Rating: 
Summary: I'm a Fan of Walter Mosley's
Review: ...and his "Walkin' The Dog" sequel to "Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned" confirms it. Mr. Mosley does what seems to be lacking in other Afro-American writers: he is able to instantly add details to his story without giving you the feeling that you missed something. In "Walkin' The Dog," Mr. Mosley provides a deeper glimpse into Socrates Fortlow, to understand this seemingly violent character. Socrates thinks he has nothing to offer society because of his past incarceration, but he is a determined, hard-working man, and his profound insight makes those who know or meet him rethink their purpose in life. Socrates takes care of his neighborhood, seeing things that no one wants to see or what others choose to ignore. In the end, and although he certainly is not seeking acceptance from others, he attains a degree of respect, success, and friendship because of his attitude and convictions.If only there were more men like Socrates in this world, even with his less-than-desirable background. Thank you, Mr. Mosley, for sharing your talent with us. You are able to create, through your writing, complex relationships and to convey them expertly. I hope you continue to write, and I will continue to read your work.
Rating:
Summary: I'm a Fan of Walter Mosley's
Review: ...and his "Walkin' The Dog" sequel to "Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned" confirms it. Mr. Mosley does what seems to be lacking in other Afro-American writers: he is able to instantly add details to his story without giving you the feeling that you missed something. In "Walkin' The Dog," Mr. Mosley provides a deeper glimpse into Socrates Fortlow, to understand this seemingly violent character. Socrates thinks he has nothing to offer society because of his past incarceration, but he is a determined, hard-working man, and his profound insight makes those who know or meet him rethink their purpose in life. Socrates takes care of his neighborhood, seeing things that no one wants to see or what others choose to ignore. In the end, and although he certainly is not seeking acceptance from others, he attains a degree of respect, success, and friendship because of his attitude and convictions. If only there were more men like Socrates in this world, even with his less-than-desirable background. Thank you, Mr. Mosley, for sharing your talent with us. You are able to create, through your writing, complex relationships and to convey them expertly. I hope you continue to write, and I will continue to read your work.
Rating: 
Summary: A Moral Message
Review: A dozen linked episodes form the return of Socrates Fortlow, the 60ish ex-con who first appeared in Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. Of course, when the main character is named Socrates, you shouldn't be surprised when his story turns out to be a metaphor. Socrates is a man whose daily life is suffused with his past (he spent 27 years in jail for murdering two friends), and is engaged in a constant struggles break free of that past and try and live somewhat normally in the Watts ghetto he calls home. He's cautious and tentative about new opportunities and options before him, seeing traps and pitfalls in every deviation from his simple, spartan life. It's not difficult to see how Mosley is using Socrates to embody disenfranchised black men everywhere and give voice to their (and his) own inner conflicts as black men in contemporary society. Central to this is anger'a theme that pervades not only Socrates' life, but that of those around him. Throughout the book, Socrates bubbles with an undefined rage at his surroundings, and ultimately he must find some way to accommodate that rage without letting it consume him. Even so, the good side of Socrates is always plainly evident: he's a father figure to a young boy, cares for his two-legged dog, and saves the life of a drunk. That's not to say that he's a "good" person, because he has killed people, but he is a man that's trying to do good things with life despite his past and despite the turmoil within him. Through his interactions with a neighborhood discussion group (a somewhat clumsy device) and a self-styled revolutionary, Socrates comes to discover that he has a right to be angry, but it's how that anger is channeled that will decide his fate. This is played out in a rushed and melodramatic final story that fits thematically with the rest of the book, but is kind of jarring. Ultimately, the book's message is reasonably clear. Black men need to translate their anger into productive action and free themselves of the mental shackles that keep them from fulfilling their potential. For every person, this means something different, but even those who have committed the greatest sin can live a moral life. Which is not to say their aren't evil people in the world'or in their own community'but just because one lives in a ghetto doesn't mean the only solution is to leave. Rather, stay in the community and try and make it better'even though the man is trying to keep you down.
Rating:
Summary: Excllent storyline and street philosophy
Review: After residing as a guest of the State of Indiana for half of his life, sexagenarian Socrates Fortlow has gone straight for the past decade, living in Los Angeles. However, once convicted as a murderer-rapist, always convicted by the police. Any violent crime in the neighborhood means Socrates is one of the usual suspects. In his brave barren world, Socrates is becoming a champion of the underdog (human and canine), but has no idea where his new role will lead him. WALKIN' THE DOG is actually an interrelated short story collection that works because Walter Mosley makes each story show growth in Socrates. Nothing is sacred especially society's major social, political, and racial issues as the star of the book lives up to his more illustrious namesake with a street corner philosophy. Readers will enjoy this anthology and want to read the first Socrates story (see ALWAYS OUTNUMBERED, ALWAYS OUTGUNNED) as well as demand from Mr. Mosley a follow-up tale that shows what happens to the lead protagonist at the crosswalk of life. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: SOCRATES IS A MAN OF CONVICTION
Review: Always Outnumber Outgunned was my first experience with Socrates Fortlow. He is a man of conviction and loyalty. If he is your friend, he is your friend, if he does not like you, he will not deal with you and does not want anything from you. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we had more simplistic, but complex individuals to come into our life?
Socrates is still struggling with his freedom. True to form, Socrates takes in a two legged dog, like he took in the young man in the previous book. He knows that he cannot fix everybody, but he does what he can.
Walter Mosley is one of the best fiction writers of today, I like most of his Easy Rawlins series. Mosley gets it, he writes about what he knows and anytime I read his books, I am there. I grew up in the fifties, so I can hear the music, smell the fish frying, see the cars and clothing.
Mr. Mosley, please write another Socrates, and I would to see Walkin the Dog done on the big screen or HBO like your first Socrates book.
Keep the good work up. My grandson (19) is also a big fan, he likes Fearless.
Rating:
Summary: An Improvement on Excellence
Review: Even though I miss "Easy," Walter Mosley and his created hero, Socrates Fortlow, have made the wait bearable. I enjoyed this book as much and probably even more than the first. Very intelligently written, making the characters and environment very believable.
Rating: 
Summary: I was expecting more
Review: First let me say that I am a huge Mosley fan, and have read all the other books. And second, this is not a bad book. It might even be considered a decent book, coming from another writer. But coming from the author of "RL's Dream" and Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned, I found it lacking. One the things that Mosley does best is his characters. They are so well imagined that you come to know them. And as with anyone you know, there is a range of behaviors that you would expect from them. Every now and then they'll surprise you, but their actions will generally fall into a certain range that is their psychological makeup. In this book there are many times that Socrates' actions seem to come out of the clear blue. Mosley is using the character of Socrates to put forth certain ideas (how could you not with a name like that?) -- which is fine. But rather than show the development of the character, he gets carried away with the message and forgets to prepare the messenger. How do you go from talking about Socrates' "bone crushing hands" and overwhelming anger, to him acting like the second ML King Jr.? The book at times feels disjointed, with some parts not seeming to fit with the others. Overall Walkin' felt rushed, and has an ending that is straight out of television where every story has to have a neat little resolution, and every problem resolved in an hour.
Rating:
Summary: stunning, rich interior view of a man on and off the street
Review: For no good reason, I hadn't yet read Mosley's first Socrates Fortlow novel (the name even escapes me at the moment), although I was a fan of his detective stories starring Easy Rawlins and was intrigued by his more experimental RL's Dream. I picked up an advance copy of this book at the BEA (book expo) in LA last month and couldn't help but devour it, reading it between meetings, on the airplane home, and by my bedside till I'd digested it completely. It's beautifully written, like poetry, but also keenly observed. The language is precise and evocative, the relationships between people nuanced, the insights into our society today and some of its worst problems unflinching and redemptive without offering easy answers. I could say more but the point is that this book deserves to be a major bestseller and will inspire and enlighten everyone who reads it. My favorite writers working today are folks like DeLillo and Denis Johnson, but Mosley's novel is almost shockingly more relevant to my inner sense of how things really are.
Rating:
Summary: Another thoughtful, artful book from Mosley
Review: I bought this book when it was first released, but I shelved it until last week. This book was nothing short of magnificent. I enjoyed the first book in this series so much, I did not think the follow-up could match it. However, it matched it. Mosley is a genius with words, conversation, and storytelling. More than once I found a tear rolling down my cheek. Either at Socrates' courage, conviction, edification, or loss. Just as often, I found a chuckle in my throat. This is as good as good gets. Reading so compelling you can't help but turn the page. Thoughts so clear, you find yourself understanding them completely, immediately. Ideas and philosophies so sensible, you find yourself pausing in the middle of a page to contemplate the statement. If you like literature, you'll love this book. If you like Mosely, you'll love this book. If you liked the HBO movie of the first book, you'll love this book. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't love this book. Except maybe "W" Bush.
Rating: 
Summary: Tried to like it, but.....
Review: I read this book shortly after I read Devil in the Blue Dress. These are the only two Mosley books that I have read. First, let me say that I admire those novelists who do not stick to a formula of the same character, same type of plot, same type of result, etc., etc (e.g., Tom Clancy, & Patrick Robinson). However, that does not mean that Mosley will score big for every effort.
I very much enjoyed Devil in the Blue Dress, and I wanted to like Walkin' the Dog, but it didn't happen. The author presented a good study of the street language used by his main character and supporting characters. The first half of the book was able to easily keep my interest.
The problem was that the author never decided to make a novel out of his short stories. This resulted in story lines that disappeared and the regurgitating of previously expressed ideas so that I sometimes dreaded turning the next page. How many times did we need to know that Socrates (the main character) is a big, black, "bad man" who has done bad things in his past? Yes, he's big, I get it! He's black, I figured.... Also, months and years seemed to pass without notice or explanation.
The other problem is that the writer wanted to make Socrates a unique philosophical figure. His philosophical ideas, though, are hardly original, complex, or Socratic. The author also has the character use some misleading ideas of Afrocentrism to support his beliefs (e.g., that St. Augustine was black because he was from Africa. He was from the coastal area now known as Algiers, but that would not make him black as anyone familiar with Algiers would know). The latter is not a major problem, but by that time in the story, I was a little irritated by the flow of the book. In sum, I am pleased that Mosley sought a different type of story, at least he is trying to be a legitimate author. He just missed the mark with this book.
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