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A review by jacki_f
Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff
3.0
I loved this book, and it disappointed me. Jonathan has moved to Manhattan: he has acquired a job writing copy for stationary advertisements and has found an apartment that may or may not be a great deal. His long term girlfriend Julia has also arrived in Manhattan to live with him.
When his brother departs for a six month posting to Dubai, he leaves his two dogs with Jonathan to look after. Jonathan knows nothing about dogs, but gradually Dante and Sissi will take his life in hand and sort it out for him.
This is a deliciously funny book and when I started it I was reading parts out to my husband and laughing often. But it starts to lose its way as the need for a plot develops. It feel like it wants to be a "Rosie Project" style romantic comedy, but it doesn't quite pull that off. It starts to poke fun at some aspects of the characters in a way that isn't compatible with the genre. Essentially, it starts to feel i) silly and ii) uneven.
And yet - oh I loved the first few chapters so much. In fact, the tone and throwaway lines throughout. There's a lot to really, really like here, especially if you have even a passing interest in dogs. It is very, very clever and funny. I loved the style of this book, but felt let down by the substance.
When his brother departs for a six month posting to Dubai, he leaves his two dogs with Jonathan to look after. Jonathan knows nothing about dogs, but gradually Dante and Sissi will take his life in hand and sort it out for him.
This is a deliciously funny book and when I started it I was reading parts out to my husband and laughing often. But it starts to lose its way as the need for a plot develops. It feel like it wants to be a "Rosie Project" style romantic comedy, but it doesn't quite pull that off. It starts to poke fun at some aspects of the characters in a way that isn't compatible with the genre. Essentially, it starts to feel i) silly and ii) uneven.
And yet - oh I loved the first few chapters so much. In fact, the tone and throwaway lines throughout. There's a lot to really, really like here, especially if you have even a passing interest in dogs. It is very, very clever and funny. I loved the style of this book, but felt let down by the substance.