"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
Still trying to figure this one out. Decided reading it again wasn't going to help
Rate These Member Reviews
Elizabeth V. (idahoLiz) from BOISE, ID wrote on 8/14/2008...
This book takes place at a fictional university, but has characters in it that are all too real. If you've spent any time in a university, you'll like this book. She's an all around great author.
Tara R. (taratiara) from DES MOINES, IA wrote on 9/18/2007...
Based on Iowa State University, where she taught for a number of years. Sorta snide and exploitive. Really bites the hand that fed her.
Amy R. (WanderingFeet) from PLEASANT VIEW, TN wrote on 2/24/2007...
Contained more explicit 'intimate' scenes than I was comfortable with.
Jim J. (texastech) from ARVADA, CO wrote on 12/28/2006...
Selected by the Book of the Month Club.
Delectably entertaining....An uproariously funny and at the same time hauntingly melancholy portrait of a college community in the Midwest.
Bernie N. (Bernie) from BILLINGS, MT wrote on 7/20/2006...
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.
Cathy L. (KerrvilleCate) from KERRVILLE, TX wrote on 6/29/2006...
Smiley is a funny writer and she's got university life pegged - all the dirty little secrets and the not-so-secret sexual liaisons. Her wicked wit entertains all the way through.
S W. (TakingTime) from EAST MOLINE, IL wrote on 2/11/2006...
a comedy set at a current day fictional Midwestern University, that is ever bit as compelling as any Aesops fable written
Brenda T. from SANDY SPRINGS, GA wrote on 8/1/2005...
Very funny book about mid-American agriculture college life.