Brian McGroryRecensioni

Content warning: for those who just wanted a fun book about a guy doing battle with a rooster, McGrory starts out by dedicating a good chunk of the beginning of the book to his awesome dog, Harry, who gets very sick and he has to put to sleep. I had just put my cat to sleep a few short weeks ago and found myself sobbing while reading that section in public.

I really enjoyed this book, despite my crying jag. Harry's death led to a relationship with Harry's vet, who happens to also come with a suburban life, two kids, and a small menagerie. Buddy, the title rooster, comes along thanks to a science experiment from one of Pam's daughters. McGrory's trials and tribulations with the rooster mirror his own struggle to adjust to suburban and family life, after decades of living alone in the city.

This was a sweet and funny book. Though I was as befuddled by McGrory at the sheer amount of STUFF his soon-to-be step-daughters needed. I grew up and live in surburbia. I don't have kids but I have memories of when I was a kid and I certainly didn't have $200 birthday cakes or extravagant birthday parties. Weird.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Goodread's First Reads program

The author is a divorced journalist, living in the city with his beloved dog, Harry. Pam is Harry's vet, who takes up with the author after her divorce. Her daughters have a chicken project with school, only the chick that hatches is a male and the girls won't give him up. The rooster loves Pam and the girls, but is at war with the author. Funny moments as the author navigates from bachelor city living, to suburbia with Pam and her girls plus a menagerie of animals

Jack Flynn is an investigative reporter who's looking into why this one guy got a presidential pardon. He makes routine inquiries and the next thing he knows, the president of the United States has invited him to play a round of golf. He's playing this incredulous round when he becomes part of an attempted presidential assassination. And the story begins. This is a first novel for McGrory and I sure hope it isn't the last. The story is really well told with delicious little snippets like '...a man so large that the fabric on the collar of his white button-down shirt didn't appear so much tight as absolutely furious…' A great read.

We eat our roosters. That's all I have to say about this book.

Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man by Brian McGrory is a brilliant memoir about the reluctant transition a man must make from content autonomy of singlehood to the selflessness that’s required in a longterm relationship, the unexpected and ever-changing moods of children — and in this case, a house full of pets.

Brian McGrory’s experience as a writer and editor for the Boston Globe since the eighties has clearly given him an advantage in writing novels, which in Buddy, obviously showcases his natural ease in writing an effortless and an easily readable and enjoyable prose.

The writing is indicative of McGrory himself: intelligent, witty, thoughtful, and humble enough to be accommodating to those he cares about.

The history of his life-changing relationship with his beloved golden retriever, Harry, is especially genuine and heartfelt that readers, even professed non-dog lovers, will naturally feel a connection to this intelligent, loyal, and gregarious dog, and a deep appreciation for their exceptional relationship with one other.

In comparison, the reader may indeed get frustrated with Harry’s polar opposite, Buddy, the incessantly pecking and crowing, much beloved and spoiled, self-indulged, and self-important, territorial rooster of the family.

It seemed for much of the book that poor McGrory was not only outnumbered by females, animals, and decisions that often put him last; readers may have felt an undeniable empathy—even pity—for the man who reluctantly accommodated great change in his life because of his love and commitment to one woman in his conceding role as second husband, stepfather to two stepdaughters, and bewildered co-owner to 12 feisty animals: Baker, Walter, Charlie, Tigger, Lily, Dolly, Mokey, Lala, Smurf, Chaz, Buddy, and the nameless frog — in one boisterous household.

I certainly did.

The injustice of McGrory’s desires almost always put last in accommodation to please Pam, his wife, and her two daughters in their desire to appease, nurture, and indulge their beloved and domesticated rooster, Buddy, baffled and infuriated me.

While I couldn’t understand how one’s love for an animal could impede on the desires and needs of a family member like McGrory, the length in which the family accommodated this regal, strutting, pecking, and attacking, feathered bird was over and beyond any pet owner’s natural obligation.

But this family isn’t ordinary. Nor is their lifestyle, which accepted and fell in love with an animal that originally began as a school project.

To read the rest of my review, you're more than welcome to visit my blog, The Bibliotaphe Closet:

http://zaraalexis.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/book-review-buddy-how-a-rooster-made-...

Thanks,
Zara

I have had this book on my to be read pile for a while. This is one book where I was really looking forward to reading this book. I used to raise chickens and turkeys. For a brief time we even had a rooster. Yet he went to a good home as living close to neighbors is not always a good mix. Plus, my dad did not enjoy being woken up by the crowing of the rooster. I loved my chickens. In addition, it has been a long while since I have read a good chicken story.

Sadly, this book was not what I was looking for. There was one brief moment early on where Buddy and Brian had "guy" battle to see just who was boss. Buddy won. As I read this, I had a smile on my face and even had to read this to my husband. Yet, this was the last time that Buddy would make an appearance in a long time. I can't tell you when he appears again as I got to chapter nine and put the book down. Not to take anything away from Mr. McGrory but I really was only intrigued in Buddy and his encounters with him and not so much about his life. Which if it had been more interesting then maybe I would have been more invested.

Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man by Brian McGrory
328 pages

★★★★

When I randomly picked up this book at the library, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I mean, the whole concept seemed a little cheesy to me, but what the heck. But right away I was sucked into Brian McGrory’s writing and lapped up his story of going from a man who had been single most of his life (except for a short marriage years before) in a large city to a man with kids, a fiancee, and A LOT of animals in the suburbs – including a rooster named Buddy. The author has a way of throwing his emotions out there and being honest which left me cracking up in some segments and tearing up in others. He has a habit of being very narcissistic and selfish at times but for the most part I found it charming. This really was a cute book, much more than just about a rooster (in fact many chapters have nothing at all to do with Buddy the Rooster) but about a past, a family and love. If you’re an animal lover, regardless of what kind, this may be a book to pick up. A surprisingly fun and quick read.

This is a great book. It has a few sad moments among many, many funny, hilarious and poignant ones. You would have to be a completely unfeeling shell of a human being not to thoroughly enjoy this book.

This is an easy and fun read. McGrory spends a lot of the book letting us meet his wonderful retriever Harry. He spends the rest on his relationship with his fiancee, her two children and their rooster Buddy. The three ladies are all the chicken has ever known so he's a bit protective of them. Buddy hates McGrory and sees him as a huge threat to his flock so he pretty much does nothing except attack, plan attacks and think about attacking. (I had no idea roosters could be so aggressive... no wandering around in any strange farmyards for me) The whole point of the title actually occurs in the last 10 pages of the story. I've seen reviews about how spoiled and horrible the two daughters are. I steeled myself for Bad Seeds. Meh. They are kids. Granted, they are entitled kids but they are still kids. Their mother could have made different choices on a few occasions. So could McGrory. But neither did and everything still turned out fine. I enjoyed the book, reading it in little segments each night before bed. I was actually a little sad when I realized I had come to the end of the story. I'd love to know how the family has fared.½

The title of "Buddy", and the publisher's blurb, really set up the reader for a disappointment. The book isn't really about Buddy at all. It's more about the author's self-indulgent decision making. I'm glad he ends up feeling good about his marriage (I would really have felt bad for the kids if it hadn't worked out!), but ... how about more about the character in the title?

This should have been re-edited and re-titled to be more about the author and his dog, or the author and himself.

Frankly, after the first few paragraphs, I was rooting for the neighbors. I live next to an urban chicken owner, and the freakin' crowing (yes, even HENS can crow - at 4am) drives me insane. I'm sure his neighbors are SO VERY HAPPY that he learned to love this woman and her kids and himself and the LOUD CROWING ROOSTER. I'm sure that makes up for the 4am wake-up calls in the summer.

I would not recommend this book to any of my friends. Sure, the writing itself was good - infrastructure was solid - but the content of that writing was not what I would call a great read.

The book "Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man", was one of those feel-good books that wasn't supposed to do anything but that, make you feel good. Brian McGrory did do a good job at that. At times I was frustrated at his passive attitude but had to remind myself that this was a true story and he could not recreate real life. His stories brought to mind my mother's tales of their pet rooster and how it ruled the barnyard and how she and her brothers laughed in their retelling. I'm not sure they were as funny at the moment but time has a way of soothing memories.

In "Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man", Brian McGrory has shared the story of his transformation from an independent, Boston sports writer, to a suburban step-dad. Using the catalyst of his step-daughters' pet rooster, and the trials and challenges he (the rooster) presents in a suburban home environment, to illustrate lessons he learns in parenting, and being a supportive spouse. Mostly how the rooster wanted to kill him and how his family didn't seem bothered by that at all, but how he made peace with it (sort of) in the end. It might have been a little more heartwarming shall we say, if the family were a little more likable. The 2 daughters seemed like spoiled brats most of the time, and his continual excuses for their demanding and obnoxious behavior being they come from a broken home, just grow thin. I think McGrory should write a whole book about his dog Harry, whom he clearly loved and brought out his softer side, (in fact it was his relationship to Harry that initially brought him to the attention of his future wife). That's the book I want to read. I will also add, that I find it incredible that they managed to keep a loud crowing rooster in a suburban neighborhood. - That would not be the case in any neighborhood round these parts, as tightly controlled by zoning laws and commissions as they are. Maybe the acreages are a tad larger in Mr. McGrory's neighborhood....

The title claims that the book is about a rooster; however, for the first 100 pages, the book is really about McGrory and his dog Harry. The book continues to be more about McGrory and his own fears about marrying a woman with two children than about the lessons Buddy teaches him. Despite the fact that the title is misleading, the book is still enjoyable. McGrory writes with compassion and humor. There are funny scenes with McGrory rushing to the American Girl store to get the new doll of the year for his stepchildren and trying to free Buddy the rooster from the top-loading washing in which he has become stuck. The book is a quick read and very enjoyable.½

A fun fast read – but pay attention to the subtitle – "How a rooster made me a family man". Don't expect a "Marley and Me" style book. Here the focus is much more on the author and his conversion from selfish single guy, to less selfish family guy, rather than on Buddy the rooster. It's well written, as you'd expect from someone who has been a reporter for the Boston Globe as long as McGrory has. My major complaint with the book is McGrory's frequent patting himself on the back for changing into a "true family man".

Just from the title, one would raise their eyebrows in disbelief...a lesson learned from a chicken? Throughout the book, you can feel the love that Brian had for his dear dog Harry and several other animals that he had gained through his second marriage..but a rooster? This book shows that lessons and love can come from anywhere, anyone, anything. And that is a lesson that is important for everyone to realize. I found this book to be very touching.

Buddy by Brain McGrory
Pets are normal, everyone has pets. But a pet rooster? That's stretching it a bit...

Library Thing and the author sent me a copy of this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can find a copy at your local bookstore.

Brian begins his story with the tale of a well-loved dog. He acquires it during his first marriage and when the marriage dies, he still has the dog. Dogs are good friends, love us unconditionally and enjoy life in general. Even when the world as you know it ends, they're still at your side and on your side. However, dogs don't have a long life. When his dog got cancer and he had to usher him out of this world, I cried. Animals do that to me.

I found it interesting that Brian met his second wife through the dog. She was the vet he used. It took a bit of back and forth and then they became a couple. She had two girls; he had to adjust to a life with children. He also had to adjust to being married again. He thought he was doing OK until a school project at their Dad's means an egg has hatched and they have a chick. It's fine at Dad's. Unfortunately, it came home with the kids...

Who wants a pet chicken? That question got even more important when it turned out to be a rooster and began waking him each morning bright and early. It doesn't take too long for him to realize that either he accepts the rooster or he might be the one that has to leave.

This reads like a novel even though it's a memoir. The rooster tortures him, the family loves the rooster, and Brian just has to try to survive. In time, even he grows a bit fond of the rooster. And he learns some important family lessons from him.

Mr. McGrory writes a smooth flowing story that sounds just like you're living it. This is well worth a read; I enjoyed it. Why not visit a couple of great animals yourself?

Charming memoir of one man's journey from city-dwelling single guy skeptic to married suburban-living optimist. Brian McGrory is a prize-winning journalist who offers a tender glimpse into his personal life. His heartfelt relationship with his best friend Harry, a beautiful golden retriever, was touching and poignant. Harry became the bridge to Brian finding the woman who was to become his future wife. Pam was Harry's vet and along with her two daughters and a menagerie of animals, they establish their vibrant presence into Brian's well-ordered life. The only irritant to this bucolic scenario is a spoiled and territorial chicken named Buddy. This rambunctious rooster becomes the catalyst that fills Brian with a sense of purpose and responsibility and fills his heart with gratitude for the many things that have touched his life. This witty tale will capture the attention of the reader and delight the hearts of animal lovers everywhere.

This is a fun, light-hearted look at life with a new partner, Pam, mother of two young girls, Abigail and Caroline, and their bevy of animals, including Buddy, an irascible rooster. Brian McGrory, a writer and editor for the Boston Globe has written several other novels. His memoir is filled with commentary on the shift from once-divorced to bachelor, to romancing his dog's vet. The story begins with McGory telling us about his forever favorite dog, Harry, a loving, intelligent Golden Retriever who always got his jokes. They take walks through the city, where everybody knows and loves Harry. When Harry passes away from cancer at age 10, Brian thnks he will never be able to love another dog, let alone sustain a healthy relationship with a woman. Turns out Harry's vet cures him of those fears. The ensuing chaos is just what the dr. ordered, if you will forgive the expression. McGorry is a delightful writer, and continues to entertain, even while grousing about the self-centeredness of two spoiled young girls fighting him for their mother's attention. Enter Buddy, who inexplicably takes a dislike to Brian. Buddy begins life as a Science project, an adorable, fluffy yellow chick, but magically becomes a full-fledged rooster, cock-a-doodle-doo and all. Okay, it's not magic, but the audiobook is. I truly enjoyed it. I think men,women, and children could enjoy this audiobook and it is fairly g-rated. It is only 7 discs, so if you have a long ride ahead it is one you could finish in a few days of travel. I'm sure it makes for a good read also, but I enjoyed the reader and also having the exploits of the rooster, his family and the other pets read to me felt like a bedtime story. Highly recommended.

This was an interesting light-reading memoir . As other reviewers have pointed out , the book is actually about two animals . The author's beloved dog Harry and Buddy the rooster that seemingly everyone loves but McGrory . I do find it hard to believe that noone else had a problem with Buddy's constant cackling . I was also mildly disturbed that his wife Pam , a veterinarian , turned buddy into a cannibal by feeding him chicken nuggets . Overall , its a well-written book .

For LibraryThing Early Reviewers

It is always difficult to criticize someone’s memoir. Let’s face it, this is his life, and McGrory has opened the door and welcomed us into some of the most intimate corners of that life. Still, it must be said that some of this was rough going. I had to skim the first sixty pages just to stay committed to reading it at all; and comprehension suffered not at all from skimming, which is saying something; and not something good. I was afraid the entire book was going to go like this. Fortunately, I was wrong. In addition, it must be pointed out that the clumsy, juvenile writing style of the first sixty pages with its glut of hyperbole may have been deliberate. In fact, Brian McGrory, who is no hack, just may be a bona fide writing genius! This is a story of an overaged youngster growing up, and it is just possible that McGrory tailored his writing style to grow up with him as his account progresses. BUDDY tells the true story of his coming to genuine manhood through the example and influence of a beloved Golden Retriever, his second wife, her two young daughters; and Buddy, a pampered, crabby rooster who really hates McGrory.

I think most of us can relate to McGrory’s tale and can think back to certain key events and people…and animals who “grew us up”. We find him in the beginning a successful young man with a marvelously self-centered life revolving around his wonderful job at the Boston Globe, living in his perfectly located condo in the Back Bay community of Boston, enjoying his meals out, tickets to the Red Sox and his loyal dog, Harry. Into his life steps Harry’s veterinarian, Pam, and change begins to relentlessly dog him. Gradually, very gradually, and rather painfully, he is drawn away from the city, bachelor life he loves into the suburban family life he needs. At the center of the change is Buddy, the pet rooster; coddled and petted by Pam and her girls, and a sort of living talisman for Brian, first a perverse adversarial symbol of Brian’s alienation from the heart of the family, and then, oddly enough, a role model of commitment and devotion beyond reason or self-concern.

The most impressive thing about BUDDY is as the account of a remade family coming together. These are decent, loving people (and animals), and the making of a new family is just plain hard. McGrory has succeeded in protecting his family’s inner soul while still sharing with us the intricacies of its workings. We are privy to their commitment to make this family happen without being let in on those intimate conversations about the foundations of what will make it stick together. Yet, stick together it does, and we must simply sit back in awe and enjoy the ride.

Always exciting to get a new book in the mail. This one did not disappoint. The main character trades in a life of ease and independence for a new home filled with chaos, love, and change. Like many others, I agree this had a Marley and Me feeling. Quite enjoyable, thanks!

Enjoyed it tremendously! The book might be about a rooster, but it just as much about the formation of a new family and all their assorted critters!
Will look for more books by the author!

I very much enjoyed this book; so much so that I became interested in some of the author's other books.

I liked the author's honesty in regards to his feelings about the rooster. My husband adopted a cat not long after we met that definitely did not want to share his affections, and therefore made my life as hellish as possible for several years (until she finally realized that I was a pushover and fell in love with me). So I can relate to some of McGrory's experiences.

I have to say that, while I understood the love the author's family had for the rooster, I didn't develop much feeling for the rooster himself. The idea of having something attack you or your loved one in your own home... I consider myself an animal person, and most things with fur find that I'm an easy mark. But if my family had a pet rooster that attacked my husband... well, my family wouldn't have a pet rooster anymore.

I fell in love with Harry, though, head over heels. What an incredible companion. What a loss.

Regardless, I enjoyed reading about how coping with the rooster changed the author, helping him to evolve from a self-centered bachelor to an engaged husband and father. It was a great story, skillfully written, with candor and humor, humility and heart.½

It's a nice memoir about a Boston reporter who marries a vet with 2 daughters and moves to the suburbs with 2 dogs, 2 cats, 2 rabbits, and Buddy the rooster. Sort of a "coming of age" story, McGrory describes how he becomes a family man after spending many years as a bachelor. I quite enjoyed it, but keep the tissue handy.

Brian McGrory writes an endearing memoir about his "relationship" with a rather cantankerous rooster named Buddy. But it is not all about the rooster. McGrory also writes about his long-time companion, Harry the golden retriever. He examines how his feelings toward these two very different creatures helped him to re-evaluate his relationships with the people in his life. A great afternoon read, with a few pretty good laugh out loud moments.