Rating: 
Summary: Inspirational
Review: Parkhurst's debut novel is INCREDIBLE. It's not just what she writes (an utterly engaging narrative in and of itself) but the way in which she does it. Each sentence is expertly crafted and this really works to elevate the tale. It's also dark - which makes it better still, lending the story a gritty realism most tales of grief and loss lack. It would have been so easy for this book to fall into melodramatic cliche, as Paul pined and cried for his dear lost Lexy. But he's gripped by a sort of madness that gives him a disturbing focus. He's sent places he has no business being (both literally and figuratively) and this makes the story both interesting and engaging. Highly recommended!!
Rating:
Summary: A terrific story of love and loss
Review: A moving, touching story of loss and the ways that we grieve. The characters and their losses and attempts at love feel very real, despite the somewhat contived concept of the book. In the end, the silence of the dog is only a metaphor for our own inability to give voice to our own grief. Also recommended: ALISON'S AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR MANUAL, by Brad Barkley...another moving (and funny!) novel about love and loss and grief.
Rating:
Summary: Be careful even though it's wonderful.
Review: I finished this book three days ago, and I still have strong feelings floating around because of it. The Dogs of Babel is an emotionally painful reading experience, and for me, one of the most intensely sad books I've ever encountered (but that's a good thing -- genuine emotion is hard to come by in this post-modern meta-fiction riddled contemporary literary period). You've probably read how this book is about a man, Paul Iverson, who is trying to teach his dog to tell him why his wife died in a fall ... but it's not a gimmicky book. It's about grieving, self-examination, love, and how complicated people and relationships can be. People complain that there are plot events that are unrealistic or far-fetched, but I'd contend that they are missing the point: this is the most emotionally honest book I've come across recently. As the reader learns more about Paul and his wife, he becomes more invested in Paul's plight, so much so that the pain is real and raw. If you want to feel for a character in a novel, then this book is certainly for you. The caveat, though, is that The Dogs of Babel is an intense experience, which may not be for you depending on your current circumstances. If I had recently experienced a loss, I doubt I could've gotten through it at all (at least without a breakdown). I'd also be careful if you're feeling emotionally fragile since I can't get it out of my head three days later with no end in sight for me (when was the last time a book hung around with you for some time after you finished it?).
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful and tragic
Review: 5 stars
"The Dogs of Babel" is about Paul Iverson, a linguist at a local university who meets and quickly marries a young artist named Lexy Ransome. She is everything to him- she brings light and color to his dull, academic life. The two have a seemingly happy and passionate marriage until one day Lexy mysteriously falls from a tree and is mortally injured. The only witness to the incident is the couple's dog, Lorelai and Paul, in his grief and desperation, decides he is going to make Lorelai communicate in order to reveal the secrets of his wife's last day. He abandons his friends, family, and career in order to work with Lorelai, and in doing so finds out much more (both about himself, Lexy, and the nature of desperate people) than he bargained for. When I read the premise for "Dogs of Babel" I had no idea how Carolyn Parkhurst was going to make it come together. But she did, and did so beautifully and tragically. Although the concept sounds bizarre, what it really does is provide a meaningful way for Paul to retell all the events and emotions of his marriage to Lexy. This is a wonderfully written book. The narrative weaves in and out of the past and present with no effort at all. Normally, I can't take stories of grief and loss too often because they make me fear for the fate of my own loves ones. But this was different- it's not a book about grief, or sadness, it's a book about the thing we do in desperation to move on from the pain. It's an honest story about the cruel secrets of human nature. Note: I must warn you- there are some situations dealing with animal abuse in the book. While Paul is doing research on the ability of animals to communicate, he runs into a bizarre underground group that is determined- in any way possible- to get dogs to speak. I am *very* sensitive to issues of animal neglect and abuse, and while it was hard for me to get through some of the brief passages in the book dealing with these topics, it was not enough to get me to put the book down or turn me off from it. But if you are sensitive to it, you should be aware it comes up in the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Easy Read, and you'll cry too...
Review: I flew through this book in a little over an hour, which means I was comfortable and interested enough to not put it down, yet it also means it doesnt inspire any deep thinking. Parkhurst's writing seems effortless, and her characters endear themselves to the reader. And for those animal lovers out there, you will shed a few tears in the process.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Book!
Review: The Dogs of Babel is one of those rare books that has everything to offer: a suspenseful story that makes it a pageturner, beautiful writing that engages the mind, wonderful characters... It's all there. I think anyone would love this book. It's certainly the best I've read in a long long time, and I read a lot!
Rating:
Summary: An elegant , compassionate tale of love and committment...
Review: There is an accident: a young married woman has fallen to her death. A husband is left alone to face this sudden and devastating loss, blindsided by the unexpected depths of his grief. Paul Iverson clings to the only witness of Lexy's last day on earth, their beloved Rhodesian Ridgeback, Lorelei. Driven to find answers, to unravel the mystery of Lexy's fatal plunge, Professor Iverson, a linguist, becomes obsessed with a plan to teach Lorelei to speak, so that she can finally tell him what happened. Requesting a sabbatical, Paul notes the distress and worry on his colleague's faces, but is unconcerned in his quest to obliterate all but his experiment. Gathering random bits of information, he scours the house for clues and makes lists, including one of all the books the couple has owned, anything to make sense of the senseless. He compiles stacks of literature, case studies of experiments where dogs have been surgically altered in an attempt to evoke canine speech. Unfortunately, all such experiments are inhumane and illegal, but Paul has no intention of resorting to such practices. He spends time with Lorelei, patiently "teaching" her the responses he wants. Of course, his experiment is a failure, as the dog is either unwilling or unable to perform. But, like anyone undergoing such a period of mourning, Paul may be forgiven this foolish attempt for emotional relief. Perusing the recent literature on dog-speak, Paul makes a somewhat suspicious contact. Desperate for more information, he attends a meeting of an unsavory group who perform experimental surgeries on dogs, supposedly with some real success. At the gathering of these uber-scientists, Paul is appalled that he could have been led so far astray as to find himself among these despicable men. With the comforting Lorelei beside him, Paul recalls the years of the marriage, the magical moments of Lexy's stunning conceptual artistry, her uniquely crafted masks, the imaginative tales she tells. Lexy loved fairy tales, mysterious phrases, one of her favorite quotes: "Had I known but yesterday/ what I know today/ I'd have taken out your two gray eyes/ and put in eyes of clay/ And had I known but yesterday/ you'd be no more my own/ I'd have taken out your heart of flesh/ and put in one of stone." But there are many kinds of masks, and perhaps Lexy has hidden behind one as sensitive artist/wife. In contrast, there are infrequent, yet unnerving incidents, when Lexy exhibits unaccountable rage, as well as uncontrollable tears that leave her shattered and sobbing. There are stories of Lexy's troubled youth, her teenaged flirtation with suicide, an indication of the true pathology behind her behavior. This is a difficult and emotional journey for Paul, but once begun, he embarks upon a scrupulous evaluation of Lexy's precarious emotional landscape during the years of their marriage. Is there any message, any important detail he has overlooked? Paul's real dilemma: was the fall truly an accident, or did Lexy commit suicide? Parkhurst compassionately describes the early days of Iverson's grief and his impulsive project with Lorelei, her characters sympathetic. The companionable Lorelei is an endearing witness to Paul's struggle. As Paul Iverson navigates this unfamiliar territory with reluctance, his discoveries are touched with quiet grace and forgiveness, acceptance of the human frailties inherent in life. If, in those last days, Lexy has left a message for Paul, it cannot be found hidden among her emotional demons, past or present. Whatever the memories, Lexy's shining legacy to Paul, the message, is her endless capacity for joy and the daily expression of love. Luan Gaines/2003.
Rating:
Summary: Suspend Your Disbelief or Not For Cynics
Review: First off, I am not what you would call a dog lover, that said you don't have to be one to love this book. This story is ultimately a love story and about lost love. It is also about a man's grief and his attempt at escaping that grief in an intellectual way. In the process of reading this we learn of Paul and Lexy his young wife who dies unexpectedly. Without giving away the story, I found that while I could relate to both characters I was particularly drawn to Lexy, the troubled and sensitive artist. In an attempt to do anything to rationally explain his wifes death, Paul's quest leads him to some rather irrational if not bizarre means of doing so. However along the way this takes us through the heartbreaking story of their meeting and falling in love and life together; one that is unusual and yet familiar. This in the end will lead him to some truths he has perhaps known all along and others he has forgotten. Your heart will ache for both of these people. In the end I found myself caring for and missing someone I had never known. It is truly good that someone can write something that make you feel so much.
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: Like whistling past a cemetary ...
Review: This book dares to take us into the land of things we'd rather pretend were not so. Just like whistling past a cemetary doesn't diminish it's dark truths, neither can 'wishing make it so' when it comes to whisking away the untidily dark truths hidden in the Souls of the people we love.
Lexy, who we meet through the memories of her widowed husband Paul, attempts to tell stories through the masks she creates. Fun masks, happy masks, light-hearted masks. It is only when she is commissioned to do the death mask of a young girl, a suicide victim, that we begin to see the poignant depth of the stories she is trying to tell.
The book's pace is (purposely?) light and roving, and yet there is a faint, sinister cloy to the air, like passing by a funeral home and the smell of rotted carnations. It's not uncomfortable though, it's sweet and thick and enveloping - it's just that we, the reader, the lover, the spouse, aren't really ready to go in there just quite yet. We'd rather stay out here in the breezy sun, under bright blue skies festooned with billowy clouds. Out here in broad daylight, where we still have some strength against shadows.
Or is that strength too merely an illusion? Yet another mask we awkwardly wear? This book tells the journey, in a hypnotic wash of light to dark and back again of the drainingly meticulous work involved in the peeling away these masks - others' as well as our own.
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