I got a review in The Chronicle of the Horse Magazine for ‘Green.’ Chronicle’s website published four slightly-rewritten excerpts of the novel last winter and so this was the follow-up:

Before you dive into Ted Krever’s Green, be forewarned—this is not really a book about horses. It’s a book based around horses, using the equine-infested setting of Ireland’s lush pastures as a backdrop. But if you’re looking for a novel where human relationships—how they work and, sometimes, don’t—form the backbone of the story, Green might be a good choice.

The narrator Paul, a middle-aged man working through an identity crisis and stint of underemployment, experiences the world of horses as an outsider, aided by his not-quite girlfriend Emily during a trip to Ireland. They attend an auction and go on a dramatic foxhunt, but it’s clear that Paul never really buys into that scene. Surprisingly, his neophyte attitude toward everything horse-related only adds to the tale. What starts as a brief vacation for Paul turns into a longer-term business opportunity, and it all happens alongside the real meat of the novel, a series of romantic entanglements (complete with someR-rated scenes, making this book unsuitable for children or teens).

The whole story takes place over about a week, and the pace moves quickly, enticing you to keep turning the pages. Sometimes Paul’s seemingly inflated sense of self-worth served as a turn-off, but just when I would be ready to give up on him, Krever would add a bit of humanity and draw me back in. The other main characters, Emily and feisty Irish barkeep Jillian, appear likeable and realistic.

Krever is deft with his use of language,and the skillful dialogue adds personality to the characters. And while sometimes the political discussions, based around the first Iraq War, impede and confuse the storyline, it usually finds it way back around. Lisa Slade]]

I still say I have an entirely legitimate inflated sense of self-worth but that’s, as they say, what makes horse races…

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