Horse: A Novel

Reminds me of the racing background of Jane Smiley's "Horse Heaven". It also involves a Smithsonian worker, a grad. student and a painting as well as racing. The "deepest" story is of enslaved and free horsemen. Not quite finished yet, but racing through.

An amazing novel of a man and his horse and how they echo through time. Set in three time frames-the 1850s/6s, the 1950s, and 2019, it's the story of Lexington, born Darley, the fastest horse ever and his devoted Jarret. Theo, a grad student at Georgetown, plucks a painting of a horse from his neighbor's curb and eventually meets Jess, an Australian who works at the Smithsonian articulating skeletons who just happens to be working on the skeleton of a horse. Their story is gripping and topical but it's Jarret and Lexington that will have you turning the pages. Born enslaved to an free man who was an ace trainer, Jarret is at the whim of the men who will own Lexington and himself , most of whom are wise enough to see that they have an unusual symbiotic relationship. The artist Thomas Scott paints Lexington over the course of his life. The perils of racing, the horror and corruption of slavery, and the Civil War all feature in Jarret and Lexington's life. You will root for both of them as you will for Theo and Jess, whose modern story is no less fraught. Brooks is a master at pulling thread together - keep your eyes on the paintings. Don't miss the afterword which provides additional information on the real people (and horses). Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. This is a magnificent, touching, immersice, emotional story that incredibly well written. No spoilers from me but this might bring a tear to your eye, Highly recommend.

Geraldine Brooks’ “Horse” is possibly the summer novel I’be been most looking forward to. Using multiple POVs from different time periods, she tells the story of Lexington, the most famous racehorse of his time and perhaps beyond. Add a painting found in a junk pile, modern museum scientists, and a tense antebellum south, and you have a novel you’ll want to ride full tilt to the finish line (sorry, I could not resist.)“Horse” is not a book without flaws. Like so many novels that choose narrators from different time periods, the voices of the present are much less interesting than the stories coming from the past. Theo, a Pd.D candidate in art history is writing his thesis on the Black people depicted in 19th century horse racing art. Jess heads an osteology lab at the Smithsonian. The dirty painting Theo digs out of the trash is of Lexington; the horse skeleton Jess recovers from the Smithsonian attic is Lexington’s. Useful to the plot because of what they know rather than who they are, Theo and Jess propose questions about whether his conformation was what gave Lexington his speed, or was it care and training by the Black man in the painting.Once “Horse” moves to 1850 with Lexington’s birth, the story takes off. His trainer, a free man of color, and his son, Jarrett, who is enslaved, are at the bay colt’s first minutes of life. Jarrett will stay with him to the end of his life. Despite coming from notoriously bad-tempered parents, the colt then known as Darley, is curious and sweet. He is also lightning-fast and loves to run. Jarrett and Darley will go through name changes (Darley becomes Lexington and Jarrett becomes Warfield’s Jarrett and Ten Broeck’s Jarrett, depending on who owns him.) Brooks presents a rich portrait of the Southern horse racing world as well as what it’s like to be enslaved to that world, to be someone of almost universal respect who has no choices in his life. Jarrett is the best fleshed-out character, the most admirable and interesting. His owners teeter on that creepy line of being decent but not grasping his humanity or that of any other Black person. For example, his first owner gives Darley to Jarrett’s father in hopes the colt can earn enough for him to buy Jarrett’s freedom, only to jerk the horse away when his talent is recognized. Another owner hires a tutor for Jarrett (although it was not legal for Blacks to be literate) yet betrays him in an especially cruel way. Brooks’ writing is lush and affecting, and you will care deeply about Jarrett.It’s hard to assign ratings to a novel like this. Jarrett’s story is five star for sure, but Theo and Jess? Three and a half, despite the interesting information they impart. Over all, characters are important for a while and then are never heard from again. There are flashes of melodrama. But what is pure and good is Jarrett, his intelligence, his thoughtfulness, his frustration and his connection to an animal he loves. I read “Horse” with total pleasure as will you, even though it’s not flawless. Recommended for readers interested in an unusual view of the antebellum south, the science of horse racing, and the connection between humans and horses.