Fifteen Dogs
Ratings28
Average rating3.9
— I wonder, said Hermes, what it would be like if animals had human intelligence.
— I'll wager a year's servitude, answered Apollo, that animals – any animal you like – would be even more unhappy than humans are, if they were given human intelligence.
And so it begins: a bet between the gods Hermes and Apollo leads them to grant human consciousness and language to a group of dogs overnighting at a Toronto veterinary clinic. Suddenly capable of more complex thought, the pack is torn between those who resist the new ways of thinking, preferring the old 'dog' ways, and those who embrace the change. The gods watch from above as the dogs venture into their newly unfamiliar world, as they become divided among themselves, as each struggles with new thoughts and feelings. Wily Benjy moves from home to home, Prince becomes a poet, and Majnoun forges a relationship with a kind couple that stops even the Fates in their tracks.
André Alexis's contemporary take on the apologue offers an utterly compelling and affecting look at the beauty and perils of human consciousness. By turns meditative and devastating, charming and strange, Fifteen Dogs shows you can teach an old genre new tricks.
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What a delightful book! To me, it read like a mixture of a fable and a Moacyr Scliar novel. Not at all what I was expecting, but still a great read; one of the best of the year, for sure.
It sure helped that I love both dogs and Greek gods.
It also helped that Majnoun was a black poodle.
Two drunk Gods decided to make a bet, give dogs the intelligence of humans and see if they can find happiness. What happens is some turn on each other violently, some are selfish and cunning. One dog Prince becomes a poet and some of them are threaten by him. Majnoun after being attacked by some of the pack, is taken by a couple and has a deep relationship with Nira, the human who took care of him. All trough this book, we learn what happens to the 15 dogs and discover if they truly are happy. A brilliant book that makes you think.
I don't remember the last time I was so deeply moved by a book. Maybe it's because I have and love dogs. I finished the book on the train and had to hide the tears streaming down my face. It's poignant. Tragic. Joyous. Profound.
Bonus:listen to the audiobook. There's a moment at the end where the reader chokes up and apologizes. I'm not sure why the engineer didn't edit that out, but I loved it.
