Customer Reviews

Lassie Come-Home

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thought this was an excellent book. Despite the one review below, this edition (hardcover, Lassie standing on the tip of a hill) does not appear to be abridged in any form (from the novel), nor is it what you might call an illustrated book-- there's a small sketch to accompany the start of each chapter, and a few full page drawings.

I bought this book to read to my children. Like I said, it's a really great book, but not for children of young ages. Get them an abridged version. Here's why:

1. Knight uses sophisticated language. It's in no way geared for children, and I found myself answering a lot of questions about what words meant, or just paraphrasing the content when things looked difficult.

2. Regional dialect. The characters are all in Yorkshire or Scotland, and Knight writes their dialect accordingly. Sometimes, *I* had a hard time discerning what was being said.

3. Subject matter. The main story is Lassie's journey, but there are numerous side plots that deal with a variety of more mature subjects, probably better suited for teenagers. The Carracloughs are dealing with the father not having a job, and the subsequent tension in the household. It's post WW1, and a veteran briefly discusses being in France, and there's a longer piece about a couple's son who was killed in the war. There's discussion of the euthenasia of dogs at a pound. Robbers attack a man and kill his dog. There are dog fights, boys cruelly throwing rocks at Lassie, somebody shooting at Lassie, Lassie's terrible conditions during her journey from weather and wear, etc...

I read a little background about Eric Knight. He was a WW1 veteran (killed in a plane crash in WW2). In America, he had a small little dog which was killed by a car, where upon he got a collie named Toots, which he based Lassie's character on. Tell me he didn't write himself into his book as Rowlie the peddler!

This novel is great. I have loved it since I was a little boy. My father read it to me and my brothers every night for a few months. And when he finished, I read it again.
When I pick it up now I am filled with fond memories of those months. And I must say that this book is one of my favorites.

I, with all due respect, disagree with one of the other reviewers who reviewed this item and said it was not for kids. This is the perfect book for kids, and is perfect to read aloud. The drama is engrossing, but is not too intense for youngsters. It is the perfect dog book.
A dog-lover myself, I have read a great many dog books. And this tops the list. Never before or since has an author captured so poignantly the affection between a boy and his dog. And never before or since has an author tried that affection with so many difficulties and set-backs. But, as we all know, in the end Lassie is there to greet Joe by the school gate. It's in the best three endings I've ever read (the other two being TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and A TALE OF TWO CITIES).

This is a classic, and it's one of my favorites. I honestly cannot even begin to understand why a person would give this book anything but five stars. HIGHLY recommended.

I purchased this book believing that I was getting a new edition of the classic Eric Knight children's book. This book is a picture-book version of that classic, and the text is considerably abridged. The pictures are absolutely lovely, but they cannot, in my opinion, make up for the loss of the wonderful details, the dialogue, and the glorious description that the original contained. I applaud the editors for wanting to bring back a classic, but they would have done well to consider what made the book a classic in the first place.

What does it take to be a true dog owner and dog lover? Certainly more than a piece of paper or a pedigree chart. Besides, what is an owner compared to being a dog's one, true Master? Eric Knight's 1940 tale of a dog who risks everything to be reunited with the boy who loves her leaped into the hearts of readers the world over. Based on his youth in the mountains of Yorkshire the story opens with basic the conflict of man versus man, but unfolds into Dog versus the world: man, beast, and Nature. Raising the moral question of what truly makes a man a given dog's Owner, this animal classic inspired a 1946 movie (with Elizabeth Taylor as young Priscilla).

Twelve-year-old Joe Carraclough adores his tricolor collie, Lassie, who though bred as a working dog with sheep, enjoys favored pet status in the family's humble cottage. But times are hard for these people; the mines are closed and Joe's father, desperate for work and the means to feed his family, reluctantly sells Lassie to the rich, blustery old Duke--who also has a keen eyes for dogs.

After running away several times from the Duke's kennels Lassie is shipped
400 miles up to the Duke's estate in northern Scotland. Yet each day around 4 pm the dog's strict Time Sense urges her to go meet the Boy at school. The story of her odyssey after she escapes the Duke's harsh kennel man proves emotional and fascinating reading; she combats
the indifference of Nature and the worst cruelty of mankind, as well as experiences some instances of tender human compassion. Joe comes of age as he realizes the value of honesty in dealing with others, while cherishing not only his own, but Lassie's dream for happiness. For kids of all ages.

The book tells the amazing story of a Collie female dog, Lassie, whose owners are compelled to sell her because of financial troubles. After she breaks away from her new estate several times, she is taken to Scotland, a hundred miles away. But she doesn't give up. With her directional sense, she breaks away and keep running southward and southward, running into challenges that are virtually impossible for a dog.

There is no other book that I have read so many times. It keeps exciting since the early childhood to nowadays. A must read.

Bought this for my niece. Had to get another for myself, I liked it so much. This is the way children's books should be. Better for older child maybe 6 (if read to by an adult) and up.

Still an interesting, emotion-provoking and relevant read for the 21st century's jaded youth. It's about the most basic kind of friendship and loyalty, where an animal exhibits more of both than do the humans. Some of the Depression-era references and rigid class distinctions probably aren't as relevant today, but the core of the book, the love of and for an animal, remains. Highly recommended.

Why has it taken me so long to read this excellent book! It is not just a "children's" book. One of the best books I have read in a long time!

If you like dogs then Lassie Come Home is the book for you. It is the story of a dog and its family who sell Lassie to the very rich duke of Rudling. No matter how many times Lassie tries to escape the Duke always catches her and puts her in very small pen. Finaly the Duke gets mad and moves to a very far away estate and Lassie is forced to travel thousands of miles to get home. This is a very good book especially for dog lovers. This book is a classic, I give this book a five star rating and hope that others like it to.

While this is an abriged version of the original, the wonderful art-work is a great consolation. Get both if you can. However, be clear that often "children's" books are really juvenile books. I would rate this one as ages 12 and up, not for ages 8-10 if that's what you're thinking, but a classic, nonetheless.

If you love dogs or pets and charm of the UK and the feel of yesteryear, this is the book for you. It's difficult to read this story and not think of Lassie as a fully sentient being. She is the ideal companion to a young boy and a family. When you finish the book, watch the movie to help really cement the images in your mind. There is just simply a type of enchantment that practically casts a spell on you as you escape into this book.

When I wrote,"Jack: The Christmas Collie" (based on a true story) I tried to re-capture that lost, child-like enchantment of the Collie stories of old. Lassie Come-Home is truly a classic that should be required reading in all middle-schools since Lassie has held such a prominent place in our pop-culture for the past seven decades!

I strongly recommend you pick up a copy for yourself, your children or as a gift.

Enjoy!

Kevin Brett
Author: "Jack: The Christmas Collie"

Jack: The Christmas Collie