Rating: 
Summary: Interesting premise, but...
Review: The interesting premise of "The Dogs of Babel" was what attracted me to the book: can Paul Iverson teach his dog, the only witness to his wife Lexy's death after a fall from a tree, to speak so that the grieving husband can discover what happened? Once the story unfolds, however, the original story line goes astray with a series of flashbacks that explore Lexy's personality and her relationship with Paul. Ultimately it is Paul's own memories of Lexy that uncover the truth.Not only does the "teach the family dog to speak" action fizzle out, but there are some unbelievable and downright silly subplots that detract from the beauty of the storytelling. These include Paul's brief association with a disturbing and fanatical group of dog abusers, Lexy's rearrangement of the books on the shelves to convey a cryptic "message", and Paul's conversations with telephone psychics. As we learn more about Lexy herself, she is revealed to be a very disturbed woman with a penchant for impulsive actions and violent behavior, and I did not find her to be a sympathetic character. Nor could I understand what made Paul tick, since many of his actions often seemed irrational and out of character. On the positive side, the book is well written and it does have some good points. It contains interesting symbolism about masks, as is highlighted on the front cover. There are insightful comments on relationships, love, and loss. Lexy's fanciful side, including her square egg machine and her philosophy on food and dating, provides some light moments in a predominantly melancholy story. All in all, however, I found the book disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: Oh, please
Review: Maximum concept and maximum buzz leads to big sales but mediocre novel. While the premise of getting a dog witness to testify is intriguing, the preciousness of the characters perplexing personalities and the terminal cuteness of Lexy make this a really annoying read. What were the reviewers thinking???
Rating:
Summary: A Disappointment
Review: I feel misled by the hype this book received. It appears to suffer from the same faults possessed by a woman who told me it was now one of her favorite novels of all time: much surface flash, but serious underlying deficiencies. Carolyn Pankhurst is a talented writer, and her style and facility with the language are impressive. She'll likely have a successful career, and I'll read her next novel. On the other hand, neither of her main characters "came alive" as real, believable people. I felt no sympathy for either protagonist, and although that may be because I'm heartless, I do respond to fully rounded characters. Was I the only person who wondered why our hero was never contacted by, or reached out to, any member of his family during his entire ordeal? Or, for that matter, that the main chracters seemed to exist in a vacuum devoid of all but one or two friends? Also, the jarring juxtaposition of the "bittersweet" tone of the first 164 pages, and the subsequent subplot involving the bizarre Ceberus Society, detracted from my overall enjoyment. A decent first novel, not a noteworthy one. With her talent, I expect Ms. Pankhurst's next effort will be better.
Rating: 
Summary: Disturbing but good
Review: We actually listened to this book on CD as we drove across the country a few weeks ago, and I guess you could say we enjoyed it. I confess to hating the characters. But if I think past the characters, this is a tragic, heartbreaking story. The grief and loss he feels is so profound, and you, as the reader, can really feel that in his actions and his memories. I would not want to read it again however. But worth reading the first time.
Rating: 
Summary: Dogs of Babel
Review: This appears to have been written by a high school freshman in creative writing. No wait, I'm sure the freshman would have done a better job.
Rating:
Summary: Pass this one up
Review: I was very disappointed in this book. The plot is inane. The only sympathetic character is the dog. Lexy is a spoiled, selfish, egocentric fleabrain, incapable of concern for anyone else--neither her husband nor her unborn child. The husband is fumbling, inept, and downright stupid. I was not affected by his pain, his loss--only by his selfishness. The parts on dog abuse upset and angered me, especially the husband's part in exposing his own dog to the horrors of the underground "research" group. The plot is silly, the ending a foregone conclusion from the beginning. Apparently it did not occur to either the professor or his wife to get help for her problems. The novel is somewhat appropriately named--it is a dog and it is babble.
Rating: 
Summary: A poignant and gripping book
Review: I really liked this book; it's unique story, has a good pace and it really made me FEEL for these characters. I had a lump in my throat and a tightness in my chest through the last 1/2 of the book. Since Lexy dies right at the beginning, I didn't feel much since I was not invested in Lexy or Paul, but as the author flips back and forth between current time and flash backs I developed a real sense of the two characters and their relationship. I'm also a dog lover, so the fact that Lorelei had a large role didn't hurt either. I was a little skeptical when I found out that Paul was going to try and teach his dog to talk in order to find out what caused his wife's sudden death. However, after reading I started to really feel his deep grief and desparation to understand WHY his wife died - what happened during her last moments. The fact that he was trying to teach his dog to talk was so poignant. I thought this was a sweet, touching story although I didn't care for the dog-mutilation society part; I'm not sure it was really necessary. I definitely would recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: Creative Story - Failed To Pull Together
Review: Carolyn Parkhurst has a deep well of creativity. The writing could have been better. I wouldn't reread or recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: This is a great book. The Lovely Bones (which I hated) does not even come close to this book. I was extremely intrigued by the characters, and am amazed at the depth the author was able to achieve. The backstory was very detailed and, like A.S. Byatt's Possession, makes you question whether or not the intricate details of the Cerebrus Society are indeed based in fact. I agree with another reviewer that this book contains graphic animal violence, but it is not gratuitous. It's sadly realistic. Even though, the overall effect is somewhat, well, dignified. The animals in this book are characters, too, and they come off a lot better than some of the humans. This book moved me, and I think it will move you, too.
Rating:
Summary: Doesn't Live Up to the Hype, But Still OK
Review: Well, this was a tough one for me to like. I always have my doubts about any book with this much hype and for the first part of the novel, I was not impressed at all. The novel, as you probably know, concerns a man who tries to teach his dog, the sole witness to his wife's death, to talk so that he can understand if Lexy, his wife, fell to her death accidentally, or if it was suicide. The novel is really about Paul, the husband, and his attempts to deal with his searing grief--the talking dog is just a gimmick, and for most of the novel, a rather annoying one at that. Paul, our narrator, shifts back and forth in time, trying to make some sense of his wife's death. He reveals truths to us slowly, and readers will most likely change their opinion as the novel goes on about the true nature of Lexy's death. The pacing in the novel is excellent, the writing, strong. It's not the best novel ever, not even the best one I've read this year. It is an engaging and entertaining read from a promising writer.
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