Rating: 
Summary: Nice, eloquent style, but had problems with the cruelty.
Review: I'm in two minds about this book. I read it in just over a day; I couldn't put it down, but I also have serious reservations about a book with such graphic depictions of cruelty to animals. I know that the book was a work of fiction, and that the scenes depicted are never gratuitous, but I question whether the rather silly sub-plot of Wendell Hollis, the underground dog society, and Dog J was really all that essential to the story. Parkhurst has a nice, economical and elegant style, and her pacing is tight. When Paul returns home and finds that her wife has died under strange circumstances, we are plunged right into the mystery, and the tale unwinds quickly at a deft pace. Although, not central to the story, the outcome of Lexy's death, however, will come as no surprise to the reader. The real story is the astute observation of a relationship full of dysfunction, and a modern marriage that is unfortunately seems to be doomed by a lack of communication. This is also a story of grief and sadness, as we realize that Lexy's needs as a wife, and possibly as a mother will never be fulfilled, and that Paul will never be able to recapture the love that he felt for Lexy. And then there is gorgeous Lorelei, the real star of the story, and the character who possibly holds the key to Lexy's death. The story effectively jumps between the present, as Paul mourns and tries to come to terms with the death of his true love, and the past, as we witness their meeting, courtship and eventual marriage. During this time learn much about Lexy; she's spontaneous - particularly when she drags Paul off on a first date to Disney World lasting a week - and she's also an artist, a lover, and loyal to Lorelei and Paul, but she's also seems to be incredibly insecure and unhappy with the world. I had problems with some of the other plot twists involving Lady Arabelle, and a ridiculous subplot involving a ghost that Lexy is obsessed with in New Orleans. And I still don't know what is the true meaning of all the symbolism, or indeed whether there is actually meant to be any symbolism! Are the masks that Lexy perpetually paints a way of shutting out reality? Are they her method of communicating with Paul? Is her obsession with the death masks towards the end of the story, her cry for help? The story ends up being kind of vague and muddled as Parkhurst tries to cram so much into this story. Consequently, I found this book kind of disappointing - read The Dogs of Babel only if you want a fast and quick read. Michael
Rating: 
Summary: Quietly Profound
Review: Parts fairy tale and whimsy, parts dark and disturbing, The Dogs of Babel is an unusual love story about imperfect, but very deep love. Paul Iverson is grieving deeply for his wife, Lexy, and tells the story of their remarkable relationship while desperately grasping for answers to questions that, in the asking, indicate he may already know some of the answers. Lorelei, the family dog, is the only witness to Lexy's death and the first to painfully alert the world to this tragedy. So begins Paul's quest to find a way to communicate with Lorelei to uncover the events leading up to Lexy's fatal fall. Though some readers may feel this is a bit over the top, animal lovers will feel less so. Paul's observations on how Lorelei does successfully communicate her own grief and needs, sleeping on a sweater with Lexy's scent, patiently waiting some mornings near her studio, will ring true with anyone who has learned to respect the wonder and intelligence of animals. Carolyn Parkhurst weaves together symbolism and language to create a story more complex than it appears on the surface. Paul and Lexy are interesting and multi-faceted characters - their imperfections make them believable and endearing. Paul, a somewhat reserved and thoughtful linguistic professor, has a new world opened to him because of Lexy. He remembers and shares the (almost painfully) beautiful escapades of their courtship and marriage, as well as the troubling conflict of their darkest moments. Lexy, a gifted artist in a unique medium, papier mache masks, has let only the tip of what appears to be a destructive mental torment known to her husband. The Dogs of Babel is a quietly compelling story. There are several disturbing chapters related to animal abuse and cruelty I found difficult to reconcile with the rest of the story, but overall, Lorelei's role in the story is important and respected. The greatness of this novel lies in the beautiful storytelling related to three themes - the animal/human bond, the complexities of grief, and the extraordinary intricacies of unconditional love.
Rating: 
Summary: Phenomenal
Review: This is one of the best books I've ever read. And I'm VERY picky about books. It was a page turner; an emotionally gripping story that has stayed with me long after its last page. Very unique story. She's an excellent writer and I can't wait for her next book.
Rating: 
Summary: Dog of a book.
Review: "Babel" is appropriate in the title of this book, but it's misspelled, missing the second "b" in the middle and having the "el" reversed. The book begs our credulity, asking us to believe that a PhD in linguistics will ignore his wife's poor mental health. We are to believe that this caring and intelligent man, knowing that his wife is sensitive about her muse and has at least an anger management problem, will engage her in petty arguments, that he will consult a seer to help solve the mystery of her death, and that he will attempt to train his dog to communicate with him so as to obtain the dog's view of the day of her death. Further, this PhD dog lover communicates and visits with men who like to torture dogs and who justify their sickness with a "mask" of scientific research. If we agree that art is, in part, based on an artist's metaphysical value judgments, what might we to conclude about author Parkhurst's worldview? She appears to believe that people are governed by impulses, dreams, twisted motives, sick desires, and will intuitively resort to irrationality in the face of inexplicable loss. The dead wife made her living making masks. Perhaps the masks symbolize the thin guise of rationality behind which people in Parkhurst's world live. If so, her sense of life, the sense conveyed in this book, is corrupt. The most frightening aspect of this story is that the "healed" PhD returns to his classroom to teach college students. Teach them what? We pray he sticks narrowly to linguistics. Most of us read to find a bit of truth, some understanding and fun, and to glimpse how noble and enjoyable life could be if it were not for the sort of philosophy presented in Dogs of Babel.
Rating:
Summary: Don't let the premise throw you
Review: Beautifully written book. The love he had for his wife is apparent during the whole book.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I read about the premise of this book and couldn't wait to read it. It dragged for me. It would have been so much better as a murder mystery where that is actually solved by something that results from Paul's effort with Lorelei. The character of the husband was sympathetic but the wife came off as a fruitcake. The writing itself is nice, just the plot needed some more twists and turns. You could see the kidnapping coming the minute the kidnapper excuses himself, it was so predictable.
Rating:
Summary: Just gross
Review: I somehow always end up reading books that leave me disturbed - and, while many people will disagree with me, that is not an emotion I particularly enjoy. ( I probably should read these reviews before I pick up the books!) Anyway, this book was no exception. While the premise sounds kind of interesting and mysterious, it really is a warped book. Unless you enjoy getting new, repulsive ideas (say, perhaps, you can't get enough from the newspaper)I'd suggest that you skip it.
Rating:
Summary: great premise but
Review: The premise of this story is wonderful, and at times it comes close to pulling it off. But just when you think it might, Parkhurst gives us one more contrived situation or one more over-the-top-cute glimpse of the main characters' relationship and you're left disappointed and hopeful once again. The depiction of grief is dead-on, intense, emotional, painful to read at times it's so well-done. She should have trusted herself a bit more with it. We don't need their relationship made so precious so we feel the loss; we would have felt it anyway. Having the lost wife a mask-maker teetered on the edge of contrivance, slipped even closer when they became death masks. Had she stopped there it could have been tolerable if too noticeable. But she slips over the edge a few too many times with this particular aspect. The same is true with the underground dog society and the final message from his wife. I wanted to like this work so much, and she overcame herself so many times that I remained hopeful that by the end I would. But unfortunately it proved too hard to ignore the contrivances. Even so, I can't say the book isn't worth a read--there's much here to savor. Read it, and prepared to be saddened by the work as well as its failed promise.
Rating:
Summary: Very moving story
Review: Deeply mourning the recent death of his wife, a linguist attempts to teach his dog--the only witness to his wife's death--to talk, in the hopes of finding answers and closure. Very moving story about the lengths a person can go to when dealing with grief.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful
Review: I found it difficult to put this book down. It was so beautifully written..it was intruiging, sad, but hopeful. I'm actually disappointed now that I have finished, I'm missing the story now that it is over.
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