Red Dog

Rating:
Summary: absolutely delightful
Review: a beautifully written tale of an exceptional resident of Western Australia. Mr. Bernières captivates his readers as deeply as the Red dog captivates all of the characters. I have this goofy smile that appears on my face whenever I think of Red dog.

Rating:
Summary: Read Red Dog
Review: I loved this book, it was short, like Red Dog's life, it was compact and full of adventure. It described a landscape that is unknown to most people and on the whole was sympathetic to Australia and Australians - without being patronising at all - a rare thing indeed.

It echoes 'The Call of the Wild' and yet is clearly of another time and place.

It would make a wonderful present to someone who does not read many books, especially men who say that they do not like fiction, becuase it contains themes of love and fidelity and life long friendship that the best books explore while still being a story about a dog!

It would also be wonderful read aloud to young children.

Rating:
Summary: A canine social commentary
Review: If this author didn't have a bestseller or five already under his belt, I'd like to have heard him try and pitch this book to a publisher- "Well, it's a collection of true stories about a flatulent red dog in Western Australia, and, along the way, we all learn something about human nature, the immigrant experience and the incipient stirrings of a new culture in the Southern hemisphere." Luckily, Louis DeBernieres has enough money to do whatever he pleases these days and as a result we have this book of mythic vignettes from the life of one `Red Dog'.

Written in a style and vocabulary that wouldn't challenge your average 12-year-old, Red Dog relates stories as told to the author by people who actually knew the titular beastie. The Aussie dialect jumps off the page like a colourful episode of Neighbours as swagmen, kookaburras and `strewthing' all put in regular appearances and bring the warmly described characters to life.

It won't take you more than a couple of hours to read the whole book, but even so, I'd recommend reading it a chapter at a time over several days as its effects are subtle and you'll be sorry you finished it so quickly. I can't think of another book that covers this kind of ground so well.

Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: Louis De Bernieres has written some marvelous literature. "Red Dog", is a wonderful true story about a dog that befriended a good portion of Australia, and has been memorialized with a bronze statue as well as other books. Faithful readers of this author will likely be disappointed if they expect another sweeping novel. This short story does not appear to have been planned, as it unfolds with crisp episodes in the remarkable life of this canine. It is extremely unusual in that the book has been illustrated with what appear to be etchings. Illustration has sadly become the domain of primarily very expensive, limited edition, small press books.

This is not a child's book, perhaps for young readers in Junior High, but not for young children. This is a book about adults and how a remarkably charismatic canine changed their lives. This is not a fairly tale, it includes the realities of very trying circumstances and the people who pioneer the way in this extremely difficult environment. When it gets hot in the USA warnings suggest certain groups stay indoors. When it gets hot down under, warnings are issued for gas tanks that are prone to explode when exposed to the sun!

I think it is great that an author who has established himself as an accomplished literary writer would have the courage to step well away from what has worked for him repeatedly. I was reminded of some of John Steinbeck's work that centered around animals, both his own and fictional. If John Steinbeck can make the change I believe it is safe for other accomplished authors to explore unfamiliar genres, and they do not deserve to be punished for doing so. This is especially the case when the results are so worthwhile. I was going to give this 4 stars but I stepped it up to 5. The book was punished and I wanted to even out what is a brief but entering read.

Rating:
Summary: Love this book
Review: Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres is an absolute gem. I have come to the conclusion that in the big picture of our existence as humans the only thing that means anything is our capacity to love and how we treat each other. We are living in a difficult time of unspeakable human cruelty and greed. This book reminds me that not all humans are horrible, some actually "get it" and that we are indeed lucky when we can share our lives with dogs and other animals. They teach goodness by example, something we humans should take more notice of. I recommend this book highly; keep a box of tissues nearby.

Rating:
Summary: A Red Dog's Tale
Review: Red Dog is the new novella by Louis de Bernieres, one of Britain's best contemporary writers, and represents an exciting new departure in his fiction.
In this beautiful book, Louis de Bernieres celebrates the life of a real Red Dog that lived in Western Australia during the 1970s.
It conveys a real sense of this marvellous dog's character, who was a real people's friend and was widely known and loved in Western Australia, where it got into all sorts of amusing scrapes during its lifetime.

This book, which is a novella rather than a novel due to its shortness, stands out from the rest of Louis de Bernieres work as different: it does not have the serious political undertones of earlier novels such as Captain Corelli's Mandolin, the bestseller that made Louis de Bernieres literary name; it is, however, tragicomic like his first three books, because of its ending; but, it is far more positive - a celebration of a dog's life rather than a political critique.
It therefore represents a break with the past for Louis de Bernieres.
This funny and entertaining dog's tale gets my thumbs up!
(It also has some marvellous illustations by Alan Baker).

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful story, beautifully told
Review: This book has it all - tears, laughter, romance. I fell in love with Red Dog. Even though the language is simple, and the story short, this is not just a children's book as someone suggested.

Anyone that has ever had a loved pet, or been friends with a dog will enjoy this beautiful story.

Rating:
Summary: A book that you simply can't put down!!
Review: This book is brilliant. I read it for our regular book discussion group and think it is the best book I have read for a long time.

Red Dog is a great character, and is just how you imagine a great dog should be. The stories are amazing, and make you want a dog just like him.

It is sad in parts, but that shows how good the book is; that it makes you cry as well as laugh.

I wish Louis de Bernieres had written more like this. I will just have to settle for reading Red Dog again.....and again.....and again!!!...

Rating:
Summary: Red Dog -Louis de Bernieres
Review: This is bound to become a classic, like "The Snow Goose". De Berniere has captured a disappearing Australia - frontier Western Australia in the not-too distant past.

Like many good novels in the last decade ("Dirt Music","Cloud Street" "The Shark Net"), it is set in Western Australia. It is a story for all ages, told in simple, unfussy narrative. It does not idealise the dog, its friends or enemies. I am suprised that it has been dismissed by some as a "children's book". I cannot imagine why.

Any dog lover would be delighted by this novella.

I just hope it's not made into a film. It's a narrative that can only live on the page.

It can be read in a few hours, but its effect will last for years.

John MacKay, Sydney Australia

Rating:
Summary: Red Dog - down, boy!
Review: This poor lassie clone has been constantly praised because of its author. Well, it's time I threw a bone into the works...

Don't wish to be cynical but this is Robert Redford-in-The-Horse-Whisperer or Kevin Costner-in-The-Postman territory. You really have to hold back the barf. The people are all way too PC and the Australianisms are as stereotypical as it gets (Good-day, mate! Strewth, is that a kangaroo a-hoppin on me Barbecue? Where's Rolf Harris when ya need 'im? etc) It takes a dedicated mind to write a book like this without being insincere and sentimental - take The Old Man and the Sea as a benchmark. Red Dog fails - it is simply not powerful or moving and that's unfortunately what it should be. de Bernieres will always have my respect, but not for this book. Buy Captain Correlli's instead and save yourself the bother. Don't worry, though, my BARK is worse than my BITE!!!

[If anyone wants to consider me for stand-up comedy, give me a ring on 01223345567...I know loads more dog-related jokes]