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cosmicrusalka's review against another edition
3.0
Another book I got for my birthday from Kelsea.
Probably the most interesting one I've gotten from my birthday yet. Definitely not something I would have thought to pick out for myself because I don't normally like dogs, but this book was actually very interesting, my only complaint is that I wished there would have been more story in the space-parts of it.
Probably the most interesting one I've gotten from my birthday yet. Definitely not something I would have thought to pick out for myself because I don't normally like dogs, but this book was actually very interesting, my only complaint is that I wished there would have been more story in the space-parts of it.
madmik's review against another edition
1.0
I thought I would like this book more than I did. It was...interesting? I liked the constellation/star thing, and it was...a fascinating story. I was told it would be good for dog-lovers, but, as a dog-lover, it didn't resonate with me. The opening scene disturbed me and the story didn't hold my attention. If I hadn't had to read this for class, I probably wouldn't have read it at all.
I'm not sure I would recommend this book to anyone. It would irk my dog-loving friends and others I know wouldn't enjoy it either.
Warnings:
- some violence
- opening scene with the drowning of puppies
I'm not sure I would recommend this book to anyone. It would irk my dog-loving friends and others I know wouldn't enjoy it either.
Warnings:
- some violence
- opening scene with the drowning of puppies
cimorene1558's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really good book, although it's not evident until more than halfway through just how good it is. It's also a much more serious book than one might at first think. It's definitely more the serious than the whimsical DWJ, although there's still plenty of fun!
brandypainter's review against another edition
4.0
Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
The newly re-released Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones was one of the books I bought with my birthday giftcars. I didn't even bother to learn what it was about. It was written by Diana Wynne Jones and that was enough for me, even if it was going to be about some hapless person trapped in a dog's body (my assumption-not what it's actually about).
Diana Wynne Jones can do anything and make it work. I'm convinced of it. Don't particularly like dogs? Don't particularly enjoy stories with animals? No matter. If she writes it, it will be readable. Not just readable, but enjoyable in ways you couldn't have imagined. She managed to make star trapped in a dog body believable. What is more she wrote what I imagine the inner life of dogs to be so well I suspect she actually conversed with some.
Kathleen took off the leash and Sirius bounded away, jingling and joyful, into the damp green grass. He ranged to and fro, rooting and sniffing, his tail crooked into a stiff and eager question mark. Beautiful. Goluptious scents. What was he looking for in all this glorious green plain? He was looking for something. He became more and more certain of that. This bush? NO. This smelly lump, then? No. What then?
Doesn't that just evoke puppy? And isn't galuptious the most perfect word? As much a puppy as Sirius can be, he is also very much a Luminary still. His frustration with his puppy form and how his dog sense clouds his greater senses raises the tension in the story considerably. The way Luminary Sirius perceives the world is told in equally appropriate ways, just as perfectly worded.
Space sang. There were great slow notes, high sweet sounds-every note in human music and more beside, all winding, twining, combining, and ringing solemn and single, like a constantly changing tune.
There are many other characters, all of whom leave an impression. That is one of the reasons I love DWJ's books so much. She writes interesting and engaging characters, no matter how small a role that characters has. The relationship between Sirius and Tibbles the cat was probably my favorite thing about the book.
While not my among my favorites of DWJ's novels, I enjoyed Dogsbody very much and have a feeling people who truly love dogs would enjoy it even more.
The newly re-released Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones was one of the books I bought with my birthday giftcars. I didn't even bother to learn what it was about. It was written by Diana Wynne Jones and that was enough for me, even if it was going to be about some hapless person trapped in a dog's body (my assumption-not what it's actually about).
Diana Wynne Jones can do anything and make it work. I'm convinced of it. Don't particularly like dogs? Don't particularly enjoy stories with animals? No matter. If she writes it, it will be readable. Not just readable, but enjoyable in ways you couldn't have imagined. She managed to make star trapped in a dog body believable. What is more she wrote what I imagine the inner life of dogs to be so well I suspect she actually conversed with some.
Kathleen took off the leash and Sirius bounded away, jingling and joyful, into the damp green grass. He ranged to and fro, rooting and sniffing, his tail crooked into a stiff and eager question mark. Beautiful. Goluptious scents. What was he looking for in all this glorious green plain? He was looking for something. He became more and more certain of that. This bush? NO. This smelly lump, then? No. What then?
Doesn't that just evoke puppy? And isn't galuptious the most perfect word? As much a puppy as Sirius can be, he is also very much a Luminary still. His frustration with his puppy form and how his dog sense clouds his greater senses raises the tension in the story considerably. The way Luminary Sirius perceives the world is told in equally appropriate ways, just as perfectly worded.
Space sang. There were great slow notes, high sweet sounds-every note in human music and more beside, all winding, twining, combining, and ringing solemn and single, like a constantly changing tune.
There are many other characters, all of whom leave an impression. That is one of the reasons I love DWJ's books so much. She writes interesting and engaging characters, no matter how small a role that characters has. The relationship between Sirius and Tibbles the cat was probably my favorite thing about the book.
While not my among my favorites of DWJ's novels, I enjoyed Dogsbody very much and have a feeling people who truly love dogs would enjoy it even more.
napalousa's review against another edition
5.0
This was a difficult read, not because it was bad, but simply because you find yourself in the dog’s head so perfectly that both the cruelty to the dog and the compassionate moments made me happy and sad cry, sometimes both ways in the same chapter. Even simple things like Sirius getting distracted by his nose would make me emotional. If you love dogs it’ll do the same to you too.
The story too is hard to take sometimes. For a middle grade fiction it doesn’t sugarcoat much of anything. But I’m really glad that I read it, and in the strangest way possible this is a beautiful love story.
The story too is hard to take sometimes. For a middle grade fiction it doesn’t sugarcoat much of anything. But I’m really glad that I read it, and in the strangest way possible this is a beautiful love story.
jickyjacks's review against another edition
5.0
Love love love this book! Sirius, the star, is sentenced to life as a dog on Earth as punishment for a crime he says he did not commit. He becomes the dog of an Irish girl, kathleen, living with her aunt and uncle in England. Sirius must navigate the new sensations of being a dog and try and reclaim his spot among the stars all while forming a deep bond with Kathleen. Dianna Wynne Jones does a fantastic job of putting the reader in the mind of a dog. It feels authentic and not forced I should add that I really dislike dogs. Not a fan of them at all. So for me to say that I enjoyed a book that is really all about a dog and his bond with his owner tells a lot. Not afraid to admit that it nearly brought me to tears a few times. Probably my favorite Dianna Wynne Jones book. My boys enjoyed it immensely too. Q even mentioned he wants to write a sequel for it.
duriangray's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0