Customer Reviews

Fowl Weather

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Fowl Weather is a very, very, very funny book but that is almost misleading. In these days, when meanness is mistaken for wit, it is a startling work of art that sees the great and small passages of life, with humor. Bob Tarte has written a very brave, funny book. It is very difficult to say precisely what it's about because it is about life unfolding or maybe unraveling. It's about those moments, parents, pets or even things that make up our notion of self and how they can be taken away and the little things, like the sound of a bird or a spider's web, that can make it endurable. It's a book that deals with daunting issues like mortality with graceful wit. Many of the incidents in this book, say sock monkeys, a purse, or parrots, have never been juxtaposed in the history of literature. It is an outstanding read.

I finished reading this book several days ago, but I had to recover somewhat from the death of not only one of Bob Tarte's favorite pets, but a favorite of his readers as well, in order to review it.

The final scene of the book, when a "real" goodby is said to this wonderful being, rather than a call from a vet, is one of the most moving I have read in literature. I dare you not to cry when you read it.

Of course this book is more serious than Enslaved by Ducks because difficulties arise, as they do from time to time in life, in bundles. But still there are so many moments when one is roused to hilarious laughter that they are countless.

As a Southern Californian, I found life in rural Michigan to be fascinating. I guess I never thought about Michigan, never having been there, as being more than a state with a lake, enormous auto manufacturing plants, and Detroit where social problems come to light from time to time in newspaper headlines. Interesting too to know what a Michigan winter is like. In short, I feel almost as if I have travelled there.

But above all there is the wonderful and glorious parade of natural life spread out like a banquet for the reader to admire, revere and become acquainted with. Not only do they live with a highly skilled writer, they live with two people who love them unquestionably a great deal.

It's been a wonderful journey reading these two books. Unforgettable, really!

It's hard to know what else to add to the 24 other 5 star reviews! I'm a poultry enthusiast who has found both of Bob's books to be poignant journals of how our pets own us. Without overly anthropomorphizing their pets, Bob manages to give us a home movie of them that is sometimes a bit Fellini, sometimes a bit Andy Griffith. The balance of wry humor, cozy anecdotes, and dark obsessions create a great read that is truly genius and satisfying. I heartily recommend this book to reading clubs, because there's something for everyone in here.

"Fowl Weather" takes up the story line of fowl-obsessed Bob Tarte, his wife Linda, and their multitudinous non-human family, where "Enslaved by Ducks" left off. Read the latter book first so that you can easily pick up the story of how the author coped with the death of his father and his mother's slow descent into Alzheimer's Disease, with the help of his wife, thirty-nine animals, a sock monkey, and an occasional blast of anti-depressants.

Bob Tarte is affected by anti-depressants like no one else on Earth, so it is just as well that he can turn to his ducks, geese, turkey, parrots, and Moobie his bulky white cat for comfort. His wry, self-deprecating style (a uniquely American amalgamation of Samuel Clemens and Erma Bombeck) makes even the toughest philosophical quandaries easy to understand. He engages our sympathy, even while making us smile, although "Fowl Weather" is not as laugh-out-loud funny as "Enslaved by Ducks." How could it be when its overarching theme is death in all of its humiliating, squalid forms--a box of firecrackers where most of the squibs sputter, smoke, and go out without a burst of color or a satisfying bang. Death by cancer or death by raccoon---all that can be gleaned from this book is that one is quicker than the other. All cause sorrow, whether the death of a nameless bunny or the death of a father. It is only a matter of degree.

The author writes about himself as though he were a clueless, lost-in-the-Seventies wimp. In reality, he and his wife, Linda are a couple of intensely humane and interesting folks. I'd rather read about them cleaning the chicken barn and tending to their starling nestlings than follow even the most bizarre `happenings' of Paris Hilton, who is essentially living in a one-creature universe. To paraphrase Samuel Clemens, there is something about the outside of a duck that must be good for the inside of a man, even if the relationship sometimes involves a pushbroom.

I generally avoid books about death, Alzheimer's, and depression, but this author presents his tragic year with such grace and off-beat wackiness, I couldn't do anything else but chuckle and lighten up about my own daily skein of pratfalls and tragedies.

"Fowl Weather" might not make a good movie, but it could generate a great comic strip along the lines of "Maus" for Michigan.

This is a must read. The book has been written with such love and compasion. I laughed and I cried with every page. I could not put this book down because there was something around the corner of each page that kept your attention to the very end. Don't leave this world without reading Fowl Weather.

PM, San Antonio, TX

Whether Bob was out standing in his field, in the barn, out by the river or in the house he gave me hysterical laughter every time I opened this book. A true tale of an animal loving guy, woven within a true story about real life. It truly inspires! Highly recommended (as well as Enslaved by Ducks)

Fowl Weather
Another Bob Tarte classic. I immediately ordered "Fowl Weather" before finishing "Enslaved By Ducks"! While "Fowl Weather" can be read on it's own, I think "Enslaved By Ducks" helps you bond more with the original cast of characters.

A very real, very poignant book that will have you laughing,crying,and pondering coincidences at each turn.

Anyone who has ever lost a parent or beloved pet will certainly empathize. Bob paints a painfully honest and brave picture for all of us to share.

Fowl Weather is another one of Bob Tarte's wonderfully funny creations. Like his previous book Enslaved by Ducks, it will have you laughing out loud with tears in your eyes. Fowl Weather also exposes you to some more serious and poignant moments of his life. Bob has an amazingly expressive way of writing that enables you to truly experience what he is talking about. If you are an animal lover or just love reading a good book, then consider Fowl Weather and Enslaved by Ducks as "must reads"!!! Also be sure to visit his website for a good laugh and pictures of his whole menagerie!

I loved this book. I recommend it to everybody. The second is just as good as the first book. If you do not have "Enslaved by Ducks" I suggest you get both books and have a great time.

Fowl Weather is a book about generosity and love: Bob Tarte's love of family and friends, his love of animals and his love of nature. As in his last book, Enslaved by Ducks, Bob Tarte continues to write in a very captivating and witty style about his caring relationship with a variety of acquired animals and the continuous losses he painfully endures; however, in Fowl Weather, he has added very profound, contrapuntal themes regarding his father's death, his mother's descent into Alzheimer's, his wife Linda's difficulty coping with often debilitating back pain and his struggle with his own illness. He is very generous to share this life with us. His family, friends, animals and readers are very lucky to be part of his orbit.