Taming The Star Runner

[Tensleep]

C'mon, you all knew I would bring this one up.

I liked this book a lot. Not because there were horses and a farm and all that - though it was a plus...

No, I liked the book because of the interactions between the characters, mainly Travis and his uncle. Travis - the imposition who just wants to write and get the heck away from his stepfather; and his uncle - the stressed out divorcee who really doesn't need any more strain on his life.

I just love how they work to get to know each other and how they clash - mostly over Christopher (Anyone else think that little kid was secretly out to ruin everything for his cousin?). The kid really annoyed me...

Anyways, what did you all think of the book? Hated it, loved it, indifferent? Why?

See ya in the funny papers!!!

Tens

[Nittanylizard]

I loved this book. Never read it until about two months ago, so when I was the same age as the uncle. And like you, Tens, it was the characters for me. I always thought it was supposed to be about a boy who goes to live on a ranch and works with a problem horse (that's what they make it sound like on the back-of-the-book blurb), but that had nothing to do with the story at all.

One of my favorite things was when his uncle said something to the effect that he felt like he was coming back from the land of grownups to tell Travis what it was like. I just got that so completely. I realized after I read it that SE was also about my age when she wrote the book. The subtle humor throughout the story was great. And the cousin, that just cracked me up - how it strikes Travis that he just gets right into his lap, and they hardly know each other.

I wondered as I read whether the experience that Travis had, getting his book published, was similar to Susie's experience (being told that it was flawed, but that was part of its charm, etc.). But yeah, the book wasn't about horses; it was about being a writer - seeing the story in everything, and feeling that compulsion to write rather than just deciding to be a writer.

Liz

[zevie]

S.E. always says in interviews that it's not autobiographical...but she also says that her subconscious writes tons of things into her books, heh. (I love the one about Johnny as Jesus - "Be back soon - JC" cracked me up.) I think if you're going to write about something you know so intimately, some of your personal experiences are bound to show up anyway. (By the way, did anyone ever read Mathilda by Roald Dahl? Wasn't there also a scene with a TV and her family dragging her to it? I think in the book she broke the TV. Man, that book is such a catharsis for any kid...or anyONE actually.)

I loved the Star Runner. After I read The Outsiders I raided my school library for all her others. At the time, I thought it was just a teen experience book, with horses and writing which suited me just fine. Going back to it, I love all the adult bits in it. It both makes me laugh and makes me a little sad when Travis says that he'll always know what he wants and how to get it, when Ken says it's complicated.

I loved Casey (or KC?). She was friggin' awesome. Besides Jamie, there aren't that many other big female characters, but the ones that are there are strong. I didn't know what "show horses" meant when I first read S.E. Hinton interviews, heh. But, since I've figured it out, I wonder if any of Casey's experiences are also similar to S.E.'s?

[Tensleep]

I really love this idea of subconscious parallels. It makes me feel better, anyhow, because I do it enough myself.

A book about writing. I never really thought about it that way, even though that was the main plot of the book... Guess I'm just special that way

No, I looked at it more as a reform story. Travis was given his second chance and it couldn't have happened at a better time. Just think, a few more months and he could have been dead or in deep trouble, like Joe. He also got the chance to get to know his uncle and through his uncle, a little bit about his father. I really liked that idea and she wrote it well.

See ya in the funny papers!!!

Tens

[fairlane]

I loved the bits about Travis getting his story published, isn't there a line about how he hoped his freinds would just attribute it to a drug habit when he holed up in his room writing? - can't remember it exactly as I don't have the book.

I loved it but haven't read it in years. I remember thinking that the portrayal of a teenager in that story was different from when she was one herself and wrote Ponyboy - allowing for the fact that they are different characters.

The little kid annoyed me too lol. But little kids in stories usually do, I wonder if it's because they are hard to write or if the writer is making them intentionally annoying. I tend to avoid writing characters below the age of about 15.

[zevie]

Hey a reform story...wow I didn't even think of that Tens!

That makes a lot of sense. I love that part where he rewrites Joe's story in his head, fixing everything. Maybe writing had something to do with his reforming? Is that unbearably cheesy? He wrote to save his soul...

Heh. But, it could happen.

He did say something about his book and the feeling that he had that "Travis is special" because of it right?...I need to re-read this.

[Keira]

I like the book. I really do. But of her "main five" it's one of my least favorite because I have a hard time getting into third person POV. I haven't actually read the book in a couple of years, so that very well may change when I go back and read it again, but I do remember liking everything about the book... just not being able to get into the point of view.

My main memory of the book is stumbling upon the word Asinine, the first time being when I was ten (Read the book long before The Outsiders, but didn't learn they were both by SE Hinton for another couple of years). There's a scene where Travis and his uncle are either talking, or are merely in the same room, and he makes a remark (I'm sorry, I can't remember if it was outloud or a thought) about people becoming asinine as they get older. I didn't know what that word meant then, or even for a few years later, until it was one of my vocab words in English. I don't know why I liken the word to the book, but I always have. Always.

One of my favorite quirks of Travis is his fear of flying. Every tough guy has to have his fear, right? That's one I can relate to. I do it often enough, but it doesn't mean I necessarily enjoy it.

[BlindedxxFalcon]

I can't say this was my favorite S.E. Hinton book. It was okay, I got through it without getting majorly bored, but at some parts I didn't really like it. I liked Casey Kencaide(sp?) and her perserverance.

[fosterchild]

Hmm.....I think this is going to be my next summer re-read.....the biggest thing I remember from this book is Motorboat, the cat!! lol

[samanthamae]

I completely forgot about Motorboat! I remember reading that name and saying to my sister, "This will be my child's name."

Star Runner isn't one of my favourites. It was good, though. I thought it was weird how suddenly Travis started to fall in love with Casey. I should read the book again--it could be one of those books you have to read twice to really get into.

[zevie]

I loved the depiction of falling in love in this novel! It struck me as realistic, although I say that from the land of the inexperienced. I think the realization struck Travis suddenly, but the process was longer.

[fosterchild]

I just wanted to let you all know (because I know you're all dying to know how I spend every minute of my boring life! LOL) that I just started re-reading Star Runner this morning.....I'll have more input soon I hope!

[fairlane]

Really? You do an awesome job writing the horse scenes in Triangle for someone whose not a horse person. I used to have horses so it really sticks out to me if anything is wrong lol.

[fosterchild]

LOL mars!!! you sound like my husband!!!

[fosterchild]

yeah we're cat people, too.....they're so very predictable!