They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

By Horace McCoy

A classic hard-boiled novel, trading back alleys and detectives offices for a dance marathon.
 
Robert is an aspiring director which, in Depression-era Hollywood, means that he’s an out-of-work extra. This might explain why he lets Gloria, similarly unemployed and similarly hunting for a break, talk him into being her partner in a marathon dance competition, despite having only just met her. But hey, there’s free food and a place to sleep (for 10 minutes every hour), so that can’t be terrible, right? But as the days and weeks wear on, Gloria’s gloominess and talk of dying become more and more frequent, leaving Robert to wonder what he’s gotten himself into.
 
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• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Feb 21, 2017
• ISBN: 9780735253124

Horace McCoy

Horace McCoy was born near Nashville, Tennessee in 1897. During his lifetime he travelled all over the US as a salesman and taxi-driver, and his varied career included reporting and sports editing, acting as bodyguard to a politician, doubling for a wrestler, and writing for films and magazines. A founder of the celebrated Dallas Little Theatre, his novels include I Should Have Stayed Home (1938), Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye (1948), and They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1935), which was made into a film. He died in 1955.

Reviews for They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

[kristak-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Such a depressing book, but worth reading. It shows the darker side of humanity....

[currerbell-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A case of a movie that's better than the book. Not that Horace McCoy's novel isn't excellent, but the movie surpasses it, and this movie tie-in paperback includes not only McCoy's novel but also Robert E. Thompson's screenplay, with a forward to the screenplay by director Sidney Pollack.

[davewilde-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"They Shoot Horses, Don't They" is such an incredible title that I knew I would eventually have to find a copy and read it. It was written in 1935 by Horace McCoy, who wrote a handful of hardboiled novels and worked on screenplays. "They Shoot Horses, Don't They" was not actually made into a movie until after McCoy's death. It came out in 1969, directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Jane Fonda and Michael Sarazin. Although fairly short as a novel and not widely read at the time it was published, it is an incredibly powerful book.

It brings to mind the scene in Bonnie and Clyde where Faye Dunaway says, "Baby, I've got the blues." And, this book is about the blues. It takes place during the depression and two young kids meet on the street in Hollywood, seeking their fortune as actors, but getting nowhere fast. Gloria is from West Texas and, as crappy as life is in Hollywood without a dime to your name, it's better than living with her aunt and uncle in Texas with him making passes at her and the aunt yelling at her. She first went to Dallas and found that dull and boring and empty. California is no better. Gloria is bitter and unhappy and wishes she had the courage to end it all.

After they meet on the street in Hollywood, they join what was popular at the time: a dance marathon on the Santa Monica pier. These marathons go on for days and days and the promoters use every trick in the book to publicize them. Robert hopes maybe some producer or star might discover them. They have to dance one hour and fifty minutes to get ten minutes of rest and start all over. Every night, they also have to race around the track to entertain the crowds. It's grueling and painful, but at least they get food and maybe, just maybe, if they are the last couple standing, they can win a prize. Most of the story takes place at the dance contest and McCoy actually takes what should be a dull event and makes it interesting.

The story really isn't about dancing. It is about hopelessness and bitterness and ennui. This book was a hit in France long before it became popular in America. Gloria constantly talks about wishing she could end it all because it is all pointless. The story foreshadows the disaffection and alienation of later generations, but maybe it gives an honest portrayal of what it felt like in the depression with no money, no family, no future.

Interspersed with the dance contest narrative are scenes from Robert's trial and, since its revealed at the beginning, its no secret, he eventually gave in and helped Gloria end it all just as she always said she wanted. "They shoot horses, don't they," he explained as the police took him into custody.

This is not just another hardboiled novel. It is a powerful work of literature that captures quite extraordinarily Gloria's descent into depression and hopelessness and Robert's annoyance and later grudging understanding of her pain.

[danaenicole-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I watched the movie for an American mystery class in college. I bought the book in an omnibus for that class as well, but reading this particular book was not one of the requirements, so I just now got around to it.If I recall correctly, the background events are completely different between the book and the movie. Except for Ruby. I think they were more interesting in the movie. I also found it strange that the book really downplayed how tired everyone would be. I felt exhausted just watching the movie, but in the book, it didn't seem like what they were doing was that difficult. [SPOILERS BELOW]In the end, when Gloria asks Robert to shoot her, it just seemed to me like he made his decision too easily. It should have been harder for him to bring himself to end the life of his friend. I also can't help thinking that it was really selfish of her to ask him to do that. There was no attempt to keep him out of trouble. He had so many dreams and aspirations and instead he is executed as a murderer. On the other hand, I do have sympathy for Gloria and I wish she'd have been able to get the help she needed.[END SPOILERS]I really like the design of the pages as the judge's sentence is slowly revealed, in larger and larger font, between each chapter.Honestly, I don't really know how I feel about this book. The story is interesting, but sad in a way that is slightly frustrating...Also, I just want to state that the "Gilmore Girls" episode named after this book was definitely one of my least favorite episodes. I couldn't possible hate Jess any more than I did during that episode and I believe it was at that episode that I officially decided I didn't like Dean either. In case anyone was wondering... ;)

[danielle23_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great book with an ending that comes completely out of the blue. Easy to read and very enjoyable.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a bizarre, psychological tale about two kids with very different dreams. Robert is looking to be a film producer and Gloria wants to be an actress. They pair up and enter a Hollywood dance contest knowing Hollywood bigwigs would be in attendance. The contest is all about making money, working the contestants like racehorses, making bigger and better stunts to attract sponsors and a bigger audience. Analogies to horse racing are abundant. From the title of the book it is obvious what happens in the end, but it's a fascinating read just the same.

[phredfrancis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The cover calls this "a lurid tale of dancing and desperation." How can you resist that?

It's hard to believe this was first published almost 75 years ago. The themes are all very contemporary, as is the bleak world-weariness of most of the characters.

One has to read between the lines a bit to get the full impact of some of the comments, but the meaning comes through well enough. I enjoyed the story structure, too, which has a very noir-ish reading of the narrator's verdict being read to him, interspersed with the main main narrative. This is not a spoiler in any way, since the reader is told from the very start how things come out.

Another reviewer here mentioned how this resonates all the more now that reality TV is giving people new and more outrageously shameful ways to become rich and famous. I quite agree.

[sherton_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Why did you kill her?""They shoot horses don't they?"The beginning of this short story describes a man being sentenced to death for the murder of a woman. The story then explains the events that lead up to the murder which begins with a grueling dance marathon lasting for several days. A very well written story that keeps the tension mounting to the end.

[hotwolfie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like depressing stories with social and political themes, then this is the perfect novella for you. This is a heartbreaking story about disillusionment, poverty, and the loss of the American Dream. I thought it was a good depiction of life during the Depression era and a thought provoking look at corruption. Warning. It is a sad story. So if you hated books like Richard Yates' "Revolutionary Road" or John le Carre's "The Constant Gardener" do not read "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" Otherwise, it's a memorable, well written story.

[crimson4tide · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very odd little tale, verging on the bizarre if wasn't for the fact that those crazy dance marathons actually happened. McCoy's writing is very taut and contains a heavy dose of dialogue reminiscent of pulp noir fiction that flows along nicely. Apparently the structure - Robert's flashbacks from the dock - was considered experimental when written in the 30s, but I think it works exceedingly well.The images evoked are a vivid portrait of the misery and despair of many in the depression era and the whole package turns out to be a weird existential look at the times.

[patito7de7hule · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"If this myth is tragic, that is because its hero is conscious. Where would his torture be, indeed, if at every step the hope of succeeding upheld him? The workman of today works everyday in his life at the same tasks, and his fate is no less absurd. But it is tragic only at the rare moments when it becomes conscious. Sisyphus, proletarian of the gods, powerless and rebellious, knows the whole extent of his wretched condition: it is what he thinks of during his descent. The lucidity that was to constitute his torture at the same time crowns his victory. There is no fate that can not be surmounted by scorn." Albert Camus, [The Myth of Sisyphus]When Camus published The Myth of Sisyphus in 1942, it was at the height of the fad of existentialism. He was addressing the question: "If life is absurd, is suicide rational?" Horace McCoy's pulp novella [They Shoot Horses, Don't They?] is an example of existential nihilism that preceded Camus' essay by six years. He answers the first part of Camus' question: Life is absurd. In the last line of the novella he proposes his answer to the second part of the question: "They shoot horses, don't they."I'm not into nihilism, so I give the novel three stars. It was made into a movie in 1969 starring Michael Sarrazin as Robert and Jane Fonda as Gloria. The movie pleased critics, but it was a loser and it didn't follow the plot very well. Nor did it make the point (if you'd call it a point) that the book had made. I don't think the producer understood the book. The book also pleased many critics, but had a mixed reception overall.But if you're into this kind of literature, Horace McCoy did a good job of it.

[conniejo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure if this was worth a purchase, but I'm definitely glad I read it. It's a novella set during the depression in the 1930s. Two young people are working in Hollywood as struggling extras, and the pair decides to enter a dance marathon to pick up some extra cash. The male is relatively optimistic, whereas the girl is extraordinarily pessimistic as well as suicidal.The pace is weird, and the majority of the story takes place during a dance marathon, a contest where the contestants are forced to keep moving for as long as it takes until only one couple is left. The contestants get a 10-minute break every two hours, but otherwise have to constantly stay moving. This concept itself is unusual enough that it made it worth reading the book. The event plays out with the main pair witnessing a number of disagreements and other little snippets of the lives of the other contestants, and the tedium of the contest sort of builds right up to the end of the book. The novel is framed around a hearing and is told in a flashback, so you know what happens to the main character from the beginning, but I kind of liked that as a framing device. You're reminded of it at the beginning of every chapter.Definitely a downer, and I kept getting increasingly annoyed by the girl's growing pessimism, but it was still a unique story, and the title fits well.

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A story of the generation that went to Hollywood to be famous on the screen and set in the time of the great depression. This is the story of a young man and a woman who meet up after another failed attempt to get "in". They talk a little and at her suggestion, they go to the dance marathon. These dance marathons really did exist and started out in the 20s as competitions but became a type of entertainment during the depression. It really was more of a human endurance than an actual dance. The story starts with short bursts of information. Right away you know a woman dies of a gun shot. Then you find out that the person telling the story is accused of killing her. Then you find out that "he is going to die". The dance marathon is where the reader slowly learns the why of the murder and even the question of whether the murder was wrong or a mercy. I found this a very engaging and a fast read. It is short, novella length but the author manages to explore great themes of existentialism.

[sprainedbrain · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This little book from our #1001Discoveries group surprised me. It’s not a happy story, but it’s somehow very cheerful, even with the abrupt, unhappy ending you know is coming all along. Excellent writing about a 1930s dance marathon and the ‘kids’ that are slogging through it. A short, fascinating read.

[theeclecticreview · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Why did you kill her?""They shoot horses don't they?"The beginning of this short story describes a man being sentenced to death for the murder of a woman. The story then explains the events that lead up to the murder which begins with a grueling dance marathon lasting for several days. A very well written story that keeps the tension mounting to the end.

[suesbooks · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I did not care for the writing of this book, and I felt the details were tedious. I appreciated learning about the trials and exploitation of the characters, but I was not able to see poetry in the words.

[stahl2ricco · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

“Them politicians are thieves just like us,” T-Dub said. “Only they got more sense and use their damned tongues instead of a gun.”6 noir stories from the 40's and 50's. The first, "The Postman Always Rings Twice" is a classic, and one that I had already read.The second, Horace McCoy’s "They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?" is a really good read, and one that I had always thought was a western, due to the title. I love the way the story is written between the words of a judge who is sentencing the main character to death! Totally original! And I didn't know much of anything about dance marathons, so I learned a lot too! Super creepy last sentence.“Thieves LikeUs” follows three fellas that’ve escaped from prison and start robbing banks. It was a very slow read for me.“The Big Clock” was a ‘big’ thumbs down.“Nightmare Alley” is a story about a carnival sideshow. I really liked Molly’s backstory!“I Married A Dead Man” was another thumbs down.So, overall, an uneven collection of stories. It almost goes from best to worst, with the decline beginning in the middle of the third story. I'd really only recommend reading the first two.

[sarahebear · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I must admit that despite this being a classic I had neither read the book or seen the movie before now. "They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?" by Horace McCoy is the deeply moving story of Robert and Gloria, and their brief shared life experience as a marathon dance couple. Desperate to break into the movies - Gloria as an actor, Robert as a director/produce - the couple team up and participate in a dance marathon to be seen, to access free food and accommodation, and hopefully attain corporate sponsorship. The book offers a look into the seedier side of 1930s Hollywood, sleep deprivation, exploitation and mental illness. A challenging read and an outstanding classic!.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Talk about a downer, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They was a dark and grim little book of only 121 pages but those pages were packed with story. It starts with a man being told to stand up to face judge while he receives his sentence. While standing, he mulls over the events that brought him to be standing in this spot.It’s the 1930’s and the depression is causing people to resort to desperate measures and being a struggling actor was particularly unrewarding. After being rejected by a couple of studios one day, these two kids meet and decide to enter a marathon dance competition in the hopes of winning a prize or even getting some recognition that could lead to a movie role. What follows is the sordid, gruelling ways that people allowed themselves to be tortured in the name of entertainment. A classic noir story, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They effectively captures a moment in time and although bleak and pessimistic, I admit I was glued to the pages, wanting to find out the how, the why and the what that this story was leading up to.

[clfisha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Marathon dancing and Nihilism, this is a novella that packs a punch. A young man recounts how he ended up in court and each chapter is framed with a snippet of the judges sentence. Short and shocking at first then gradually layering on detail as we hurtle towards the fatalistic ending. The setting is fascinating within itself, a surreal never-ending endurance dance off, full of rivalries and dubious showmanship. Couples are offered money to marry, fights start over cheating, collapses and prudish protesters abound. A page turning story that offers so much but in the end fails slightly because of the nihilistic doom laden simplicity. A personal taste sure, but also affects Gloria's fatalistic character. There is no substance behind her, no reasons given, Her character and Robert's response just feels stupid, a let down to the richness that came before.Still I do recommended it. It’s a fantastic, rich novella for all that.