Book Review – RED DOG by Louis de Bernieres
Wednesday, January 4th, 2012
Red Dog Synopsis
Red Dog is a West Australian, a lovable friendly red kelpie who found widespread fame as a result of his habit of travelling all over Western Australia, hitching rides over thousands of miles, settling in places for months at a time and adopting new families before heading off again to the next destination and another family – sometimes returning to say hello years later.
While visiting Australia, Louis de Bernieres heard the legend of Red Dog and decided to do some research on this extraordinary story. After travelling to Western Australia and meeting countless people who’d known and loved Red Dog, Louis decided to spread Red Dog‘s fame a little further. (The Nile)
BOOK REVIEW
I will say right up front, do not pick up this title expecting a literary marvel. That is not what Red Dog is. Although Red Dog is based on a series of historical accounts of people’s interactions with a special dog that lived in Western Australian in the 1970s, one must remember that what Louis de Bernieres has shaped from that legend is a work of fiction.
In Red Dog Louis de Bernieres has told a charming tale that will appeal to young and old.
The writing is clear and non-taxing, yet the story remains compelling – what story about a clever dog isn’t? Despite the inevitable sad endings of all dog stories, the journey itself is life-affirming.
I listened to Red Dog in audio, narrated by David Field, and a more Aussie voice you could not ask for. This story is so colloquially ‘Aussie Outback’, it at times verges on kitsch. Although the characters within this novel embody the spirit and attitude that have made Australia the wonderful country it is today, I must stress to my international readers, we don’t all talk like that!
While Louis de Bernieres Red Dog will not win any literary awards, it is a great book for children or young adults. At just over 2 hours in audio, it would make a nice listen for that long family car trip.
BOOK RATING: The Story 4 / 5 ; The Writing 3.5 / 5
BOOK DETAILS: Red Dog (The Nile – Australia); Red Dog (Amazon); Red Dog (Audible)
Genre: Action-Adventure, Audio, Drama
Author Information: Louis de Bernières (born in London 1954) is a British novelist. (Wikipedia)
- Louis de Bernieres’ personal website
- How de Bernieres came to write Red Dog and how the movie came about, Sydney Morning Herald
- See the official Red Dog movie trailer
Other reviews of Red Dog: The Compulsive Reader ; Booksploring ; Berkelouw Books ; My Little Space
Other titles by Louis de Bernieres: Birds Without Wings , Notwithstanding , Captain Corelli’s Mandolin , A Partisan’s Daughter
