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Summary: "BABE" MEETS ''FIGHT CLUB''
Review: When I first heard about this book's plot--bereaved professor tries to teach his dog, the sole eyewitness to his wife's suspicious death, to speak--I rolled my eyes, shook my head, tsked my tongue, and gyrated any other orifice that could show smug contempt. What a stupid premise, I supposed. Boy, was I wrong!THE DOGS OF BABEL is not light summer reading, rather it's like a swift, unexpected summer heat storm. It is fast, intense, relentless, and unabashedly refreshing. Its hero, Paul, is a kind man with an unenviable mission--a desperate need to become a real-life Dr. Dolittle ... Lieutenant Columbo. His hesitant, embarrassing, compulsive lessons with Lorelei, the Rhodesian Ridgeback, are never played for laughs, chuckles, or cheap theatrics. His self-conscious attempts to spark some kind of memory in Lorelei are a tribute to just how much his deceased wife, Lexy, meant to him, and to the faithful animal companion. It is a beautiful, befuddled attempt to bridge the gap between the here and the Hereafter. The story line is an exploration of just how far one man, indeed any mourner, will strive to recover a loved one, a lost memory, a destroyed future. It is a heart-wrenching blueprint of how grief can envelop and enervate even the most intelligent, most reasonable figure. The talking dog aspect is not just an attention grabber. The author's writing style is fetching (pardon the pun) and her imagination takes readers willing to follow her lead into the labyrinthes of an emotional and mental meltdown, plus into the corridors of a frightenting underground society of canine mutilators. It is truly terrifying and each sentence is anxiety-ridden. Coming out in the summer, with its hook being that a dog just might end up talking, this novel may attract starry-eyed fans of ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. Reader, beware, though. This truly is BABE THE GALLANT PIG meets FIGHT CLUB. Not for the tender-hearted, but rather for the reader who is willing to have his or her soul touched, bruised, stomped on, regenerated, and ultimately restored. A great debut because it is so audacious, crazy, brilliant, overreaching, and finally human. Forget about the "man bites dog" or "dog walks into a bar" aspect, this is a novel that really is just that: novel. What a rare treat!
Rating: 
Summary: More than meets the eye
Review: A short blurb in a book club circular first piqued my interest in Dogs of Babel. "Grieving widower attempts to teach family dog to talk." One of my favorite books of all time was Watchers by Dean Koontz. I instantly wanted to jump into this book, hoping for another taste of that level of fantasy; what would it be like if our family pet could really speak? After reading the PW review, I realized that I might not be getting what I had hoped for, but even so, I am very glad I chose to go ahead and read this book. As others have already mentioned, the story is about Paul Iverson's attempt to teach his dog to speak so that he could learn the secrets surrounding his wife's sudden death. As I read, I realized that teaching the dog to speak really wasn't Paul's focus, at all. It was just his way of coping, grieving, and remembering his wife. There is an element of poignant romance in the story as he tells the story of his wife from their first meeting to that fateful last day, but it is done in a way that is moving rather than sloppy sweet. In his narrative, you can clearly see Paul's shortcomings and his wife's mental instability, from their bizarre first date through to the end of the book. These are not perfect people, and that is what makes the book all the better. I have to admit that my favorite character in the book is Lorelei, the dog. The only places where I really cried were when she grieved in her own way the loss of her master. I did like reading about her take on Paul's attempt to teach her language, particularly in the scene where he is trying to get her to say "Wa" for water, withholds her water to make her ask for it and she (logical and intelligent) goes and gets a drink out of the toilet when she is thirsty. Very smart dog. As for Paul's side trip into the world of Cerberus; That was the only point in the book where I really hated that guy. But that brings us back to the fallibility of people and how grief affects each person differently. It seemed he'd go to almost any length to discover the truth about his wife's death, even at the expense of a very trusting companion. In short, I enjoyed the story (finished it in a day) and found the characters compelling and real. Two thumbs up!
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Summary: My Heart is Broken
Review: This book is by far the most poignant book that I have read in a very long time. I felt so drawn into the main character's grief that I was consumed by the story. I could feel the love Paul felt for Lexy, and his desperation to find out what happened to his beloved drove me to finish the book in one sitting. Some topics in this book may be upsetting to animal lovers, but perservere...you will be richly rewarded. I wish that there was a rating of infinite stars, because I am just in love with this book. The writing skillfully weaves the past and present to tell this tale of love and loss, and I am forever touched by all of it's messages.
Rating:
Summary: A good book that goes a little too far
Review: Paul Iverson came home from work one autumn afternoon to find that his wife Lexy was dead, having fallen from an apple tree in their backyard. Forensic evidence suggested that the fall was accidental, but certain incongruities in Lexy's behavior--she had rearranged the books in one of their bookcases, for example--suggested to her husband that "the day of Lexy's death had not been a usual day." The Dogs of Babel tells the bittersweet story of Paul's attempt to recover from and understand Lexy's death. Was it a suicide? There was only one witness to his wife's fall, the couple's Rhodesian Ridgeback, Lorelai, and Iverson, a trained linguist, undertakes to teach the dog to talk. His interactions with Lorelai are sometimes comic, sometimes heart-rending (as when he tells her to "Go get Lexy"--a command she had never heeded previously--and she runs off, manically sniffing throughout the house for evidence of her dead mistress). The story, narrated by Iverson and written in pleasingly short chapters, jumps gracefully from these training sessions to Paul's attempts to unscramble the riddle of the reordered bookshelf to his memories of his wife--their charming courtship and the unsettling bursts of rage to which Lexy was subject. In the end, Paul's various memories and his detective work coalesce to form a comprehensible narrative of their relationship and of Lexy's last moments. Left at that, Parkhurst's novel would have been highly successful, but the author has also included in her book a section that does not quite fit with the rest. Iverson's interest in canine linguistics leads him to become involved--briefly, and somewhat against his will--with a group of extremists who will stop at nothing in their pursuit of canine speech. This section of the book is horrifying in its details of surgically altered dogs, and one is terrified at the prospect of what may happen to Lorelai. But these shocking chapters are also unrealistic (or so one dearly hopes), and thus out of keeping with the rest of the narrative. They are also not necessary to the story, which could stand on its own as an admittedly less dramatic but no less moving tale of love and death and dogs.
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Summary: Bravo!!!! Carolyn Parkhurst
Review: I took my time reading The Dogs of Babel --- I didn't want
it to end. The characters will capture your heart, and touch you in a
in a rare way. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A mysterious love story
Review: I just finished this book which I found to be an absolute page turner after chapter 2. At first I was a little worried that this was not going to be what I had anticipated but once I got into the story, I couldn't put it down. It's primarily about grief and working through the grief process but we have a front row seat to the workings inside the heart and mind of someone who has experienced a devestating loss. I have been there so I could strongly relate to what this man was going through. I found it extremely touching and loving but with a feeling of mystery that just keeps you wanting to know how things will turn out. Relationships and life are just not easy but the process of growth is well developed in this book. It's a book that will stay with me for sometime. Thank you Carolyn for sharing it with us.
Rating: 
Summary: Anna Quindlen, What Were You Thinking?
Review: Anna Quindlen...I really admire her, don't you? Such a gifted writer. A woman of keen intellect and insight into the human condition and body politic. Consequently, for some years now, I have read her avidly, most frequently agreeing with her every utterance and always admiring her bountiful talent. So, when Quindlen last year very enthusiastically endorsed Alice Sebold's "The Lovely Bones," I was all ears even though it didn't sound too appealing. Adolescent girl, rape, heaven...? Ugh...sounded like a religious book...a chick book...or, worse yet, Hallmarky sentimental. Nonetheless, based solely on Quindlen's rapturous review, I read "Bones." And I was enthralled from the first page. Seldom have I -- a voracious reader -- read a novel as gripping, lyrical, and as provocative. Hooray for Sebold for crafting this gem of a novel -- and for Quindlen for shining the spotlight on it. So when I read in USA Today that Quindlen had blessed another new author and novel, Carolyn Parkhurst and her "The Dogs of Babel," I counted down the days to its June 2003 publication, knowing that I was in for a big treat: a compelling, page-turning story beautifully and intelligently told. "Dogs" was published; I bought it; I read it in a few days. And now I have a question for Anna Q.: What were you thinking? One word springs to mind in describing "Dogs": dumb. The story is just flat-out dumb. And I am not referring to the widower's wanting to teach the dog to speak in order to learn what happened on that October afternoon in the backyard. That's a lamebrained notion. Of course. But the poor widower, a linquist, is desperate to discern the facts of his late, beloved wife's last day. Yes indeed, I thought as I ended chapter one, this is going to an excellent novel. Wrong. After that first chapter, the story plodded along. Not great, but not bad. And then I hit page 165 and The Cerberus Society. This, Dear Readers, is where "Dogs" plummeted into a death spiral of idiocy. Groaning, I kept reading, believing that the Quindlen-annointed Parkhurst was going to pull her story out of this free-fall. But she didn't. And the rearranged books...? I won't elaborate as not to give away any of the story, but, trust me, it's more groan-inducing idiocy. Also, for the record, even though the husband Paul Iverson tells the story, it was not quite right. Unlike, say, Wally Lamb's "She's Come Undone" in which Lamb tells his story convincingly from the woman's perspective, I somehow always was aware that Paul's story was being written by a woman. Fellow Amazonians, my advice to you: Save your money. But if you do invest your money and time into "Dogs," I hope you disagree with me completely and enjoy it immensely. As for me, though, I was very disappointed. Not only in this lackluster novel, but in My Anna. Missy, next time you recommend a book, I assuredly will wait to see what the critics and Amazonians have to say about the book before I make any purchase.
Rating: 
Summary: Warning! This book contains graphic animal abuse!
Review: This book contains graphic animal abuse that may bother you if you are sensitive to it (like me). I had high hopes for this book. I heard it was going to be "The Lovely Bones" of this summer. The premise was great and unique, but the book itself was not. It was just another sad story about marriage and mental illness with some disgusting animal abuse thrown in for no reason. Nothing unique here. I was highly disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: strong depth and imagination
Review: Linguistics Professor Paul Iverson returns home to find his wife Lexy Ransome dead from an apparent fall from a backyard apple tree that it seems she must have climbed up on. Their dog Lorelei is the only witness to the tragedy, but her barking brought help too late for the victim. Over the next few weeks, the mourning Paul notices little things in his home seem out of kilter. Originally writing this off as grief, he begins to wonder about whether his spouse accidentally fell or committed suicide. Desperate to know the truth, the linguistic professor tries teaching English to the eye witness his canine, but little if any progress is made until the duo hooks up with an underground group that may enable improved communication between man and dog, but at what price? THE DOGS OF BABEL can be divided into three parts: the romance between Paul and Lexy, the teaching of English by Paul to Lorelei, and the workings of the underground group. Each segment in of itself is well written, but never fully integrates into a cohesive novel as if Carolyn Parkhurst could never decide on the main theme. Though some romance fans will appreciate that piece best, this reviewer relished the interplay between the professor and his dog. Ms. Parkhurst displays depth, imagination, and talent that makes this novel worth reading, but hopefully her next tale is more focused. Harriet Klausner
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Summary: WARNING: DEEPLY DISTURBING TO ANIMAL LOVERS
Review: If you're an animal lover who is repulsed by scenes of animal cruelty, avoid this book at all costs. Although it's billed as a moving novel about grief and the bonds of love, those themes are overshadowed by the graphic (although highly implausible) theme of surgical animal mutilation. The animal cruelty that you dismiss as only a passing reference at the beginning of the book blossoms into a critical plot point that made me want to vomit with disgust. I couldn't sleep after I read it. Can't stand reading about the occasional animal-cruelty story in the newspaper? Do yourself a favor and skip this book: there are plenty of similar novels out there that won't turn your stomach.
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