Rating: 
Summary: As thin as the paper it's written on...
Review: I was very disappointed in this flimsy sketch of a boring man who loses his quirky and irritating wife. My interest in what led Lexie to outbursts of anger kept me plodding through the inane subplot of "Cruella DaVille" type characters until I just threw the book down. I would not recommend this book to anyone.
Rating: 
Summary: Dogs with Emotional Bite
Review: By now, you know the basic premise: Paul Iverson attempts to teach his dog how to speak, hoping the dog can tell him about his wife's death. Yes, it's an interesting concept. But the novel digs deeper than its gimmick, and does an admirable job of tracking Paul's healing psyche. Much of the book's strength, in my opinion, is built around dichotomies. Paul is a learned man, yet finds himself grasping at supernatural straws (talking dogs and telephone psychics). Paul is skilled at solving puzzles and riddles, yet he fails to put together (even as he narrates) the pieces that point to his wife's mental instability. Lexy, Paul's wife, is the central dichotomy: a manic-depressive who creates masks (the mask metaphor is used beautifully throughout the book). This novel will inevitably be compared to "The Lovely Bones" because of its subject matter. However, I don't think it suffers from this comparison; "The Dogs of Babel" packs emotional heft I found lacking in "The Lovely Bones," and Parkhurst's writing is tighter than Sebold's. On the negative side, the book's second half doesn't have the same intensity as its first half. And, Parkhurst isn't 100% convincing as a male narrator: Paul's missing some testosterone in his thoughts and actions. Also, even though Parkhurst starts to paint Paul as something of a tongue-tied misfit afraid of social situations near the book's beginning, she tends to contradict that characterization: Paul is rather glib and witty throughout the story. Minor complaints, really. All in all, this book is a fine read--especially for a first novel. I'll look forward to future works by Ms. Parkhurst.
Rating: 
Summary: Emotionally Honest? If You're a Zombie
Review: This book is, quite frankly, overhyped. It's a fast, light read, yes, but the narrator is cardboard, and I don't buy that his disconnectedness is due to grief. Paul doesn't know his wife at all, and while that is part of the point, the book relies more on plot surprises than the deep character revelation that makes a book literary. Check it out of the library, but don't shell out the cash for hardback.
Rating:
Summary: Buy a better book.
Review: I don't understand the glowing reviews for this book. The characters are contrived (Lexi, mysterious woman marries Paul,divorced professor) and uninteresting. Lexi somehow convinces Paul to drive 2 days to Disney for their first date (first hint that this book wasn't going to be believable). We never learn much about the backgrounds or motivations of either character. I wanted the author to flesh out these people -- what brought Lexi to her depresssions? What were her outbursts about? We never really understand Lexi because it is written from the male perspective. Then there is the subplot of an underground talking dog society which grossly abuses dogs --- not worth the paper it took to print. And who would believe that Paul would leave his beloved dog in the backyard after meeting up with these creeps? It was a quick read, but still a waste of my time.
Rating: 
Summary: close to the (dog) bone
Review: Ok, that is a ridiculous opening for such an amazing book...but the point I am making is that when I first read the premise, and that people were referring to this amazing work as "the lovely Dog Bones" I was a bit put off. But this book is not about talking dogs. I feel it is about how people respond to grief. Grief tears you apart, makes you unreasonable...This is a book about a man who responds to grief and through the set up it is almost plausible.
Beyond that, I think I held my breath a few times, wondering if the book would take weird turns. I didn't want Paul to get involved with Hollis...but I really don't think the book goes off track. Yes, Paul, a fairly rational man, is taking up with weird underground cults and phone psychics but these are the tools of desperation.
I would also like to say that, though the book has moments of graphic description about animal mutilation, it is obvious pro-dog. Some of the reviews seem to imply that Parkhurst is some kind of horrific dog mutilator. No...her characters are, again to show the depths of Paul's journey. These passages are here to show you how far people will go.
I will tell you that this is a painfully close to the bone novel,filled with brilliant insight, amazing symbolism, and skillful writing about relationships, being left and the search for answers when you are left suddenly.
I thouroughly can recommend this wholeheartedly, it is a beautiful piece, risky and wonderful. Go with an open mind. It is not the lovely bones...it is something quite different. Dig up it's beauty for yourself
Rating:
Summary: This is one of the best I've read since Life of Pi
Review: Wow!,- what more to say? This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I've read in a long time. I found myself laughing out loud on one page and a few paragraphs later had tears in my eyes. The writing flows so smoothly the book is hard to put down. I think this one is going to be big.
Rating:
Summary: The male narration sinks this novel
Review: Ultimately, this clever idea fails to go beyond just an idea; and the great pace and writing of the first 30 pages dissipates. Others have commented on the play of the arrangement of books on the shelves at the narrator's home, and I agree that it comes across as forced. The caper with the underground dog people is a silly and belongs in a different novel. But what really brings this novel down is the "male" narration which is never male enough to deal with the female lead, Lexi. Paul admires her in the way that a woman wants a man to admire her, and not the way a man would. Save your money and buy the used copies. There will be enough of them.
Rating: 
Summary: Too Precious
Review: I don't understand why this book earned such glowing reviews. The author is definitely a talented writer, but the story doesn't have much depth, certainly not that of Lovely Bones, which it has been compared with. The story and its characters are neither tragic or comic, but just edging on a bit dark, a bit quirky, and a little too precious as a result. So as events unfolded, I found I really didn't care that much about the outcome, only curious to see what the author would "invent" next as part of the narrative. The two lead characters, Paul and Lexy never really never rang true for me as a fully developed characters. For example, the "tortured" Lexy isn't even sympathetic because she has so little dimension. Author did okay in capturing the dog's character, but then again, it really never learned to talk, so no dialogue was required.
Rating:
Summary: Big disappointment
Review: ...I...bought this book because I am a huge fan of Anna Quindlen. After finishing the book, I also wondered why in the world Quindlen would recommend this novel. The characters are unsympathetic and unbelievable, particularly Lexy. Frankly, I found myself not caring that Lexy had died. My reaction to this book was totally different from Lovely Bones, another novel about death that Quindlen recommended. Read Lovely Bones instead.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting
Review: The story of each of the characters, Paul, Lexy and Lorelei are tragic and heartbreaking. They and their story have stayed with me for some time now. It is story of death of Lexy, the wife, and how it impacts - consumes - her husband, Paul.
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