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Oct
16
Book Review: The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery
2009 at 11am Posted by Rebecca Joines Schinsky
When Sy Montgomery and her husband adopted a piglet they named Christopher Hogwood, a piglet who “was a runt among runts,” they had no idea what they were getting into. Christopher was seriously small, weighing in at only seven pounds by the time most of his littermates weighed fifty or sixty, and his chances of survival was slim. So Sy and Howard saved him. Christopher rode home in a shoe box on Sy’s lap and soon moved into a makeshift pen in their barn.
And then he started growing.
And escaping.
And it turned out that he loved beer, which is, after all, “liquid grain,” and a growing pig can drink A LOT of beer.
Soon, the runty little piglet grew into a healthy, robust hog with a taste for pumpkins and a following that began in Montgomery’s small hometown of Hancock, New Hampshire and eventually extended nationwide.
You see, Christopher was, as many pigs are, very intelligent. He yearned for freedom—and the fresh vegetables luring him into neighbors’ gardens—and he could find a way out of just about any situation. Though Montgomery and her husband, both writers, tended to keep to themselves, they found that Christopher’s increasingly wily escapades made them into local celebrities and led to friendships and relationships they never expected.
That’s bound to happen when your neighbors find themselves repeatedly luring your giant pig back to his home with whatever food they can find.
As Christopher grew—and I do mean grew; he weighed in at nearly 750 pounds at his biggest—so did his reputation. Neighborhood kids and friends’ children loved watching Christopher run from his home in the barn out to his Pig Plateau (an area Montgomery and her husband created where Christopher could be tethered to a tree and have access to sun, shade, water, and mud) and participating in the tradition that became known as Pig Spa, the washing and pampering of the gigantic hog. Local restaurants saved their “slops” for Christopher; friends who lived far away froze their bread when it started to go bad so they could deliver it to Christopher at their next visit; Christopher appeared in magazines and local television shows and found himself the unlikely model for a series of greeting cards.
He was a good, good pig. And though he was “dangerously, possibly diabolically, brilliant,” he was also “in many ways…more human” than the people who became his family.
The Good Good Pig is Sy Montgomery’s recounting of her adventures with this larger than life pig. Christopher came into her life while her father was sick and dying, and he helped her reach out and connect with her community and loved ones in a new, deeper, more satisfying way. He brought new people into her life and filled her home and her days with laughter, joy, and peace, and his zest for life—his piggish and “zen” ability to immerse himself in the moment and wallow around in all the things he enjoyed—taught her invaluable lessons about how a life should be lived.
I picked up this book last week after reading about it somewhere online and devoured it in one sitting. Christopher Hogwood’s story is funny, touching, and utterly unforgettable. Anyone who has ever loved an animal will see herself in this story and in the unexpectedly powerful connection that forms between people and creatures. As Montgomery says,
This huge, adored pig, who had given so many people delight, was proof that no matter what nature or history hands you, with love, anything is possible.
And I couldn’t agree more. Move over, Marley. Christopher Hogwood is the new pet on the block. 4.75 out of 5.
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Oh this DOES sound sweet, but not saccharine-sweet, I’m guessing, if you liked it so much. I think I’ll go see if my library has it…
It’s just the right amount of sweet. And there’s a lot of funny, and some sad. It’s pretty close to perfect.
When I heard the title I thought this would be a cookbook…
That is very, very wrong…..though I do love bacon.
Awww: this sounds so cute! And as a vegetarian, I must admit that I love it when books that ‘humanise’ (you know what I mean!) farm animals become popular, so I hope this one is a bestseller!
This reminded me that I grabbed an ARC of Kitty Fitzgerald’s Pigtopia about four years ago but never got round to reading it.
Also, I’m suddenly craving a hot dog.
I was wondering how in the world you even came across this one so I’m glad you explained that. The story does sound very touching but I can’t deal with drippy, sweet stuff. Dewey (the cat) was like that. Sweet story but towards the end I was rolling my eyes a bit. I am guessing this one is not like that.
Nope, not drippy. Montgomery talks a lot about her own life and background and works Christopher’s story in with hers. There are sweet moments, but there’s more to it than just the syruppy stuff.
I really enjoyed this book. I especially love the Pig Spa! and how the pig kept meeting the neighbors, making friends. I couldn’t believe how big he ended up getting.
I would probably cry over this book. I love all animals, and I love pigs. I raised them when I was a little girl, and showed them at the 4H fair. Unlike cows, that are so incredibly DUMB, pigs are their own person, I mean animal. They do as they wish, and they love to play and are mischievous. It is no mistake that Charlotte’s Web and Babe are way up their on my movie list!
Hi There! I popped in for a visit after seeing you in the Books for the Holidays Group. What a great review – this sounds like the perfect book for me to read after Cleaving.
Billy wants to know if Millie would recommend this one.
Millie snuggled with me on the couch while I read this one on Saturday, and I read many parts out loud to her and Bob. She gives it two hearty paws up. (I think she liked it that I was reading about a creature who was beloved for his fatness. Basset hounds can identify with that.)
I do kind of hesitate around animal stories. My mom loves them, but I’m always a little afraid of the cheese. Sounds like this one is a real winner, and you wrote a fantastic review! I’ll have to put it on my list for sure.
I tend to stay away, too. That’s why I still haven’t read Marley & Me or any of its followers. But this was genuinely enjoyable and very well-balanced.
What a great review! I think I would have steered away from this one – I just don’t really go for the more sentimental kind of animal stories – but this one sounds like a funny read with just the right amount of touching moments.
Holy cow…I’m sold!!!
Every time I was the dishes, and dump the remnants down my garbage disposal, I wish, “Oh, how I want a pig!”
I thought this book was delightful.
I’m resisting the urge to say “That’ll do pig….that’ll do.”
But, Babe homage aside it sounds like a very sweet read. It’s hard to pass up on an animal story!
This is in my TBR pile and I can’t wait to read it since I love animal stories. I’m so glad to see you loved it since I trust your judgment.
Thanks, Kathy. I think you’ll really enjoy it.
This is the first I’ve heard of this and it sounds wonderful! I love animal and although I’ve never had a pig this looks like a story I’d love.
A sweet, beer-guzzling pig?! I’m all over this one! No, really, it sounds great. I’m a huge Marley fan and cried my way through the latter half of the book . . . I”ll definitely look for this one!
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I know I keep commenting on really old posts, but a busy month of October left me with 500+ posts to catch up on my Google Reader, and I’m just now getting here.
I have a secret desire for a pet pig…but when I live in the suburbs and not a 400 sq ft, 2 bedroom Manhattan apartment. I want one of the miniature pigs.