One hot dog! (Red Dog - Louis De Bernieres)

Member Name: kirstymack80

Product:	Red Dog - Louis De Bernieres
Date:	25/08/05 (151 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: 119 pages

Disadvantages: 119 pages

Red Dog is a lesser known book by Louis De Bernieres, who wrote the famous ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ which was turned into a film. I first saw the book 'Red Dog' towards the end of 2002, which made it perfect as a birthday present for me! As my big day is in December, I have to wait all year for all my presents (boo) but in this instance I was happy to put it on my wish list! Plus the fact it was £5.99 for a very slim book made me want to receive it rather than buy it! OK, yes I’m a meanie!

It really appealed to me as it was set in Australia, a place very close to my heart as my best friend lives there. I usually visit her once a year and thought I would read the book there, to fully appreciate it. I read it in a matter of days.

It’s based on a true story of when the author went to Perth in 1998 to attend a literary dinner. He came upon a bronze statue of a dog and it interested him enough to return to Western Australia a few months later and travel around gathering stories about ‘Red Dog’.

He finds out Red Dog is a loner, he travels from town to town relying on the help of strangers who take pity on him. He’s smelly and scavenges for food when no one is around. The townspeople take delight in seeing what they can pass off as food to Red Dog – paper bags, used tissues and socks being among them – hey, Red’s not fussy and will eat anything!

He’s taken in by Jack and Maureen Collins who name the dog Tally Ho. But eventually they move 350 kms away and while en route the dog leaves nasty smells in the car, and they reluctantly leave him in the middle of nowhere, unable to stand the stench any longer! However, when they get to their destination, the dog is waiting for them, covered in dust! Ahhh!

Red Dog is a one off. This book is all about his adventures, how he meets different people and travels along with them, only to lose interest and wonder off on another journey. Red Dog even matchmakes when his latest owner, John, makes friends with Nancy, one of the few ladies in town. Nancy and Red Dog fight over a seat on the bus, both refusing to budge! John and Nancy then get talking.

In amongst his adventures, the Australian countryside is explored, the scorching heat, wild animals, the small towns and the local people excellently described. To make this book more interesting and a little different, there are sketches of animals and landscapes in red and black colours which really help the reader imagine what it’s like. Plus at the back of the book there’s a glossary of Australianisms which comes in useful if you’re not familiar with some of their sayings, such as akubra (hat), daggy (revolting) and emu (eh?)! However, I had learned a few Aussie sayings from the wonder of the television (Neighbours!) and of course my pal so didn’t need to refer to the glossary too much!

However, in amongst the funny moments of this book lies tragedy. As this is partly a true story, it’s sad. So be prepared!

The book is told in two halves, all of Red’s adventures and the people he meets vividly explored. This is a very easy book to read, the pictures making you flick through the pages just that little bit faster. I think it could easily be read in a couple of days, if not in a single sitting. I can’t really tell you too much more as it’s only just over 100 pages and really every chapter is different, concentrating on who Red decides to hook up with in each town!

If you’re looking for the book, the cover is orange and red hues with various pictures of the dog running in different colours of brown and bronze. Think Australian Outback!

* My thoughts *

I didn’t want this book to end, I loved reading about the places Red Dog visited and how he didn’t want to be tied to one owner, and yet always remained loyal to the people who looked after him. He made friends wherever he went and that’s what makes this book so likeable. All the characters seem ‘real’ even though the only one based on a true person was John. So little is known about Red that the author had to invent them!

So, do I recommend this? Oh yes, definitely! I really enjoyed 'Captain Corelli’s Mandolin' but this book is completely different. For any dog lovers out there, this is a must, but if, like me, you just like a feel good type of story, then you’ll like it too!

* Other info *

Publisher: Vintage (UK)
Year: 2002
ISBN 0099429047

£5.49 delivered play.com

5 stars, most enjoyable.

Red Dog – he’s whiffy, he’s tough, he’s Aussie. He’s your best friend.

Thanks for reading!

Summary: This dog's red hot!