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| My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian: Mushing Across Alaska in the Iditarod--the World's Most Grueling Race | 
 enlarge | Author: Brian Patrick O'donoghue
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy Used: $0.11
You Save: $13.84 (99%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 555634
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 304
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0679764119
Dewey Decimal Number: 798.8
EAN: 9780679764113
ASIN: 0679764119
Publication Date: March 19, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 13 | | NEXT » |
 No match for Paulsen March 15, 2006
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
Every once in a while we go up to Ely, MN, and spend a day or so dogsledding. So, prior to this year's trip, I bought a few books on the Iditarod and mushing in general.
With the Iditarod in the news right now (especially with the legally blind woman competing this year) I figured I'd learn more about that particular grueling race. This was the first book I got, as the title caught my eye and the reviews were good.
About 1/3 the way into the book, the jumping around between the various mushers and their stories started to get annoying. While I was interested in the various stories, interspersing them in a sort of "time line" format along with O'Donoghue's own experiences was not something I, myself, particularly enjoyed. There were other things about his writing style that seemed to indicate the book was written for his associates and the people with whom he raced, rather than the public at large. As a reporter, it made sense that O'Donoghue would toss in some short human interest stories of the other mushers. But he also had a few nicknames and references that seemed to be for the benefit of those in the know.
Then I made the mistake of picking up Gary Paulsen's Winterdance before I had finished this one. What a huge difference!
I reluctantly came back to My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian and am still trying to finish it. After Paulsen, it just isn't the same. Not to mention his overuse of the word "lesbian" as an adjective, almost as if he felt it necessary to justify the title of the book. OK, the dog was "confused". We get that. But halfway through the book I started noticing he was referring to her as "the little lesbian" or "the lesbian" more often than anything else (like "my lead dog" or her name), and once that sort of thing is noticed, you know, it then just sort of jumps off the page at you. So it's gotten to the point where, when I read that description of his lead dog my eyes roll and I tend to flinch. Gahhh not another one!
I'm still stuck somewhere in the middle of the Iditarod with "O'D" and just can't quite bring myself to pick it back up. He doesn't convey anywhere near the appreciation or love of the dogs that Paulsen does, and it is, after all, all about the dogs. Or should be.
If you want objective, dry facts and figures, this is your book. If you want the soul of mushing, read Paulsen.
 A must read November 24, 2003
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I thought the book was well written - I read at every opportunity, even my lunch time at work! I'm from South Africa, where winter day temperatures hover around 15 deg C (59 F) and I've seen snow maybe twice in my life, but this story was written in such a way that I'm burning to try mushing myself! Imagine that! I've ordered other books on mushing which, I'm hoping, will convince me that I shouldn't be so crazy.Well worth the read and keep it on your bookshelf for future reading.
 a lot safer than taking on the iditarod yourself April 22, 2002
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is far from the best-written non-fiction book I have ever read. The journalist's experience writing in the shorter form of articles shows through in the disjointed feel of much of the narrative. This is still well worth the read if you have any interest in Alaska, mushing, or man's working relationship with dogs. Even without those interests you may well find the book enjoyable.
At the beginning I was first overcome by the romantic notion of this amazing race, and reading through his preparations deluded myself with the fantasy of doing such a thing myself (a real joke considering how much I dislike even camping). Once the race gets underway, my most common thought was "these people are ...insane!" It was terrific and I really wanted to know how it would turn out for each and every one of them.
The title can provide for some fun too. The other day I overheard from another room Child A ask, "What is a lesbian?" Child B responded, "It is a type of dog." After much laughter I had to call them in and correct it, although I had fun imagining the kind of conversation this could cause in public at one point if they were both left with their misconception.
Since you are on this page, and reading these reviews, you are probably interested enough in the subject that reading this book would be a positive experience for you.
I'll Just Read About It, Thanks. February 7, 2002
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
Of the Iditarod books I've read this has to rank as one of the best. Apparently a good sense of humor and a high appreciation of irony is a necessary component of being a Musher.
And I thought rock climbers were a bit off the scale..... January 31, 2002
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
A dynamite read even for someone who has never lived north of Key West, who has never even heard of the Iditarod, and who hates dogs. Adds credence to the fact that I never read fiction..life is a lot stranger, and a lot more exciting
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