Greyfriars Bobby

by Eleanor Atkinson

Book Overview

The famous true story of a devoted dog first published in 1912, loved and widely read all over the world.

Bobby, a sparky silver-haired Skye terrier, adopts lonely shepherd Auld Jock, for his master and the two become inseparable. When Jock is dismissed by the farmer he tries to find work in the city, but sinks into poverty and dies, having suffered one cold winter too many. The farmer tries to reclaim Bobby as a pet for his daughter but...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 014036742X
• ISBN13: 9780140367423
• Release Date: January 1994
• Publisher: Penguin Books, Limited (UK)
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Truth and Fiction

When his master, an aged shepherd, dies, his young devoted dog stays loyally by his grave in a center-city graveyard for fifteen years. He is sustained by an understanding restaurant owner and the tenement children who live near the church. He eventually attracts the attention and affection of most of Edinburgh, Scotland, and today a statue honoring him and the grave of his owner are major tourist attractions. Much of the story is based in fact with some liberties taken (the owner was an Edinburgh policeman, not a shepherd, for instance). It is a heartwarming tale of love and friendship. Simplified, it is a tale that would excite a child, but this is NOT a kid's book despite the fact that it has always been promoted as such. Much of it is bleak, and the Scottish dialect would have stopped me after a few pages when I was young. This particular edition is bare-bones and might be one of those "printed on demand" titles. No title page, poor division between chapters, no footnotes which would have helped with the translation of the dialect. Pure text for about 116 pages. The missing star is in the presentation, not in the telling. This is a classic and I certainly would recommend it but it is not an "easy read" for younger folk.

A TRUE STORY, A DOG STORY, A DISNEY MOVIE, A GRANDE BONNY BOOK

This is a wonderful dog story about a small terrier who is devoted to one old man, Old Jock. The dog picked his true master, but after the old shepherd's death, the dog, "Bobby", was the only true mourner. Bobby found a way to lay upon the man's grave every night for the remainder of the dog's life, inside a gated cemetery that allowed no dogs. It is a true account from the mid 1800s, although embellished a bit by this author for the sake of making it a childrens' classic book. A CLASSIC it is. The small dog, in real life, became known as "Greyfriars Bobby", the name of the book, as well as a Disney movie made from this author's account of the life of this famous Edinburgh canine. Not only is it a wonderful story of tenderness and devotion, but it is a beautifully written pictorial account of life in Victorian Edinburgh and the magnificent countryside of Scotland. It tells a story of loyalty and affection that can only be told by man's best friend. The author is an Indiana author known for her stories for youth but because of Walt Disney, and his recognizing the human interest in this historical dog plus bobby's inspiration, well...Disney put this version of the story of "Greyfriars Bobby" at the front of the pack. This classic is highly recommended as a gift for all readers, not just youth, as well as a must in every library. Perhaps every classroom should have a copy on both sides of the Atlantic. Read the book first--then get the Walt Disney DVD version.

Bide a wee

I don't know if it is possible to be too old to enjoy this book. It is written in the manner of Dickens' Christmas Carol with something of Oliver Twist thrown in. If you can read this story without shedding a tear or two, there must be something missing inside of you. The Scottish dialect is a wee bit of a struggle but the experience is more than worth the effort. Try not to read it too rapidly.

Greyfriars Bobby was great!

I am in 7th grade and read this book for a project. A friend suggested it to me and I was not sure I was going to like it. I read the first few pages and it started to draw me in.It shows a strong relationship between a man who dies and his old faithful companion.Great! I highly reccomend it for any age!

Greyfriars Bobby

I recently read the book, and it is one of the best dog stories that I have read. It shows the value of relationships between a dog and its master, and what it means to be a friend to a dog and to your neighbors.I would highly recommend it to anybody 8 years an up.