 |
 |
Sign in/joinLanguage: English [ others ]
Over forty million books on members' bookshelves.
|
Loading... The Dogs of Babel: A Novelby Carolyn Parkhurst
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendations
Loading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. fun to read, even through the sad parts. even when it seems far far-fetched, it still works. (  )ashleyblair | Jul 1, 2009 |   This book really touched my heart and had a great mystery to it. I know the critics weren't too kind, but to each his own. (  )Unfussy2 | Jun 25, 2009 | Story of the crazed grief of a young widower, and his sruggles with self doubt and acceptance.all in the company of a big Rhodesian Ridgeback who's utterly lovable. Wonderful weaving of the tale of the couple's meeting, of their brief time together which includes Lorelei the dog as a central character. Well painted portait of Lexy, the woman who has died, her self doubts and difficulties with anger and depression. Tthe symbolism of masks, words and books is obvious, but because it is part of the characters' own narration of their lives it seems natural. Odd elements of the book: the Harlan Coben-ish opening, the late in the story twist into a criminal world is also Coben-ish. Early on the constant play of words in names and in conversation is odd but perhaps , not so surprising since the surviving widower and narrator is a professional linguist. All in all an interesting book that keeps you interested to the end. I thought the author could have spared Lorelei and given her a Hollywood rescue, but hey, one more yank on my sympathy chain. Good job. grheault | Jun 15, 2009 | I wasn't a big fan of this book. Much of it rubbed me the wrong way and just seemed, I don't know, over the top? (  )Brandie | Jun 1, 2009 | When linguist Paul's wife dies in a fall from their backyard apple tree, the only witness to her death is their dog, Lorelei. Overwhelmed with grief, Paul endeavors to do the impossible: teach Lorelei to speak so she can tell him what really happened. This is a unique book with a compelling premise, and is fairly straightforward in its plot. Most of the book really takes place in the past as Paul analyzes his relationship with his wife and how that may have impacted her death. At heart, it's a book about grief and the need for closure. The voice of the book was different than I expected, nor did I expect the darkness that came at certain points. I'm not sure how to sum up my opinion of it. Something about the book bothers me. Maybe that's supposed to be the point. ( )ladycato | Apr 30, 2009 | 0.067 seconds to build listing  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com (ISBN 0316778508, Paperback)The quirky premise of Carolyn Parkhurst's debut novel, The Dogs of Babel, is original enough: after his wife Lexy dies after falling from a tree, linguistics professor Paul Iverson becomes obsessed with teaching their dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Lorelei (the sole witness to the tragedy), to speak so he can find out the truth about Lexy's death--was it accidental or did Lexy commit suicide?In short, accelerating chapters Parkhurst alternates between Paul's strange and passionate efforts to get Lorelei to communicate and his heartfelt memories of his whirlwind relationship with Lexy. The first 100 pages or so bring to mind another noteworthy debut, Alice Sebold's brilliant exploration of grief, The Lovely Bones. Unfortunately, the second half of The Dogs of Babel takes too many odd twists and turns--everything from a Ms. Cleo-like TV psychic to an underground sect of abusive canine linguists--to ever allow the reader to feel any real sympathy for the main characters. Parkhurst's Paul Iverson can certainly be appealing at times, and his heartbreak is often quite palpable ("...for every dark moment we shared between us, there was a moment of such brightness I almost could not bear to look at it head-on."). But his mask-maker wife Lexy--Paul's driving inspiration--is a character whose spur-of-the-moment outbursts, spontaneous fits of anger, and supposedly charming sense of whimsy (on their first date, they drive from Virginia to Disney World, eating only appetizers and side dishes along the way), become so annoying and grating that it's hard to believe anyone could ever put up with her, let alone teach their dog to speak for her. Despite its cloying tone, The Dogs of Babel marks a notable debut. Parkhurst possesses a wealth of inspired ideas, and no doubt many readers will respond to the book, but one hopes that the author's future efforts will be packed with richer character development and less schmaltz. --Gisele Toueg (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:12 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
Abebooks |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
