pig with a desire to live in Israel and Tom the turkey who wants flee to--you guessed it--Turkey. Together, the three embark on a globe-trotting escapade of enlightenment, understanding, and mutual respect.

Duchovny’s anthropomorphic adventure is a fast, funny, and uplifting read. Be prepared to show more suspend your disbelief while opening your mind and heart. show less

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13462626

I didn't know quite what to expect. I figured this book would be light material, of course. I also thought it might move a bit into animal rights. I was right on both counts.

However, the lightness is pretty vapid. The main characters - a cow, a pig, and a turkey - become caricatures. Yes, they are cartoons. Don't expect more than that, although we've seen cartoon animals that have more substance.

At the end, Duchovny jokes a bit about the impossibilities, which include virgin cows giving milk and turkeys flying airplanes. The first bothered me, because it is an indicator of how meaningless the whole story is, at least in terms of the value of animals. show more

Briefly, Elsie is a cow on an old-time ranch. She and her friends are milked by members of the family that owns them. Elsie learns what happens to cows eventually - they get shipped off and are killed. She is horrified and decides to leave town. Ranch. Her best friend is pregnant and chooses to stay, knowing her fate but preferring to enjoy what time she has. a pig and a turkey join Elsie and they hatch a plan to escape and travel.

That family farm is a long-dead memory. Have you seen today's farms? The story suggests that it is okay for these animals to be killed because they had a nice little existence there. Does it mention that the animals are very young when they are killed? No. That factory farms raise something like 97% of farmed animals today? No. That you would have to search far and wide to find a little farm like the one in the book? No. Add to that the business of the cows giving milk without becoming pregnant. It is only by being impregnated frequently that dairy cows give milk, and it is no pretty sight or life.

I was disappointed that these easy tidbits were not included in the book. I also felt that even if I didn't care about the portrayal of farmed animals I would not have loved this book. The jokes are not that good, the stereotypes are not amusing. I had hoped for more from this writer, given his intelligence and sense of humor. show less

The first half of this book is really cute and interesting -- the story starts out like an “Animal Farm” for vegetarians! But as soon as the animals escape the farm and make it to the city, the story loses its cuteness and grows increasingly far-fetched (like a pig visiting a mohel, a cow flying unnoticed on a commercial airplane, and a turkey piloting a jet with no training). The humor and social commentary are disappointingly lacking in the second half. And the ending could have been predicted before the animals even left the farm.

I was a little skeptical reading a book with a cow narrator; but this book was clever and funny. I also really liked the not so hidden agenda about the meat industry, human nature, and religion.

Meet Elsie Bovary, the cow. She and her friend, Mallory, learn how to open the gate of their enclosure. Immediately, Mallory heads directly to the bulls who have been flirting with her. Elsie is distracted by a farmhouse. She discovers that the family are all gathered around a glowing box “god” from which she discovers what happens to cows who live on farms. At first she suffers a deep depression, then, she learns about a land that worships cows. Surely she would be safe there. She, and some other animal friends who wish to escape being food for humans, start making a plan that will have you rolling with laughter. This book is Elsie’s narrative. She adds notes to her publisher throughout, which add to the hilarity.

This book is show more purely for fun. But it does also present some good points. Duchovny, through his humorous story, points out the importance for respect and tolerance for all living things. This is a fun book that will make you laugh out loud. The audio book, read by the author, himself, is very well done! show less

This was a really fun book with some crazy illustrations that made me smile. Elsie is quite an impressive cow - after seeing animals being slaughtered on the TV, that she calls the Box God, she decides to make a run for it. Where better for a cow to go than India, where cows are worshipped, not eaten.

Calling the TV a Box God was actually quite a sobering thought. For those of you who worship at the altar of Sky Atlantic, perhaps you should read Holy Cow instead and learn from the animals who decided to break from the herd and be heard.

I really liked all of the characters but I think Tom was my favourite. He wants to go to Turkey as he thinks that he will be safe in a country that is named after him. The only problem is his fellow show more traveller and escapee Jerry is a pig and will not be welcomed in a muslim country. Tom is a bird who can't fly but in this book nothing is impossible and Tom does fly!

This was a really quick read and David Duchovny really brought the characters to life through his narrative writing style. It had a nice mix of humour but at the same time showing respect to different cultures. I was pleasantly surprised.

I received this book from the publisher, Headline, via Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review. show less