Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight [Hardcover]

Ursula K. Le Guin (Author), Susan Seddon Boulet (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1994

Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight by Le Guin, Ursula K.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Ursula K. Le Guin has an uncanny understanding of the magical. In this story, she is particularly adept at exploring the magic of animals as she shows us their wisdom, follies, spirits, and personalities. The animals seem like people to us--albeit strange and extraordinary people--just as they do to the little girl who finds herself living among them after Coyote rescues her in the wilderness. We learn, with the girl, that they are the "Old People," those who used to live freely on the earth and who now must maintain their lifeways carefully alongside the careless and dangerous world of the "New People"--humans. Le Guin uses the animals--from the irreverent trickster Coyote to the boastful doctor Bluejay to the wise matriarch Grandmother Spider--to take us in and help us remember, deep within our own ancient histories, their sacredness and magic, as well as that of the earth, thereby heightening our own compassion and sense of what is holy.

It is hard to imagine a more appropriate illustrator for this book than Susan Seddon Boulet. Her paintings have long dealt with the themes of the merging of animals and humans, of the elevation of the spirit of the power of ancient native ways. In over twenty color illustrations, Boulet garnishes Le Guin's well-known tale with mysterious, joyous, and deeply contemplative images, involving us so wholly in the world of the "Old People" that we, like the little girl, do not want to leave. Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight becomes a story to read again and again, unfolding more and more magic through Le Guin's incomparable writing and Boulet's unforgettable pictures.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Pomegranate; 1st edition (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087654071X
• ISBN-13: 978-0876540718
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #908,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dynanic paintings, wonderful writting, February 12, 2000

By 

Angel Lee "Liocorno Amethyst Moonstone" (Cleveland, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight (Hardcover)

This is a marvellous collaboration between a wonderful writer and superb artist. Le Guin's captivating story is brought to life by Boulet's dynamic paintings.

It is a story of the relationships among humans, animals and nature as the old ones, the animals, struggle to adapt and survive amid human expansion into their realm.

This subject is a natural for Boulet, whose work has always focused on these themes. There are 22 paintings of animals given human characteristics so vivid you feel you can see into their souls.

This is a wonderful book for an older child. It subtly teaches important lessons in life with a very entertaining story. Any fan Boulet's work will find it a welcome addition to their library.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A modern fairy tale for adults, September 20, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight (Hardcover)

At first glance I thought that Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight was a children's book, but flipping through I was soon corrected. Though set in a fairy tale format, it is definitely a story for adults (and older children as well) and is a beautifully written Ursula LeGuin classic. I read the book in one go, not a hard feat considering it's a short read, but every line and page is masterfully done and I could have hardly put the book down if I had wanted to - the story pulls you in and fascinates. The illustrations are also very inspired and go perfectly hand-in-hand with the story - a wonderfully synergistic combination. A must read for every Ursula LeGuin fan.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wow, August 20, 2000

By 

"gkathryn" (Taylors, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Buffalo Gals, Won't You Come Out Tonight (Hardcover)

What a powerful combination of work. I haven't seen this particular version of Buffalo Gals (have a weathered paperback copy from a used book shop), but it is such a wonderful collection of stories. I especially like the story for which the book is named. And Boulet was a phenomenal visual artist, her spirit definitely lives on in her work. I can just imagine what a nice gift a copy of this book would be for someone. To pair the art of these wonder-women was a real act of genius.