Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Oink: My Life with Mini-Pigs by Matt Whyman

Overview from Barnes and Noble:

Paris Hilton carries one around like a Chihuahua, while Posh and Becks own a pair. The minipig, for reasons unknown, has become the latest celebrity accessory, but what's it really like to invite little livestock into the living room?Matt Whyman, a successful novelist, enjoys a quiet writer's life in the English countryside . . . until his career wife, Emma, discovers the existence of a pig said to fit inside a handbag. She believes not one but two would be a perfect addition to the already diverse Whyman clan, which includes one wolf-like dog, a freaked-out feline, and their wild bunch of ex-battery chickens, as well as four challenging children. In reality, nobody could anticipate the trials and misadventures two riotous, raucous little piglets could bring. From turning Whyman's office into a literal pigsty and stealing his spot on the family sofa to trashing his neighbour's garden while drunk on fermented apples, Butch and Roxi swiftly establish themselves as "animals of mass distraction."Funny, touching and endlessly entertaining, Oink charts the battle of hearts, snouts, and minds between a family man and two minipigs. Will Butch and Roxi ever settle down, or could their growing presence put the squeeze on Whyman in ways he never thought possible?

My thoughts:
Every time I looked through the available memoirs on the library audio book catalogue this one intrigued me  I enjoyed reading about Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World and Puppy Dairies: Raising a Dog Named Scout, so why not mini-pigs?  I did not find his book quite as engrossing as the others, but somehow I just couldn't stop listening, so I guess I like it more than I thought!

Whyman is a work at home author.  He and his wife have four children, a dog, a cat and some chickens, but his wife has fallen in love with the idea of mini-pigs and they end up owning a pair.  Whyman gets a home all read for them outside only to find that his family intends to have he pigs live in he house. The pigs make tons of noise whenever he gets a phone call, use the area behind the TV as their potty, chew up buttons on he remote and wires and steal Whyman's seat on the couch.  While the pigs, who eventually get a home outside, cause quite a few headaches, it turns out that they complete the family.  I can't see ever wanting to own them myself, but I am sure their cuteness has gotten the quite a few owners.  I was surprised about how many embarrassing events the author was willing to document in his book.  I think anyone contemplating owning a new pet should read an account of what ownership was like for someone else.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781451618280
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster
  • Publication date: 9/20/2011
  • Pages: 336

Meet the Author



Matt Whyman is the critically acclaimed author of three novels for adults and young adults, including the acclaimed critics’ choice Boy Kills Man. He lives in West Sussex, England. Visit him at MattWhyman.blogspot.com.

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