Bless the Beasts and Children [Paperback]

Swarthout (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1990

Boys attending an Arizona camp decide to save a herd of buffalo.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Pocket (May 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671726447
• ISBN-13: 978-0671726447
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (94 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,832,712 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Powerful Story of Adolescent Rebellion & Conscience, April 6, 2005

By 

K.A.Goldberg (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bless the Beasts and Children (Enriched Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

This remarkable story covers teenage rebellion, social mores, and the difficulties of adolescence. It's the story of six socially awkward teenage males who end up sharing a cabin at Box Canyon Boys Camp one summer. The macho, competitive camp in Arizona tolerates no fools or losers, and its motto is, "We'll send you a cowboy." Not surprisingly, these socially awkward young men don't fit in. But they find some salvation though their leader, 15-year old John Cotton, a tough but decent young rebel. Cotton's qualities prove invaluable even before the six teens sneak out of camp one night on a law-breaking journey. Their goal is to rescue some doomed buffalo due to be shot in the morning by fee-paying hunters - animals that the young misfits identify with. Along the way the young men overcome challenges and risks with teamwork, a sign that Cotton's leadership has paid off. The author freely inserts flashbacks that identify the problems of each young man - including pathological jealousy, delinquency, weakness, etc.

This story was written in an era of socially relevant novels that attacked the status quo. This is very engaging reading, and one of the few books that we had to read in high school English class that I actually found useful.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to be read by genuine readers only, March 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bless The Beasts And Children (Hardcover)

I read the other reviews for this novel and discovered that the ones who rated it boring or with a low number of stars failed to mention any other critique besides "flashbacks were hard to understand" and "misfits 'fitting'together was unreal." Apparently, we have "readers" who do not do a lot of reading (as evidenced by their own words) and readers who don't really know "how to read." (Do movie flashbacks give them problems also?) The book is a narrowed view of a growing population of "misfits," poignantly written without "tearjerking" compassion. It bares the truth of both the "misfits" AND the "normals."

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat Awkward But Still Surprisingly Relevant, November 6, 2002

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bless The Beasts And Children (Hardcover)

The 1960s and 1970s produced numerous "socially relevant" novels. One of the most popular of these was Glendon Swarthout's BLESS THE BEASTS AND THE CHILDREN, a novel that raised a number of issues re social status quos, its impact on children, and its impact on the enviroment. Few novels of this type have survived the passing years unscathed, and this one is no exception--but sadly, and particularly in light of such recent events as the Columbine shootings, the novel still has a surprising degree of relevance even today.

The story concerns a group of misfit boys who have been dumped into a summer camp by largely unconcerned parents and who find themselves ostracized and reviled by both camp instructors and the other boys. Constantly berrated and harrassed, they are designated "The Bedwetters" and are relegated to the fringe of camp activities. During a field trip, the boys are taken to see a corralled herd of buffalo--and are horrified when the buffalo are slaughtered before them. They resolve to escape the camp overnight, return to the corral, and free the remaining buffalo before they too can be killed. As the story of their trip unfolds, the novel flashes back to revel the background of each of boy and describes how they evolved into the personalities they have become--and in a real sense, the adventure they undertake ultimately validates the worth of each, as the differences that the status quo perceives as weakness actually becomes the strengths that motivate and aid them on their journey. But their determination to free the buffalo will come at a terrific price, a higher price than any of them can imagine.

As literature per se, the novel has several weaknesses. The actual story feels contrived, the symbolism is heavy handed to say the least, the shifts into flashback are a bit awkward, and the author never really achieves a good flow or a distinctive tone of voice. But even so, the book still speaks with remarkable power about the dangers of equating "being different" with "being undesirable" and of a society that has little use for anything outside the most pragmatic boundaries. It is most likely to appeal to teenagers and young adults, but more mature readers will find much food for thought within it as well. Recommended with the stated reservations.