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Red Dog, Red Dog by Patrick Lane
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Red Dog, Red Dog (original 2008; edition 2009)

by Patrick Lane

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1154235,536 (2.8)16
An epic novel of unrequited dreams and forestalled lives, Red Dog, Red Dog unfolds over the course of one week in and around a small town in British Columbia in 1958, with stories arcing back in time to the 1920s and '30s. The novel centres on the Stark family. There is Elmer, a violent man with a troubled past; Lillian, who married Elmer shortly after the Depression, and who finds herself retreating steadily into isolation; their sons, Tom and Eddy, now in their twenties, are bound together by the secrets of their childhood years. Unrepentant, Eddy speeds freely along his reckless path, defiant and vulnerable. Tom, a loner, tries to make out of the fragments of the past a story that can explain the way things are. Then one night at a party, Eddy goes too far, and a spiral of events is set in motion, leading to the novel's last, dramatic moments. Narrated in part by one of the dead infant daughters Elmer has buried, the novel is about hardship and loss, revenge and ancient loyalties, about the sweetness of first love and the power of memory. A richly textured portrait of a time and a place, filled with moments of harrowing violence and breathtaking descriptions of the natural world, Red Dog, Red Dog is a deeply moving novel that explores the legacies of the past and the possibilities of salvation.… (more)
Member:LynnB
Title:Red Dog, Red Dog
Authors:Patrick Lane
Info:Emblem Editions (2009), Paperback, 344 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:**1/2
Tags:Fiction, Canadian, 2010

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Red Dog, Red Dog by Patrick Lane (2008)

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Showing 4 of 4
This is the story of the Stark family: brothers Eddy and Tom, their parents, and three sisters who died as children. It unfolds over a week, but plenty of back story is provided to put the current situation in context.

The writing is absolutely beautiful. But, all in all, this book was a disappointment. There are far too many peripheral characters who are not well developed. While the story picks up near the end as it focuses more on the main characters, it still left me unsatisfied. ( )
  LynnB | Sep 7, 2010 |
The story unfolds slowly like peeling the layers off an onion. Sensuous very detailed descriptions bring the landscape to life, reveal subtle nuances of character. But very bleak, left me feeling the need for something light with humour. ( )
  loosha | Dec 8, 2008 |
Showing 4 of 4
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This book is for Lorna.
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It didn`t take him long to bury me.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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An epic novel of unrequited dreams and forestalled lives, Red Dog, Red Dog unfolds over the course of one week in and around a small town in British Columbia in 1958, with stories arcing back in time to the 1920s and '30s. The novel centres on the Stark family. There is Elmer, a violent man with a troubled past; Lillian, who married Elmer shortly after the Depression, and who finds herself retreating steadily into isolation; their sons, Tom and Eddy, now in their twenties, are bound together by the secrets of their childhood years. Unrepentant, Eddy speeds freely along his reckless path, defiant and vulnerable. Tom, a loner, tries to make out of the fragments of the past a story that can explain the way things are. Then one night at a party, Eddy goes too far, and a spiral of events is set in motion, leading to the novel's last, dramatic moments. Narrated in part by one of the dead infant daughters Elmer has buried, the novel is about hardship and loss, revenge and ancient loyalties, about the sweetness of first love and the power of memory. A richly textured portrait of a time and a place, filled with moments of harrowing violence and breathtaking descriptions of the natural world, Red Dog, Red Dog is a deeply moving novel that explores the legacies of the past and the possibilities of salvation.

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