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Fifteen Dogs
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Check link for latest rating. ( 28,702 ratings, 3,637 reviews)
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Ideal for readers who enjoy philosophical fiction, allegorical storytelling, and stories that blend magical realism with profound questions about consciousness and emotion. Fans of human-animal relationships and thoughtful, moving narratives will find this particularly compelling.
A pack of dogs are granted the power of human thought - but what will it do to them? A surprising and insightful look at the beauty and perils of consciousness.
A pack of dogs are granted the power of human thought - but what will it do to them? A surprising and insightful look at the beauty and perils of consciousness.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
It begins in a bar, like so many strange stories. The gods Hermes and Apollo argue about what would happen if animals had human intelligence, so they make a bet that leads them to grant consciousness and language to a group of dogs staying overnight at a veterinary clinic.
Suddenly capable of complex thought, the dogs escape and become a pack. They are torn between those who resist the new ways of thinking, preferring the old 'dog' ways, and those who embrace the change. The gods watch from above as the dogs venture into unfamiliar territory, as they become divided among themselves, as each struggles with new thoughts and feelings. Wily Benjy moves from home to home, Prince becomes a poet, and Majnoun forges a relationship with a kind couple that stops even the Fates in their tracks.
Engaging and strange, full of unexpected insights into human and canine minds, this contemporary take on the apologue is the most extraordinary book you'll read this year.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Praised as “spry” and “impressive” by The Guardian, and described by New Statesman as an “elegant cross-breed of magical realism, moral fable, owner's handbook and philosophical treatise.” The Independent hails it as “startlingly original” and “the dog's bollocks,” noting its depth beyond political allegory into human issues like happiness and love. Good Housekeeping calls it a “thought-provoking and moving” canine take on Lord of the Flies. A powerful tale of consciousness and its joys and trials, as noted by CBC.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781781255582
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 05 November 2015
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Serpent's Tail
Edition: Main
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 18.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 196.0mm
Weight: 134g
Pages: 176
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About the Author
Andr. Alexis was born in Trinidad and grew up in Canada. His debut novel, Childhood, won the Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Trillium Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Giller Prize and the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. His previous books include Asylum, Beauty and Sadness, Ingrid & the Wolf, and, most recently, Pastoral, which was also nominated for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
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