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A review by vexatiousbird
The Dogs: A Modern Bestiary by Rebecca Brown
5.0
I finished this less than an hour ago. I spent most of that time doing nothing but reflecting on what I'd just read, trying to comprehend more than I had already, going back and rereading passages, re-analysing. Yet I'm still unable to put into words the effect it's had upon me. It's an extraordinary piece. The line between reality and the narrator's delusions, or dreams, or simply symbolic retelling- it's done beautifully. The writing is at times poetic, at times harsh and relentless. It's entirely engaging and nearly impossible to put down.
Symbolism abounds. It's not a difficult read- in fact it's fairly fast- but it does request the reader's analysis. Some of the settings were quite easy to recognise, as in Red Riding Hood and Old Mother Hubbard. Others were, as the cover mentioned, more spiritual in origin. As I'm not highly educated in Christian ideas, or indeed less prominent Biblical stories, I found some of it harder to decipher. I saw glimpses of the Transfiguration, but mostly my interpretations were fairly abstract.
However, despite spiritual symbolism, I wouldn't describe it as overtly religious. You might think so from the Table of Contents, with chapters "illustrating" concepts like penitence, faith, prudence, and grace. Yet the interpretations of those are quite cryptic or even contrary at times, and the chapters never seem to preach ideals, or even offer them clearly to view. If they did, it was in a very cynical manner.
It's undeniably a dark read. Though it all seems to be taking place in the narrator's mind, there is significant violence. There are themes of enslavement, violation, and persecution. To fully place yourself in the narrator's shoes offers a terrifying ride. I found her fully sympathetic, and her journey overall highly emotional. Fortunately, though the end can't exactly be described as uplifting, there are enough moments of peace to offer respite from the more nightmarish scenes.
Symbolism abounds. It's not a difficult read- in fact it's fairly fast- but it does request the reader's analysis. Some of the settings were quite easy to recognise, as in Red Riding Hood and Old Mother Hubbard. Others were, as the cover mentioned, more spiritual in origin. As I'm not highly educated in Christian ideas, or indeed less prominent Biblical stories, I found some of it harder to decipher. I saw glimpses of the Transfiguration, but mostly my interpretations were fairly abstract.
However, despite spiritual symbolism, I wouldn't describe it as overtly religious. You might think so from the Table of Contents, with chapters "illustrating" concepts like penitence, faith, prudence, and grace. Yet the interpretations of those are quite cryptic or even contrary at times, and the chapters never seem to preach ideals, or even offer them clearly to view. If they did, it was in a very cynical manner.
It's undeniably a dark read. Though it all seems to be taking place in the narrator's mind, there is significant violence. There are themes of enslavement, violation, and persecution. To fully place yourself in the narrator's shoes offers a terrifying ride. I found her fully sympathetic, and her journey overall highly emotional. Fortunately, though the end can't exactly be described as uplifting, there are enough moments of peace to offer respite from the more nightmarish scenes.