Farm Boy
Series: War Horse, Book 2
By: Michael Morpurgo / Narrated By: Derek Jacobi
Length: 1 hr and 5 mins
Okay, okay! ‘Tain’t no War Horse but, dude! Derek Jacobi makes this a Fave!
Seriously! I thought I was going to be joining the LEGIONS of >Meh< reviews and come in here with m’ own middling review. After all, I’d perused my Mighty HUZZAH! of War Horse and found that I’d raaaved about Morpurgo’s brilliant writing, raaaved about John Keating’s brilliant narration, raaaved about the entirety of the story as a rock-solid whole. It had me in tears. -Plus- I’d posited that Morpurgo offerings thenceforth would have a high bar to top.
So okay okay okay, >Meh< reviewers: I get it, really I do. Farm Boy is suuuuch a slim bitty bit of a story, and as it turns out? It’s two stories in one pittance of an hour and five minutes. Whereza book? Whereza passion and emotion to be found?!
Dude! in the SECOND story, in Grandpa’s story! …But I get ahead of myself, I see…
The first story opens with our narrator being the great-grandson of Albert (Of Albert who searches for Joey the horse from War Horse). He knows he comes from a long line of farmers, of men who’ve proudly tilled the soil. But he’s a town boy whose own mother and father loudly disdain the countryside.
Ahhh noo, our young narrator thinks: Why his own Grandpa is The Best Ever, and at least Grandpa knows who he is and is content in that knowledge. This town boy has grand memories of working and having adventures on the old farm tractor. Actually, it’s a rusty old specimen which sits in a state of disrepair in the old barn. Still, the imagination knows no bounds.
As such, the town boy just finds joy with Grandpa’s memories and stories, and it’s just a lovely bond as the boy grows into a young man, off to travel the world before university. But nooo, there’s one little thing to do, one thing to help Grandpa, now a muuuuch older gentleman, that dear departed Grandma had been helping Grandpa with… until she died unexpectedly. One little shameful secret that Grandpa’s kept hidden most of his life from loved ones, from everyone. And so our young man does.
All right, that right there had this a >Meh< story that was nice enough what with it being a tale of intergenerational love and respect. That kinda story just never gets old, and goodness, it actually seems so much more necessary in this world that we live in, with its disregard of the older generations.
BUT THEN! Derek Jacobi’s narration, which was grand this whole way, turns into a barn-blazer of a rousing performance. The second story! It’s told from Grandpa’s point of view as a young boy watching his Pa Albert and Pa’s best buddy Joey coming through like the heroes they were. It’s a completely rural tale, no wartime angst or hardcore emotional slugs to the gut. But it’s a Wowzer as Jacobi makes a small village affair turn into The MOST Exciting Bet EVER! Will Pa and Joey be able to overcome vaaaast odds, health hindrances, older age?
Oh good golly gosh. Nope, not sniffling into my hankie as with the first book. But there was indeed a tear or two to go with suuuch a thrilling ride. I’d really really wanted to jack my listening speed up cuz I was just dying to see how it was all going to turn out. But Jacobi’s narration to Morpurgo’s taught writing? I tamped down my Inability To Delay Gratification in favor of sitting back and savoring what a wonderful experience the whole thing turned out to be.
I s’pose Farm Boy IS geared toward Kids more than Adults. But with that middling first bit that’s just chock full of Love and Respect? And with the heart stopping performance of that second bit?
Ahhhh, yessss!
Beautiful. Just simply lovely.
What-all else can I possibly say?!
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