Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Death of parent
Minor: Suicide
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Not a bad debut novel and I loved the alliteration and prose, but sadly the 'twist' never came for me. Either that or I missed it completely. OK, there was a surprise about 100 pages from the end but if this was said twist it wasn't twisted enough for me. I expected a shock; a surprise, but I never got one. I did expect it to be sad as it was about a dog, and in my experience books, and for that matter, films about dogs tend to be sad (think 'Marley and Me') and, I suppose it was in a way, but more about the narrator than aforementioned canine.
In conclusion a good effort but not my kind of thing.
In conclusion a good effort but not my kind of thing.
A sad and dark-ish story about a lonely, misfit of a man and the lonely, misfit of a dog he adopts for a sad and dark reason.
The language...you will want to roll around and luxuriate in the words and phrases this author puts together.
Is the book sad? Yes. But life is sometimes.
The language...you will want to roll around and luxuriate in the words and phrases this author puts together.
Is the book sad? Yes. But life is sometimes.
A delightfully written novel about a man and a dog. I won't say any more as perspective is everything and you should go in cold.
Reserving a star due to pacing and writing related personal bugbears. Also there are a few phonetic crimes! Inexcusable.
Reserving a star due to pacing and writing related personal bugbears. Also there are a few phonetic crimes! Inexcusable.
I loved this book. I can't say I "enjoyed" it per se, as it possessed an overriding tone of despair, but I "felt" each and every word of it. I saw what our narrator saw and heard what he heard and felt the presence of his canine companion, Oneeye, by my side. The connection between them was so accurately portrayed and felt so very real. This was a superbly written book.
I bought this book for its intriguing title alone and I'm glad I did. This book is a very slow burn, a character study of two misfits focused on one through the eyes of the other. Baume has a great sense of scene and imbues this character with both vision and blindness to his own condition against the human condition.
My only complaint is that the book is such a slow burn I almost gave up a couple times. There were no real peaks or valleys of action or emotion to keep us hooked (but this is deliberate character affect, not poor writing) Thankfully Baume writes sensory images so well I stuck it out and the mysteries we didn't know were mysteries pay off well in the end.
Baume is an Irish author and her stylistic sensibilities may not be as natural for American audiences but if we are willing to put in the work for an unfamiliar style, this book is well worth it.
My only complaint is that the book is such a slow burn I almost gave up a couple times. There were no real peaks or valleys of action or emotion to keep us hooked (but this is deliberate character affect, not poor writing) Thankfully Baume writes sensory images so well I stuck it out and the mysteries we didn't know were mysteries pay off well in the end.
Baume is an Irish author and her stylistic sensibilities may not be as natural for American audiences but if we are willing to put in the work for an unfamiliar style, this book is well worth it.
This book is definitely not your typical man and dog story. Ray, a 57 year old socially awkward recluse, adopts an abused and troubled dog that he names One Eye. There is not a lot of action going on here. It is simply the story of Ray's journey with One Eye over four seasons. It is the writing that makes this book a "must read". It is beautiful, raw, and heartbreaking. I found myself slowing my reading pace, just to make sure that I savored each sentence. This is one I will probably reread in the future.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy to review.