Fluke - James Herbert

Which is better; the domestic cat or the domestic dog? This is a silly question and is like asking which you would prefer; a million pounds or being forced to endure another season of 'The X Factor'. One of the choices is a joy, the other an evil feline. The way I see it is how long it would take my pet to eat me if I died in the flat and left them with no food. My loyal pooch would begin by lying at my feet and pining for his master; perhaps choosing starvation rather than sully my corpse. A cat on the other hand would be nibbling on my cheeks faster than you can say, "self obsessed preen freak". Cat people like them for their independence and better ...  Read the complete review

When James Herbert released his novel "Fluke" it was something of a departure for an author whose previous work had been firmly rooted in the realms of horror fiction. Fluke, still retained a supernatural element of sorts, but was a much more mellow novel focusing upon a man who has been reincarnated as a dog and which posed a few interesting questions about reincarnation and spirituality in general. Of course, it never actually did any exploration of those areas itself, but Herbert hinted at the question and got on with the business of spinning a good yarn, which is what he is best at. Anyway, if you want to read a book review there's plenty of them here ...  Read the complete review

I am a great fan of books written by James Herbert having read in the past every book I could lay my hands on. Fluke was a great suprise and a change from a lot of his work I had read in the past. Fluke is a pup that is born on a hot day,his owners called him fluke, because it was a fluke that he was even born. From the time he opened his eyes he knew he was different, he didn't know how he knew he just did. The food was different, the smells were different, what or how he didn't know. He had entered a world that seemed strange. His voice said *bark* his brain said, well he didn't know really, it just didn't seem right. ...  Read the complete review

I read this one years ago and haven’t had the opportunity (or inclination if truth be know) to read it again so my memory of the book is probably too jaded to give a real overview. Basically though it is a story of a dog that isn’t a dog, or at least it doesn’t think it’s a dog even though it is ….. confused ? Although its not a complicated plot (despite the above sentence) you do have to try and put yourself in the position of a man who isn’t a man but is a dog who doesn’t realise he’s a man although he has man thoughts … NOW your confused !! I’ll try and explain a bit more, the outline of the ...  Read the complete review

Most people think that James Herbert writes Horror stories to the exclusion of all else, well this is almost true, but if you get the chance try reading Fluke. This is a story about reincarnation, not in a religious sense, but in an everyday sort of way. Fluke is a dog who from the moment of his birth thinks he is a man, at first his memory of his past life is very hazy, but gradually, he begins to realise that he has a mission,to get revenge on his old business partner who he thinks is responsible for his demise. Along the way he meets up with lots of interesting characters, and quite a few dangerous ones,(none more so than the apparently sweet old ...  Read the complete review