Teaching Your Dog to Speak

“The Dogs of Babel” by Carolyn Parkhurst

I usually steer clear of best selling books, although I have read and much liked “Cold Mountain” and “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, both best-sellers of their time. Also I’m a huge admirer of Anne Tyler and read all her books, even though her novels sell like hot cakes.

“The Dogs of Babel” received very positive reviews and was a best-seller. The book has been out for six years, but in the next few months there will be renewed interest in the book, because it is being made into a major movie.

The story is about a married couple, Paul and Lexy, and their dog Lorelei. Since Lexy dies in the first sentence of the book, much of the book is told in flashbacks. Only Lorelei witnessed the death of Lexy, and an early plot line is Paul’s efforts to teach the dog Lorelei to speak, so Paul can figure out what happened to Lexy.

One of the many nice things about this book is the originality of its plot. I’ve never encountered any story remotely similar to this story. Many of us can identify with the idea of pets being always around, seeing everything that goes on, but not being able to talk about it in any way.

The story is told in the first person in the voice of the husband, Paul. It is always a difficult task for a novelist to create a believable narrator of the opposite sex, and Parkhurst pulls it off quite well. I did feel that Paul was perhaps a little too idealized, but for the most part believable.

One of the real strengths of Carolyn Parkhurst as a novelist is that she tells the story simply and directly, and her style does not get in the way of the speeding plot. This is quite an accomplishment for a first-time novelist. I can easily see why this novel was selected for a movie treatment, because the plot is striking and the scenes vivid. It is also a very emotional story. And who can resist a lovable dog?

For a reader like me who reads literature for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the book was perhaps a bit too simplistic, but overall I enjoyed it very much and will never forget the plot.

• AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Joe Lieberman ...