Rating: 
Summary: Worth the read
Review: I just recently finished this book and can say with much sincerety that Adams has created a wonderful piece of work in "The Plague Dogs." It's true that some of the dialogue is especially tough to get through especially being an American reader, but after a while I found myself going through it with a fair amount of ease once I was finally used to it. The best part of this book by far has to be the characters of Rowf and Snitter whom I found tremendously more interesting than any of the human characters. Their struggles and perception of the reality around them is quite remarkable. As far as how the message was presented I thought it was done quite fairly on both sides of the issue of animal experimentation. Finally, there's the ending which made the entire book worth the read.
Rating: 
Summary: If you liked The Plague Dogs...
Review: Might I suggest a new novel inspired by Mr. Adams' titled "Buddy & the Jack?" Let me preface this by saying that I am an admirer of Richard Adams and this novel is my tribute to his writing.
The story takes place in the fictional community of Mt. Canaan, Pennsylvania, a sleepy Victorian hamlet and tourist detour. Straddling the border between the hard coal regions and the Pocono Mountains, the timeless appeal of Mt. Canaan's cobblestone streets and quaint shops provide a welcome respite from the manufactured kitsch of the Pocono resorts.
Visitors to the town marveled at its history and Old World charm, until the day the feral dogs appeared. Now the streets just don't seem safe for man -- or beast -- certainly not for a blind dog.
Buddy is blind. A violent encounter with a madman left him that way. Stumbling about the lightless corridors in his own head, the stray mongrel led a bleak existence -- until a chance meeting with the Jack.
The Jack, a young scrappy Jack Russell terrier, takes an instant liking to Buddy and becomes the mongrel's own "seeing-eye dog." Together, they embark on a perilous journey in search of a place where they can live in peace.
And when Buddy's captured by animal control officers and slated to be euthanized, The Jack single handedly takes on the vicious feral pack and their seemingly supernatural alpha male. But he soon learns the real enemy may be man himself.
From the desolate coal fields of rural Pennsylvania to the provincial streets of Mt. Canaan, Buddy & the Jack is a sweeping tale of adventure, friendship, and the most unlikely of heroes.<
Rating:
Summary: Worth the Time to Read
Review: Being a fan of Watership Down I thought I would continue reading the rest of Richard Adams' books, and I find this one to be just as good as the rest. The basic plot of the story is two dogs escape from an animal experimentation lab in England and roam about the countryside, struggling to live and literally dying to find a new master to live with. They encounter one obstacle after another, whether it be hunger, the weather, or other humans, who believe the dogs are carrying bubonic plague after a young news reporter tries to stir up all of England. The story is full of Adams' views on animal experimentation, politics, and human behavior, yet it does not preach.
Readers new to Richard Adams should probably start out with Watership Down before reading this book; this way you get a better sense of his style and prose. The dialect can be extremely tough at times, and because of some of the descriptions and themes involved should probably only be read by a mature reader. I will also say that there isn't a whole lot of action to it; however, you get attached to these dogs as if they were your own pets. The author develops solid, intriguing characters and a great setting. It is definetley worth the time to read, and you'll jump to your feet at the end.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: This is a good read. I read this shortly after reading "Watership Down," and was thoroughly pleased. The story takes place on two fronts: the animal and the human. These two points of view are weaved together nearly perferctly, creating a story that left me desperate to finish.My only complaint - and this is why I rate it four stars instead of five - is that the story wanes in the last twenty pages or so. A dialogue between two humans seems more like a lecture on the evils of animal testing, and is directed at the reader rather than resmbling a realistic conversation (though I enjoyed the brief allusion to "Watership Down" in there). Also, I felt that the ending was artificial; whereas this book could have had a very moving, tragic ending, it left off on a high note, which is surely desireable, yet makes this novel somewhat forgettable. Yet even so, I recommend this to everyone. It is adventurous, it is masterfully poetic, and, though it does not surpass "Watership Down," should be considered a remarkable achievement.
Rating:
Summary: If you love dogs...
Review: Another wonderful tale by the late Richard Adams. If you love dogs this is the one for you! It takes a bit of an effort to get started & to get used to the awkward language but in no time you're off to the races. This story could have gone on for another 100+ pages. I dare you not to cry at the end!
Rating:
Summary: A statement against animal experimentation...
Review: ...and, so what? Unlike other reviewers who seem to have a problem with the fact that Adams did NOT hide his bias against - one would be tempted to say hatred towards - animal experimentation, and those who conduct such experiments, I believe he should be proud for standing up and giving a voice to those who have no voice of their own. It is not a "false premise" that animal testing and experimentation is wrong - it is an opinion, and a valid opinion that many people share. Remember that most of the experiments described in the book were not being performed in order to find cures for horrible diseases - they were being performed just to see what would happen in someone sprayed hairspray in their eyes; or to see how many cigarettes might cause lung disease; or to see how animals respond to psychological conditioning. I have no way personally of knowing whether the specific experiments described have even been done in real life (though, based on those I DO know about, I would not be surprised). The point is that Adams is trying to demonstrate the sanctity of life - ALL life - and the sin of wasting a life. The dialect can get somewhat difficult, but, as another reviewer suggested, reading it quickly, sometimes aloud, helps. The descriptions of the terrain the dogs travel is wonderful - it makes me want to see it in person. And all of the characters are expertly drawn, especially the two dogs and the tod (but also Digby Driver, Mr. Boycott, and Mr. Powell). There may be a tad too much background information given on a couple of the characters, but not enough to bump this from five stars to four. This is a must for animal lovers, but have a hankie ready!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant--with a wonderfully constructed ending
Review: "The Plague Dogs" isn't nearly as accessible as "Watership Down" & it's not a children's book. Don't start reading Adams with this book--start with "Watership Down." ... Some of the dialect (especially that of the Tod) will be very difficult for American readers (though it was slightly toned down for American editions) & it's perhaps hard to follow if you've never heard the real thing, but even it is brilliant. I have heard the real thing & Adams captures it perfectly. It works best if you read it quickly. ... Adams does some wonderful experimentation with the writing in the book, experimentation that draws on a vast literary heritage & demonstrates very wide reading, experimentation that is itself a tribute to his literary forefathers. ... The characters, especially the canine ones, are very well-drawn (I'm tempted to call my next dog Rowf). ... Good plot twists, evocative geographical description, a singularly haunting passage about a ghost, great description of snow. ... The animal experimentation theme is very well done, not overstated (all of the experiments Adams described were real) & while it's obvious where Adams stands, he has the guts to balance the debate with an unexpected portrait of a dying child. ... The true brilliance of this book lies in the ending, which is just an absolute work of art, drawing together narrative strings, switching narrative styles, switching points of view, speeding up & slowing down (& even incorporating the author's tribute to his own friends without becoming excessively idiosyncratic) until it becomes positively lyrical. The book is worth it for the ending alone ... & Adams is a master of making the incredible credible so we willingly suspend disbelief ... maybe because Rowf & Snitter are so well portrayed we sorely want them to live. Not an easy read, but SO good.
Rating: 
Summary: Too tedious for me
Review: I really hate writing bad reviews, but I review what I'm reading, and this book was hard to keep up to my eyes. I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for something really dramatic and exciting to happen, but I'm getting nothing but internal conflicts in the characters. Yeah, ever once in a while there is a tiny bit of action, but lasts for only a few seconds and then dies totally, and nothing happens again for 100 pages. To tell the truth, I'm on "FIT 10" (the very long chapter). I'll very much intend to finish this book, only because Mr. Adams really is getting me to think these dogs aren't going to make it. So I'll finish it to see if the dogs live or die. Like everyone is saying, this is a hard book to read. It's very confusing and uses lots of big words and bad words and such and such. I started reading this book because I am a huge fan of Watership Down and I wanted to see what other things Adams wrote. Oh well.
Rating: 
Summary: I found this book unreadable
Review: I will be honest. I did not finish reading this book. In fact I stopped reading it only about fifty pages into the novel for a few reasons, which I will explain. But first I would like to say that I have read numerous novels of the 1000+ pages range, some very slow moving (It by Stephen King, Les Miserables, the works of Robert Jordan, War and Peace) so normally I finish what I start. I did not with this novel and I will explain why: First it did move very slow. Normally I am willing to forgive this in a novel, but this one did not get a second chance from me. By moving slow I mean it didn't grasp me. Sometimes there can be a lot happening but I need to care about the characters. Second was the feeling that this was some sort of political crusade for Richard Adams. I felt from the outset of reading this novel that he was trying to show to us the evils of medical testing. I don't mind a purpose if it is hidden well or fits with the work (such as the Chronicles of Narnia, even Jean Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear) but this was in your face. There might be scientists who drown dogs or cut apart their brains just to see what happens but I have trouble believing it. It is also a cause I get less motivated about then world hunger. Thirdly was the dialogue between the characters, the fox especially was difficult to grasp. I understand that Adams wanted us to be able to see the dialogue but to an American reader it was practically incomprehensible. Fourth is a description of a dog crawling through a pipe. I will not quote the description because that description is going to stay with me, most unfortunately until the end of my days and I do not want to inflict it upon an unassuming person [....] Suffice to say the descritption caused me to throw down the book in disgust and never pick it up again. It was only a sentence long too! In the end, I cannot find anything that I reccomend about this book. This is one of the very few novels I can think of that I would only give one star.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful and heart-wrenching
Review: Reading through past reviews, one person mentioned that it is a one sided story to make the lab scientists look bad. And yes it was to make them look bad. The scientists in this story were not trying to cure cancer or aids. They were not trying to save babies from getting Downs Syndrome...they were doing expermentations SOLELY to see "gee, if I do this, what will their reaction be?...Let's drop a dog in a pool and see how long it will swim before it drowns, then we'll give it CPR and do it again tomorrow...He lasted a whole extra minute today then yesterday...Let's open this dogs brain up and move it around a bit, see what happens..." THESE are the scientists the story was geared at. And if they were real scientists, they would have told the public, they were doing these experments on them for whatever reason they had. Instead they tell the public the animals carry a plague and to stay away, so as the people not find out the truth. For anyone to see this as bad mouthing the scientists who are trying to cure a disease, then you obviously weren't reading this story. (which on a personal stand-point, I can't see how a rat has the same genetic sequances as us that we can use them to cure our diseases. Prob lost more cures because it killed the rat, might not have killed us)...I say take the sickos in jail like Susan Smith and put tobacco in her eyes :)
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