Rating: 
Summary: A Beautifully Written and Emotional Novel
Review: Those of us who live with animals, like cats or dogs, often share simple but reliable methods of communication with them. We know when they are happy, scared, hungry, angry, or want to play. We may talk to them in our language and think they are talking back to us, but we know we can never really share language with them. Legends of talking dogs and horses abound but seem silly, like the punchlines of jokes, or just plain impossible. But in Carolyn Parkhurst's novel, THE DOGS OF BABEL, the idea of talking dogs is deadly serious.Paul Iverson's wife died mysteriously, falling from the apple tree in their backyard. The police and medical examiner rule it an accident, but Paul finds some troubling evidence that makes him doubt the conclusion. He feels that his only hope in uncovering the truth of his wife Lexy's last day is their dog Lorelei, who was the only witness to the fall. With this sad and interesting premise, Parkhurst shares with the reader Paul's emotional first year without Lexy. And Paul's search for the truth about her death takes him in frightening directions. THE DOGS OF BABEL is not a mystery; Paul is not searching for a murderer, only the truth about Lexy and her state of mind on the day she died. A linguist by profession, Paul begins to obsess over the idea that if only Lorelei could somehow share language with him, she could tell him what really happened. He takes a sabbatical from his university position and devotes himself to teaching Lorelei to talk. This desire to learn what Lorelei knows about Lexy's death takes Paul, and the novel, in a bizarre and tense direction as he encounters a group of dog abusers and mutilators, and risks Lorelei's safety. Confronted with the impossibility of getting Lorelei to speak, Paul realizes he must go elsewhere for the answers he is seeking. So he searches his memory and finds a sadness and fear in Lexy that he never clearly saw while she was alive. This beautifully written novel swings back and forth between the present --- Paul's fixation on not only trying to teach Lorelei to speak but on his attempts to uncover other aspects of Lexy's last days, such as her call to a television psychic and why she rearranged the books on their bookshelves --- and the past, Paul's memories of his years with Lexy in courtship and marriage. But even through the veil of heartbreak, Paul begins to put together the pieces he needs to understand Lexy and the way she died. Lexy, who made her living creating beautiful and one-of-a-kind masks, often hid behind her own creations. For Paul, it becomes essential to strip away Lexy's mask and thus come to terms with her sudden and tragic death. Masks, talking dogs, square eggs, animal abuse, grief and memory, psychics, marathon dates, death and love: Parkhurst daringly attempts to fit the entirety of Paul's life into less than 300 pages. Part fairy tale and part horror story, Parkhurst captures the sorrow and desperation of both Paul and Lexy. An imperfect but inventive novel, THE DOGS OF BABEL is an emotional and frustrating tale of both the romance and heartbreak of one marriage. Readers willing to indulge Parkhurst just a little as she struggles to fit many ideas and themes into one short novel will find a surprising and original story that, like Paul Iverson, is both naïve and wise. --- Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman
Rating: 
Summary: Only Mediocre
Review: The first one hundred pages were wonderful. I really enjoyed the authors writing style. I was so into it that I actually forgot that this was fiction. I was very disturbed by the discription of the Cerebus Society, the treatment of the animals, the description of Dog J, and what happens with Loreli. I felt that took away from my enjoyment of the book. This is a book that has a good concept, starts out well, but make a wrong turn in the middle that causes me to not enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: Moving story, very fast read
Review: Being a busy working mom, I haven't had the time or focus to read a book in over a year, something I've missed. This story was touching and captivating. It drew me in and I could not put it down - I read it in about 4 hours I was so caught up in the story. A+ on the story and on getting me to finally read a book!
Rating:
Summary: Haunting page turner.
Review: The Dogs of Babel is one of the most emotionally riveting books in recent memory. Don't be put off by the quirky pretense of the talking dog; this book is about never really knowing someone despite believing the opposite. A difficult read in terms of gut wrenching content but well worth the angst. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting premise falls short in execution
Review: This book held my attention until around page 100. Until then, it was an intersting, somewhat plausible story, but once it got into talking dogs and the experiments on them, I thought, "This is too ridiculous!" It wasn't the concept so much as its execution. I almost gave up, but plodded through the next 30 pages or so, and then finished it because I wanted to see how it came out. This book got a lot of hype (which is why I got it), but I don't know why. It's mediocre, though a quick read. I did like how Parkhurst went back and forth, one chapter in the present, the next chapter in the past, and so on.
Rating: 
Summary: Dog Lovers Delight
Review: This book is what I call a "quick" read. However, I just couldn't get into the plot which involves a grieving widow trying to teach his dog to talk! The relationship between the dog and the owner is very sweet, but I found myself not really caring about what happenes in the story - with the dog or the sad main character. Maybe if you have a dog that is your pride and joy, you will enjoy this first novel of Parkhurst's, but for me it was on the silly side.
Rating:
Summary: achingly brilliant!!
Review: this is a fantasticly eerie book that will get under your skin and rumble around a bit. the story itches with suspense and sadness, at the same time. furthermore, parkhurst's writing is chock full of allusions, from the narrator's wife's name (Lexy) to Lorelei, the charming canine. this book is intelligent, entertaining, and thought provoking. i highly recommend it, especially if you have a weekend to spare. you won't be able to put it down.
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: Oh, please
Review: Maximum concept and maximum buzz leads to big sales but mediocre novel. While the premise of getting a dog witness to testify is intriguing, the preciousness of the characters perplexing personalities and the terminal cuteness of Lexy make this a really annoying read. What were the reviewers thinking???
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing but good
Review: We actually listened to this book on CD as we drove across the country a few weeks ago, and I guess you could say we enjoyed it. I confess to hating the characters. But if I think past the characters, this is a tragic, heartbreaking story. The grief and loss he feels is so profound, and you, as the reader, can really feel that in his actions and his memories. I would not want to read it again however. But worth reading the first time.
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