Customer Reviews

The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

When author Sy Montgomery brought home the sickliest runt of the pig litter as a pet, she never imagined how much he would grow and enrich the lives of all those who came in contact with him. This amazing pig not only thrived, but he reached 750 pounds of exuberance and free spirit. Christopher Hogwood was not just sociable and amusing, but he was also a catalyst for humans around him to help and support each other. In fact, the book is as much about the people who came in contact with Christopher as it is about the pig himself.

Montgomery, who has written many publications on animal life around the world, brings her deep love and respect for all animals to this book. She includes descriptions of some of the places she has been and the amazing creatures she has studied. She treats Christopher with the same sense of wonder as she had for the legendary pink dolphins of Brazil and the man-killing tigers of India. She makes Christopher's gluttony a delight to imagine. She makes the reader chuckle at his opinionated personality and his enjoyment of being pampered at "pig spa."

This memoir is funny, enlightening, and touching. If you loved the classic children's story "Charlotte's Web," you'll adore "The Good Good Pig." As Charlotte would have said, Christopher is some pig!

Eileen Rieback

One person in Christopher Hogwood's community was able to get a check cashed on the strength of being a friend of the well-known pig. Christopher was a write-in candidate for local elective office, and his death was mourned not only by his slop-bearers but by friends around the world.

Sy Montgomery, a writer usually more concerned with insects and apes and occasional children (JOURNEY OF THE PINK DOLPHINS), has gifted those of us who did not know Christopher with the amusing, remarkable, poignant and revelatory biography of a pig who started life small and influenced the world around him in a big way.

We know long before Montgomery tells us that Christopher is her sort of therapy-pig, a portal of entry into the world of magic and faith that children inhabit. Christopher was an orphan, and she and her husband Howard, also a writer, took time out of their busy, introverted lives in a cherished farmhouse in New Hampshire to spoil the "good good pig." Even a simple thing like watching him eat became a special pastime for Sy and her neighbors: "Pigs are quite literally made for eating --- they were bred to eat and get fat fast...grunting, slurping and snorting with delight, Christopher ate with the enthusiasm of a gourmand and the grace of an athlete." Even the gourmet bistro sent him leftovers.

When two young girls, Kate and Jane, moved in near the pig parlor, they fell in love with their porcine neighbor and started bringing him food. One of them took to communing with the pig when she felt blue. Together with Sy, they initiated "Pig Spa" in place of just plain old tummy-rubbing. They untangled his tail, bathed him and polished his hooves with cocoa butter. "But the truth is, while the brushing, bathing, tail-braiding and nipple stroking delighted Christopher Hogwood, even more it restored the humans who touched him."

Christopher grew large --- topping 700 pounds from having been a runt with a tenuous hold on early life --- and smart, able to unlock complicated hasps and having a mind to roam. The local policeman took to carrying apples in his car to lure the mammoth pet back home, and the locals got used to occasional random visits from Sy's favorite foster child. Christopher inspired trust and was beloved by children, some of whom proclaimed him better than a horse. He was often filmed and became a Christmas card for Sy and Howard, his raffish photos a reward to his many sloppers, combers and therapy clients.

There is nothing about this book to slow down the enthusiastic reader or bore the knowledgeable one --- both will race through to its natural conclusion with a tear here, a giggle there, a sigh of species empathy along the way. Though I would not be able to consider having a hog instead of a dog in my house, I admire Sy for taking Christopher in, and him for being such a gracious recipient of her fond affections. It was an adoption made in hog heaven.

--- Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott

The Good Good Pig is a fun ride from the opening sentence till the last page. It will go fast because you just keep on wanting to know what Chris will do next or who will fall in love with him...ultimately the whole town. Actually while enjoying the story, I learned some things I'll probably never need to know about pig farming...even some history of pigs but who can tell what knowledge ..someday..might really come in handy. Enjoy!!

I devoured this book like its porcine protagonist--a runt among runts who grew to 750 pounds and lived nearly fourteen years--devoured his beloved slops. Author Sy Montgomery has a zest for life and a large heart for animals, and her story-telling and sense of humor soon drew me in among Christopher Hogwood's circle of caring friends.

Hogwood is an intelligent, responsive, sensual individual, and vegetarian Montgomery hopes readers will make the connection between this runt grown large and the tens of millions of pigs reared anonymously inside sunless factory farms and slaughtered at six months. But she doesn't belabor the grim fate of most pigs. Foremost, this book celebrates the mostly happy existence of a creature with a solid appreciation for all the good things that come his way. Hogwood's hedonism, like Montgomery's loving care, is contagious. If you're not keen on the idea of becoming emotionally attached to a pig, avoid this book.

First, let's clear up some of the comments made in other reviews:

1. If you get a misprint book, that does not mean the book should be rated poorly. It means you should return it wherever you purchased it and ask for a non-misprint copy (too bad books are not like stamps, where misprints are worth more the good prints). Mistakes happen at the printer and that is no reflection on what the author has written.

2. One reviewer complained that this book was not like the author's other wildlife books which are in exotic locations around the world. Duh! This is a book about the author's pet pig. The other reviewer's remark is like complaining that the orange in your lunch bag is not a grand marnier souffle.

3. Much as I like E.B.White's "Charlotte's Web" (I like everything E.B.White ever wrote), to compare Christopher to Wilbur is not fair to either Wilbur or Christopher. The really brilliant character in E.B.White's novel was not Wilbur the pig, but Charlotte the spider.

I liked this book. I liked it a lot. I have known several people who have owned pigs. They have remarked on how intelligent their pigs were (as smart or smarter than dogs) and told me some stories. None of those other intelligent pigs measure up to Christopher Hogwood. This is the Einstein of pigdom, truly worthy of the author's book length eulogy to him.

I bought this book in a book store, an impulse buy, because I liked the cover. I have a fondness for animals with black patches about their eyes (I own 2 calicos with black eye patches).

That is one cute piglet on the cover. He looks a little mischievous, doesn't he? That's because he is!

Christopher was a sickly runt. At the farm where he was born, he was so small and so weak he had trouble pushing through the crowd of other piglets to get something to eat. The author and her husband, while visiting the farm, see Christopher and know he is doomed to an early death if he stays at the farm. So they take him home. The improvise a pen for him in their barn. He may be a weak runt but not a dumb one. He escapes. The author and her husband make repeated enhancements to the security of Christopher's pen and he manages to overcome them all using his ingenuity. Eventually, the author's father-in-law, an engineer, builds an escape proof pig palace for Christopher.

In addition to being clever at escaping, Christopher is a gourmand. He savors the tidbits in his meals. But he is not above the common man or pig: he loves beer. So the author's husband has a standing order at the local grocery store for cases of beer for Chris (they change him to Schlitz because he drinks so much).

Christopher endears himself not only to the author and her husband, but to their friends, their neighbors, the local police force, and the whole town. I wish my cats were even half as clever as Christopher. I had a wonderful time reading about the antics of this good good real-life pig.

Every now and then I read a book that just captures my heart. Sorry if I sound like a school girl, but I was giddy reading this memoir of Montgomery's loveable pet pig. Montgomery is such a strong writer, as she manages to make me laugh throughout the book at her pig's celebrity status in her hometown. The book's real strength, however, is in the lessons this charming pig teaches a community. This is one of the best-written books I have read in years. To find this book and other cool short book club recommendations, go to www.lazyreaders.com.

Sy Montgomery has written some wonderful books about animals. This one has some touching moments, but I don't think it's one of her best. I, too, was put off by some of her egotistical comments. The detailed enumeration of the contents of Christopher's slop pail were just not that interesting--and the lists were repeated endlessly. The book can be summed up in two sentences: "This is a story about a pig who lived a long and happy life. People liked to rub his belly and see him eat, and they donated food to him frequently." For me, the book just doesn't answer the "so what?" question. If you want a wonderful book by the same author, read THE TARANTULA SCIENTIST.

This is a good story about a pig who lived a good 13 years with a loving family of hens, a dog, his guardians - Sy and Howard, and most of the town in which they lived. I enjoyed the story of Christopher the pig. It is a very heart-warming book. The only negative criticism I have is when the author gets off onto a different path from the story of Christopher, stories of her travels and such. Mostly the book tells the story of Christopher, how he affected so many people with his wonderful personality. I found myself laughing and crying throughout. I didn't want the story of Christopher to end. But Christopher lives on in his story and his life continues to affect people who read about him as you can see in the reviews. As for me, I prefer not ever eating pork again. I can't imagine killing a soul like Christopher just for a piece of meat. I would rather all the Christophers in the world live and enjoy the life God gave to them too. That is how his story affected me. All in all, this is a very good story.

What a delight. Every once in a while a book comes along that steals your heart. This book is about an "old soul" who happened to be a pig with a big heart and a sense of adventure. If you love animals, you will love this book. I have purchased four myself to share with friends and family. The Good Good Pig is a hands down winner.

A touching book about a pig that brought a community together and made an impression on the lives of those who knew him. You may think, why would I want to read about a pig? But believe me, you'll be glad you did. I'm a great animal lover,and find most books are too sad; however, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. I am recommending it to everyone at the bookstore where I work.