annethology
  • Home
    • About Annethology
    • About me >
      • A little more about me
    • About my books
    • Author talks
    • Contact me
    • Forthcoming events
    • World Mental Health Day
    • Privacy
    • Sign up for my newsletter
  • Sugar and Snails
    • Acknowledgements
    • Blog tour, Q&A's and feature articles >
      • Birthday blog tour
      • S&S on tour 2022
    • Early endorsements
    • Events >
      • Launch photos
      • Launch party videos
    • in pictures
    • Media
    • If you've read the book
    • Polari
    • Reading group questions
    • Reviews
    • In the media
  • Underneath
    • Endorsements and reviews
    • Launch party and events
    • Pictures
    • Questions for book groups
    • The stories underneath the novel
  • Matilda Windsor series
    • Matilda Windsor >
      • What readers say
      • For book groups
      • Interviews, articles and features
      • Matty on the move
      • Who were you in 1990?
      • Asylum lit
      • Matilda Windsor media
    • Stolen Summers >
      • Stolen Summers reviews
  • Short stories
    • Somebody’s Daughter
    • Becoming Someone (anthology) >
      • Becoming Someone (video readings)
      • Becoming Someone reviews
      • Becoming Someone online book chat
    • Print and downloads
    • Read it online
    • Quick reads
  • Free ebook
  • Annecdotal
    • Annecdotal blog
    • Annecdotal Press
    • Articles >
      • Print journalism
      • Where psychology meets fiction
    • Fictional therapists
    • Reading and reviews >
      • Reviews A to H
      • Reviews I to M
      • Reviews N to Z
      • Nonfiction
      • Themed quotes
      • Reading around the world
  • Shop
    • Inspired Quill (my publisher)
    • Bookshop.org (affiliate link)
    • Amazon UK
    • Amazon US
    • books2read

About the author and blogger ...

Anne Goodwin’s drive to understand what makes people tick led to a career in clinical psychology. That same curiosity now powers her fiction.
A prize-winning short-story writer, she has published three novels and a short story collection with small independent press, Inspired Quill. Her debut novel, Sugar and Snails, was shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize.
Away from her desk, Anne guides book-loving walkers through the Derbyshire landscape that inspired Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre.
Subscribers to her newsletter can download a free e-book of award-winning short stories.

TELL ME MORE

Woof, woof! Spill Simmer Falter Wither by Sara Baume & Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis

21/1/2016

8 Comments

 
Picture
The other week, as I was tramping across the soggy fields near my house, a woman stopped me and asked if I’d noticed a boxer on my travels. Although a big dog off the lead is as welcome to me as a rampaging lion, I managed to keep my voice and face sympathetic as she explained how her pet had darted out the front door. Apologies I can’t supply the ending of this real-life drama (memoir?), but I’m sharing to show I’m not a canine lover. I’ve steered away from doggy fiction since Waiting For Doggo, but, these two took my fancy, proving – as if I didn’t know – that, even narrated from the point of view of an earthworm, fiction is always about the human condition.
Picture
At (only) fifty-seven, Ray is no beam of sunshine. He feels old, but perhaps he’s more lonely, a burly social misfit who’s been kept apart his entire life. He’s so isolated, he buys photo frames for the pictures within them, the modelled family portraits most of us replace with our own. Motherless, he used to think it was the house itself that birthed him, the house by the sea where he’s lived alone since the death of his father a few years before.

Yet what he lacks in experience of the world, he makes up for in compassion and a rich interiority. When he sees an advert looking for a home for a one-eyed dog, misused and brutalised by badger baiting, he recognises a kindred spirit. But, while One Eye is perfect company at home, outside, with his tendency to attack other dogs, he’s trouble. Fearful at the best of times, Ray hasn’t the skills to negotiate with angry dog owners, and he can’t let the authorities take his friend away…

I did wonder (without coming to any conclusion), as I often do with
socially disabled characters, about whether his skills (such as the ability to drive – although this does get explained) were consistent with his limitations. And I felt furious with his father (although, reading between the lines, he was rather inadequate himself) keeping him from school. (Would that happen? Would the neighbours not alert social services, “even” in rural Ireland?) But our narrator is certainly an engaging character who also provides a glimpse into a dog’s mind through the use of the second person as a form of address, and through his dreams and the emphasis on smell. A beautifully written and poignant story about life on the margins of society: congratulations to Sara Baume and thanks to Windmill Books for my review copy.

Picture
Two gods walk into a bar … No, wait! Weird as this is going to sound, it isn’t a joke. Hermes and Apollo are contemplating humanity in the Wheat Sheaf pub in Toronto, when they agree to a bet: give animals human intelligence and they’ll end up as unhappy as humans. As the nearest animals on which they can bestow their dubious gift are the dogs being kennelled overnight at a veterinary clinic, these fifteen are the subjects of the Olympian experiment.

The dawning of doggy consciousness is both amusing and poignant. Rosie, a German shepherd, stops licking her vagina to wonder “what had happened to the last litter she’d whelped. It suddenly seemed grossly unfair that one should go through the trouble of having pups only to lose track of them” (p3). Atticus, a Neapolitan mastiff who becomes the bullying pack leader, is woken from his dream by the unprecedented thought that the squirrel whose neck he’s biting into must feel pain. But, led by the poodle, Majnoun, the fifteen manage to open their cages and step outside to freedom, although three are too overwhelmed to follow the pack to the lakeshore.

The novel follows the fates of all fifteen from this strange awakening to the point of death, as they explore the implications of the transformation. They develop language beyond the basics of “I will bite you”, which takes the mongrel Prince into the realms of poetry. But this is a thought too far for most of the dogs and a schism arrives in the group, with murder, mutilation or banishment for the more enlightened, while the rest regroup around a commitment to their inherent canine nature. Yet even these seem to be “performing dogginess”,
a false self concealing the creatures they’ve become. At the other extreme, Majnoun learns to understand and then speak English, forming a close bond with Nira, the woman who takes him in. Yet he never relinquishes his canine instincts; like the others, he continues to treasure hierarchy and the marvellous smells of “urine, fish and a thousand dirty socks”.

Fifteen Dogs is a highly original and engaging novel about the nature of society and of consciousness. It’s about dogs and humans and the interactions between them. After reading this novel, I can almost see the point of dogs – if you’re already a dog lover, you might enjoy it even more than I did. Thanks to Serpent’s Tail for my review copy.


Picture

Despite not being a dog person, I have two published short stories about our canine friends:
The Ruler in My Head and Shaggy Dog Story. If you’ve got any of competition standard, there’s just time to submit it for the Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Contest before it closes at the end of this month.

Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think. If you've enjoyed this post, you might like to sign up via the sidebar for regular email updates and/or my quarterly Newsletter.
8 Comments
Norah Colvin link
22/1/2016 06:59:04 am

Hi Anne, I think we have discussed our shared lack of affinity for these four-legged creatures before. You are a better woman than I for I don't think I would read either of these, though they both have some features that could be of interest. I had read, I think, The Ruler in My Head before. It seemed familiar. I like the idea of using a ruler to measure anger levels. I think being able to gauge one's own levels is a step towards managing them effectively. I used to see something similar being used with children at school. I thought I had read The Shaggy Dog Story too, but didn't recognise the introduction. When I attempted to purchase I did something wrong and it took me into my WP admin pages, so I might have to leave that one for another time when I'm a bit more clear-headed. Sorry.
It's great that you have publicised the contest. Are you responding to the flash challenge also?

Reply
Annecdotist
22/1/2016 09:27:26 am

Thanks, Norah. I'd read reviews of both of these novels before requesting them, and reckoned I'd find them interesting, despite the dogs. And I was right!
Thanks for following up the links to my short stories – sorry the paying one was a hassle, I've really mixed feelings about all the stories I've got on that site as I don't think they have brought me more readers as I'd hoped and I'm quite happy to give away my short fiction for free.
I really thought I'd pass on this week's challenge but I actually wrote it yesterday afternoon, along with the post to go with it, but hanging on to it till the weekend. Will enjoy what a fellow dog-unenthusiast will make of the prompt.

Reply
Derbhile Graham link
22/1/2016 08:51:56 am

Spill Simmer sounds intriguing, but it's one of the books I fear to read because of the hype that surrounds it. Fifteen Dogs sounds wonderfully inventive, turning ideas of human and animal consciousness on their head.

Reply
Annecdotist
22/1/2016 09:29:34 am

Know what you mean, Derbhile, sometimes the hype can be offputting. However, I think both of these are worth reading, but Fifteen Dogs is definitely the more inventive – a real triumph to produce something so quirky but not at all self-conscious.

Reply
Charli Mills
22/1/2016 07:47:25 pm

Forgive any typos or weird words...my not-so-smart phone makes responding a challenge. I think, like our ability to humanize even an earth worm, dog owners transpose human attributes on canines. I grew up in a culture that saw dogs and horses as working animals. I saw dogs and horses as companions and believe they have personalities and feelings. But a lot of that is projection; some might actually be
true. And therein lies the intrigue of exploring relationships between humans and dogs, and perhaps understanding ourselves better in the process. Both books would be ones I'll read but for different reasons. You might like my character in Miracle of Ducks, she is a dog unenthusiast! But you probably won't like the dogs, ha, ha. Good to read your Shaggy Dog story again, one of my favorites. Good for you having stories on a paid site. Hope that means you get paid! Thanks for posting the contest, too.

Reply
Annecdotist
23/1/2016 05:35:43 pm

I very much appreciate your making the effect on your not-so-smart phone, Charli, and I thought you’d like these novels. I heard an interesting radio programme about how we anthropomorphise not only animals, but objects as well, but that even young babies can make the distinction between that and humans. There was also an interesting thing about dogs’ posture and expression when they’re expecting to be punished, seemingly based not, as some believe, on knowing they’ve done wrong, but from the ability to read humans so well. But I know our relationships with animals can be very powerful and, even if based on projection, can be of immense value.
I like the idea of you creating a dog unenthusiast character – I really enjoy going against type. But when you see the flash I’m posting tomorrow it could be that my type is changing.
I’m honoured that you paid to read Shaggy, but also a little uncomfortable as I guess I have my stories there in the hope of attracting people who wouldn’t come via my blog (but maybe then I shouldn’t have posted the link). And yes, I think I get paid about half the cost of the story.

Reply
Sarah link
24/1/2016 06:02:36 pm

I don't not like dogs (huh?). I like animals. Possibly more than people. No. Definitely more. Anyway, I'm more a cat person. Love how you tied in these reviews to the prompt and the contest. Don't know how you do that each week. These both look interesting...the second so creative but the first is something I think I'd enjoy.

Reply
Annecdotist
25/1/2016 02:30:56 pm

Mm, maybe I’ll need to check whether it’s dogs I’m not keen on or their owners – but I’d have to make a lot of exceptions.
The coincidence here was sheer serendipity. I didn’t know Charli was going to give us a dog prompt when I scheduled these reviews, but I did think it was about time I flagged up the contest, so the reviews were a good opportunity.
Well, you know I like linking, but sometimes it’s a bit of a stretch to bring the various strands together. Very satisfying when I manage it – maybe something about a search for order and control!

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Free ebook: click the image to claim yours.
    Picture
    OUT NOW: The poignant prequel to Matilda Windsor Is Coming Home
    Picture
    Find a review
    Picture
    Fictional therapists
    Picture
    Picture
    About Anne Goodwin
    Picture
    My published books
    entertaining fiction about identity, mental health and social justice
    Picture
    My latest novel, published May 2021
    Picture
    My debut novel shortlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize
    Picture
    Picture
    My second novel published May 2017.
    Picture
    Short stories on the theme of identity published 2018
    Anne Goodwin's books on Goodreads
    Sugar and Snails Sugar and Snails
    reviews: 32
    ratings: 52 (avg rating 4.21)

    Underneath Underneath
    reviews: 24
    ratings: 60 (avg rating 3.17)

    Becoming Someone Becoming Someone
    reviews: 8
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.56)

    GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4 GUD: Greatest Uncommon Denominator, Issue 4
    reviews: 4
    ratings: 9 (avg rating 4.44)

    The Best of Fiction on the Web The Best of Fiction on the Web
    reviews: 3
    ratings: 3 (avg rating 4.67)

    2022 Reading Challenge

    2022 Reading Challenge
    Anne has read 2 books toward their goal of 100 books.
    hide
    2 of 100 (2%)
    view books
    Picture
    Annecdotal is where real life brushes up against the fictional.  
    Picture
    Annecdotist is the blogging persona of Anne Goodwin: 
    reader, writer,

    slug-slayer, tramper of moors, 
    recovering psychologist, 
    struggling soprano, 
    author of three fiction books.

    LATEST POSTS HERE
    I don't post to a schedule, but average  around ten reviews a month (see here for an alphabetical list), 
    some linked to a weekly flash fiction, plus posts on my WIPs and published books.  

    Your comments are welcome any time any where.

    Get new posts direct to your inbox ...

    Enter your email address:

    or click here …

    RSS Feed


    Picture

    Tweets by @Annecdotist
    Picture
    New short story, “My Dirty Weekend”
    Picture
    Let’s keep in touch – subscribe to my newsletter
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Popular posts

    • Compassion: something we all need
    • Do spoilers spoil?
    • How to create a convincing fictional therapist
    • Instructions for a novel
    • Looking at difference, embracing diversity
    • Never let me go: the dilemma of lending books
    • On loving, hating and writers’ block
      On Pop, Pirates and Plagiarism
    • READIN' for HER reviews
    • Relishing the cuts
    • The fast first draft
    • The tragedy of obedience
    • Writers and therapy: a love-hate relationship?

    Categories/Tags

    All
    Animals
    Annecdotist Hosts
    Annecdotist On Tour
    Articles
    Attachment Theory
    Author Interviews
    Becoming Someone
    Being A Writer
    Blogging
    Bodies
    Body
    Bookbirthday
    Books For Writers
    Bookshops
    CB Book Group
    Character
    Childhood
    Christmas
    Classics
    Climate Crisis
    Coming Of Age
    Counsellors Cafe
    Creative Writing Industry
    Creativity
    Cumbria
    Debut Novels
    Disability
    Editing
    Emotion
    Ethics
    Ethis
    Family
    Feedback And Critiques
    Fictional Psychologists & Therapists
    Food
    Friendship
    Futuristic
    Gender
    Genre
    Getting Published
    Giveaways
    Good Enough
    Grammar
    Gratitude
    Group/organisational Dynamics
    Hero’s Journey
    History
    Humour
    Identity
    Illness
    Independent Presses
    Institutions
    International Commemorative Day
    Jane Eyre
    Kidney Disease
    Language
    LGBTQ
    Libraries
    Live Events
    Lyrics For The Loved Ones
    Marketing
    Matilda Windsor
    Memoir
    Memory
    Mental Health
    Microfiction
    Motivation
    Music
    MW Prequel
    Names
    Narrative Voice
    Nature / Gardening
    Networking
    Newcastle
    Nonfiction
    Nottingham
    Novels
    Pandemic
    Peak District
    Perfect Match
    Poetry
    Point Of View
    Politics
    Politics Current Affairs
    Presentation
    Privacy
    Prizes
    Psychoanalytic Theory
    Psychology
    Psycholoists Write
    Psychotherapy
    Race
    Racism
    Rants
    Reading
    Real Vs Imaginary
    Religion
    Repetitive Strain Injury
    Research
    Reviewing
    Romance
    Satire
    Second Novels
    Settings
    Sex
    Shakespeare
    Short Stories General
    Short Stories My Published
    Short Stories Others'
    Siblings
    Snowflake
    Somebody's Daughter
    Stolen Summers
    Storytelling
    Structure
    Sugar And Snails
    Technology
    The
    The Guestlist
    Therapy
    TikTok
    TNTB
    Toiletday
    Tourism
    Toxic Positivity
    Transfiction
    Translation
    Trauma
    Unconscious
    Unconscious, The
    Underneath
    Voice Recognition Software
    War
    WaSBihC
    Weather
    Work
    Writing Process
    Writing Technique

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Picture
    BLOGGING COMMUNITIES
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from havens.michael34, romana klee, mrsdkrebs, Kyle Taylor, Dream It. Do It., adam & lucy, dluders, Joybot, Hammer51012, jorgempf, Sherif Salama, eyspahn, raniel diaz, E. E. Piphanies, scaredofbabies, Nomadic Lass, paulternate, Tony Fischer Photography, archer10 (Dennis), slightly everything, impbox, jonwick04, country_boy_shane, dok1, Out.of.Focus, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region, Elvert Barnes, guillenperez, Richard Perry, jamesnaruke, Juan Carlos Arniz Sanz, El Tuerto, kona99, maveric2003, !anaughty!, Patrick Denker, David Davies, hamilcar_south, idleformat, Dave Goodman, Sharon Mollerus, photosteve101, La Citta Vita, A Girl With Tea, striatic, carlosfpardo, Damork, Elvert Barnes, UNE Photos, jurvetson, quinn.anya, BChristensen93, Joelk75, ashesmonroe, albertogp123, >littleyiye<, mudgalbharat, Swami Stream, Dicemanic, lovelihood, anyjazz65, Tjeerd, albastrica mititica, jimmiehomeschoolmom