Moo
JANE SMILEY

Moo by Jane Smiley 84 reviews (1995) (448p) National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction Finalist

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Book Description

"DELECTABLY ENTERTAINING. . . . An uproariously funny and at the same time hauntingly melancholy portrait of a college community in the Midwest." --The New York Times Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, amid cow pastures and waving fields of grain, lies Moo University, a distinguished institution devoted to the art and science of agriculture. Here, among an atmosphere rife with devious plots, mischievous intrigue, lusty liaisons, and academic one-upmanship, Chairman X of the Horticulture Department harbors a secret fantasy to kill the dean; Mrs. Walker, the provost's right hand and campus information queen, knows where all the bodies are buried; Timothy Nonahan, associate professor of English, advocates eavesdropping for his creative writing assignments; and Bob Carlson, a sophomore, feeds and maintains his only friend: a hog named Earl Butz. In this wonderfully written and masterfully plotted novel, Jane Smiley, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of A Thousand Acres, offers us a wickedly funny comedy that is also a darkly poignant slice of life. "FAST, HILARIOUS, AND HEARTBREAKING . . . Not for a minute does Moo lose its perfect satiric pitch or its pacing. . . . Don't skip a page, don't skip a paragraph. It's going to be on the final." --People "SMART, IRREVERENT, AND WICKEDLY TENDER . . . Moo suggests a mix of Tom Wolfe's wit and John Updike's satiny reach . . . Engaging." --The Boston Globe "ENTERTAINING . . . Displays a wicked wit and an unerring eye for American foibles . . . Stuffed with memorable characters, sparkling with deliciously acid humor, Moo is a rare bird in today's literary menagerie: a great read that also makes you think." --Chicago Sun-Times From the Trade Paperback edition.

Amazon.com Review

The hallowed halls of Moo University, a midwestern agricultural institution (aka "cow college"), are rife with devious plots, mischievous intrigue, lusty liaisons, and academic one-upsmanship. In this wonderfully written and masterfully plotted novel, Jane Smiley, the prizewinning author of A Thousand Acres, offers a wickedly funny, darkly poignant comedy. A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for fiction.

Other Award Winning Books by Jane Smiley

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley 211 reviews (1991) (384p) (PP) (NBCCA) (LATimes) (ALA) Read Reviews | Visit this book's Amazon.com page

Ordinary Love and Good Will: Two Novellas by Jane Smiley   reviews (1990) (p) (LATimes) Read Reviews | Visit this book's Amazon.com page

The Age of Grief by Jane Smiley 10 reviews (1987) (224p) (NBCCA) Read Reviews | Visit this book's Amazon.com page

Jane Smiley Award Stats

Major Prize* Nominations 5   Unique Books Nominated for a Major Prize* 3   Pulitzer Prize Wins 1 A Thousand Acres ·   Pulitzer Prize Nominations 1 A Thousand Acres ·   National Book Critics Circle Award Wins 1 A Thousand Acres ·   National Book Critics Circle Award Nominations 3 A Thousand Acres · Moo · The Age of Grief ·   National Book Award Wins 0   National Book Award Nominations 0   Man Booker Prize Wins 0   Man Booker Prize Nominations 0   PEN/Faulkner Award Wins 0   PEN/Faulkner Award Nominations 0

*Major Prize = Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, and PEN/Faulkner Award

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