Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse [Hardcover]

Richard Bach (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ferret Chronicles | Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Budgeron is struggling mightily to write the great ferret novel, a story so rich, so finely wrought, it will set the world of ferret literature on its tail. By day, he writes adventure stories for kits' magazines. By night, he lights the Lamp of Wisdom and calls forth Count Urbain de Rothskit, hero of the massive volume, "Where Ferrets Walk." After a near-perfect first sentence, Budgeron sighs in his tiny attic writing room and waits for the second to come.

Downstairs, a page-turner romance tumbles effortlessly from the keyboard of Budgeron's mate, Danielle. A pawdicurist who decides to write for fun, Danielle never expected her first page would explode with Veronique Sibhoan Ferret, a willful, naughty, mesmerizing animal who would one day bewitch millions of readers.

Budgeron and Danielle are aspiring writer ferrets following their calling through the quiet rooms where stories are born, past the mailbox and rejection slips and finally into the white hot world of big-time book publishing. In the end, each finds success writing for the one heart they must truly please: their own.

"Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse" is a tale about the search for what really matters in life; the struggle to free our inner voice; the pursuit of a dream against significant odds and the need to love and be loved by a like-minded spirit.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bach stumbled in the first two volumes of his new series of fables (Air Ferrets Aloft and Rescue Ferrets at Sea), but this effort recaptures some of the sense of wonder that made Jonathan Livingston Seagull a runaway bestseller. The protagonists are a pair of aspiring writers, Budgeron Ferret and his mate, Danielle, who are keen to climb the literary ladder. Budgeron, despite bouts of writer's block, has high hopes after selling a few short stories to some low-level magazines, and he hits it big when he publishes a series of novels for young ferrets (called kits). Meanwhile, Danielle pens a controversial romance "for the fun of it," which quickly becomes a bestseller. Much of the second half of the novel deals with the book tour that Danielle and Budgeron undertake together after becoming a successful literary couple. As hackneyed as the plot sounds, Bach's love of animals and reverence for the creative process keep the novel from becoming overly mawkish and sentimental; the icing on the cake is some tongue-in-cheek insight into the publishing process. The book also features crisp plotting, which was missing from the first two volumes of The Ferret Chronicles, and Bach's decision to avoid dwelling on the differences between the human world and his imagined ferret equivalent helps keep the prose economical. This is a lovable, entertaining story, which will tug at the heartstrings of even the most jaded.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As part of a longstanding series, Bach's book here introduces Budgeron and Danielle, two married writer ferrets in conflict: she writes best sellers, he is striving to craft the great ferret novel.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Scribner; 1St Edition edition (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743227549
• ISBN-13: 978-0743227544
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #853,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A former USAF pilot, gypsy barnstormer and airplane mechanic, Richard Bach is the author of more than three books.
He has not taken much thought to his page at Amazon, having just discovered today that it exists. He will likely return and fluff up this page a bit. His new website is www.richardbach.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A message of hope, September 12, 2003

By 

Gary D. Foster (Clyde, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse (Hardcover)

I have always been a fan of Richard Bach. I constantly find myself drawn to the simplicity of his writing and the complexity of his message and this book is no exception.

My own life has been full of loss for the last several years. Loss of hope, loss of career, loss of my marriage, loss of trust in my world... all of these have conspired to rob me of my dreams. Picking up this book on a whim, I felt all my hopes come rushing back in to fill the void inside of me.

I have always (since I was a small child) dreamed of writing. I was never able to garner the courage to actually attempt it, and I couldn't ever explain to anyone why. Finally, after losing so much in my life I finally managed to gain the courage to reach out to my dream with both hands and chase it wherever it might lead. This courage is due in great part to Mr. Bach and this book, and I will be forever in his debt.

He captures the frustration and elation of the creative process beautifully. Yes, he writes simply, and yes at times he's a bit sappy. This is part of the charm and if you are too jaded or too cynical to appreciate it then I truly feel sorry for you.

Do yourself a favor. Buy this book. Read this book. Enjoy this book. If you are an aspiring writer, if you know an aspiring writer, or if you just simply love the simplicity of openly and honestly chasing your dreams you NEED this book.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book For Children Of All Ages, November 2, 2002

By 

Florence Cardinal "http://www.florencecardina... (Bonnyville, AB Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse (Hardcover)

It isn't often I "gush" about a book, but I will about this one. Yesterday I opened to the first page of "The Ferret Chronicles - Writer Ferrets: Chasing the muse." I have just finished it.

This could well be classed a children's book, as could most books by Richard Bach: "Jonathon Livingston Seagull," "There's No Such Place as Far Away."

But this one, about a pair of ferrets and how they find their "muse" is both informative and inspirational. I would recommend it to any aspiring writer.

And, if it needs a childlike mind to read and enjoy it, then I must have such a mind, and I'm proud of it.

"Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse": by Richard Bach. A good book for all children, no matter what their age.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For the Young Writer on Your Christmas List, November 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Writer Ferrets: Chasing the Muse (Hardcover)

Richard Bach's love of the creative process illuminates every page of this charming story. This would make a nice gift for any aspiring writer on your Christmas list but I think it would have a special resonance for younger writers (twelve to fourteen). This book neatly illustrates the idea that struggling to meet others' expectations just doesn't contain the satisfaction (or rewards) of honoring one's own muse. I wish Writer Ferrets existed when I was fifteen and got a "C" on a creative writing asignment. From that moment, I spent decades trying to raise that grade by writing what I thought others wanted to read. Like the main character in "Chasing the Muse" I found myself stuck and producing writing that had nothing to do with my own inner voice. Lucky for me I found a friend who showed me the error of my ways and later gifted me with this book to underscore her point. If you are a struggling (or blocked) writer, I think you'll enjoy a quiet hour or two with the "Writer Ferrets."