Fifteen Dogs
An Apologue
Book - 2015 | First edition
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Opinion
From Library Staff
From Library Staff
I recommend this book to anyone who has ever wondered what their dog might be thinking, and how your relationship might change if you truly could understand one another. -- Helen
From the critics
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Quotes
Add a QuoteThe work of the three sisters - Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos - is generally straightforward. The first spins the thread of a life. The second draws out the length of the thread each being will have. The third cuts the thread and ends that being's time on earth. If often happens that lie threads are intertwined - most commonly, the lives of husbands and wives, which is why they often die together or close together in time. And in fact Nira's and Miguel's threads were almost as closely intertwined as Nira's and Majnoun's. Though Nira and Miguel were meant to live longer than Majnoun, the threads of all three lives were so wound up, so similar in hew and thickness, that Atropos was not certain whose life would end if she used her scissors.
One evening in Toronto, the gods Apollo and Hermes were at the Wheat Shaft Tavern.
Perfect understanding between beings is no guarantor of happiness. To perfectly understand another’s madness, for instance, is to be mad oneself. The veil that separates earthly beings is, at times, a tragic barrier, but it is also, at times, a great kindness.
Age Suitability
Add Age SuitabilitySummary
Add a SummaryIn a Toronto tavern, the gods Apollo and Hermes strike a bet. When Hermes wonders what it would be like if animals had human intelligence, his brother Apollo wagers a year’s servitude that the animals—any animals Hermes would like—would be unhappier than humans if given human intelligence. The wager is struck, and fifteen dogs in a nearby animal shelter suddenly gain human consciousness—all while still in possession of their canine urges and instincts. As they develop a new language to convey their transformed understanding of the world, the pack becomes divided between those who embrace the new way of thinking and communicating, and those who wish to resist change at all costs. The gods watch—and occasionally interfere—as the dogs try to navigate this abrupt transition. But will any of them die happy?
Comment
Add a CommentWonderful, invigorating read full of philosophy and pondering that allows you to come to your own reasons for the tragedies and triumphs of the real world.
Lots to tease your brain in this one. I enjoyed finding the dogs’ names in the poems & enjoyed the characters of many of the dogs. Friends in my book club said the author did a great job reading this as an audiobook so I’m now listening to it & enjoying it all over again - have definitely found a new author to read more of.
All that being said, I was disappointed in how Alexis got a couple of things really wrong with regard to dog breeds (& one thing with regard to biology & chemistry)....& much of what happens in the pack seems highly unlikely. Suspending disbelief was a struggle (I know, I know - it starts with Hermes & Apollo in the Wheat Sheaf! but still, the rest is supposed to be something that might really happen....)
SPOILERS: beagles, being hounds, eat EVERYTHING - no way would a beagle be the one to lead the pack to a “death garden”, having previously avoided them himself. And no way would the amount of warfarin in traps designed to kill mice be enough to kill a beagle. Just a couple of quibbles - but I also found it unbelievable that the dogs were so violent. Still, an enjoyable read/listen overall.
If you are an animal rights activist you'll probably hate it. If you don't want mythology mixed in with your storytelling you won't like it. For the rest of us, it's a lot of fun to see old traditions and assumptions turned upside down. These dogs are forced to figure things out as humans would, and some just can't cope. What happens to Atticus is especially painful, but within the novel's bounds as set by Alexis. I'll be looking out for this writer.
Horribly violent. I wish I hadn't read it.
Tea & Talk Book Club / September 2016
I really enjoyed this book. It was both interesting and an easy read. I did not find it hard to follow which dog was which at all. Would recommend it!
my earlier comment has disappeared. I am a dog lover and had anticipated this book with pleasure. What a letdown. I thought it was morbid. Won't be reading any more of this author.
I got thru 2/3 before I put it aside. An interesting premise but not well enough fleshed out - I found I was having trouble remembering which dog was which, and I really didn't care.
Follow 15 bewitched dogs through Toronto.
Gods Hermes and Apollo conduct an experiment on a group of dogs, and grand them human consciousness and language for a year in order to determine if they would be as unhappy as humans or if their apparently natural happy disposition would prevail.
Beware : this book might make you go through many strong emotions!
I am not usually drawn to stories about animals, and was especially reluctant to read this as I hated the last dog book I read (Art of Racing in the Rain). A friend recommended it for its philosophical elements so I took the chance and ended up loving it. I really admire authors who can convey an idea of what it might be like to view the world from a particular animal’s point of view, and Alexis does so very well. The dogs come across as very unique characters, relatable but still very doggish -not just humans trapped in dog bodies. I enjoyed the philosophical aspects of the book as well...and of course Greek Gods are always fun to keep things moving along.
Some parts moved me to tears and others made me laugh out loud. It’s a wonderful book, but as another comentator noted, may be a bit intense if you are a soft-hearted dog lover as some parts are very violent.