Richard Adams - The Plague Dogs

[Acesare*]

This is going to be tricky - I read this book about 10 years ago, and I'm increasingly sure that I never finished it . . .

 

Snitter, a Jack Russell terrier, has been sold to an animal research laboratory and have under gone brain surgery leading to a an inability to differentiate between what is real and what is only imagination. Snitter manages to escape the facility with Rowf, a rather cynical black labrador. They end up andering the countryside torn between a desire to find a master and the urge to become feral and fend for themselves.

 

Unfortunately, rumour begins to circulate amongst the human population that these dogs are actually carriers of the Black Death, and soon the local farming community are scouring the fields with shotguns.

 

This book is far darker than Adams's most famous book, Watership Down, as the subject matter is far more brutal, and is quite difficult to get into at first (probably why I gave up). However, it is excellently written and is lauded as the greatest book he has created.

 

There are a number of parallels that can be drawn from this book to the feelings of isolation and persecution the misunderstood have to face daily, and there are definately lessons to be learned here. Adams has a way of identifying with the animals, giving them their own voice and clearly expressing their emotions and the fact that hey do have emotions. He tells the reader something which an awful lot of humans need to learn

[Kell]

I probably wouldn't be able to read it - I've never been able to get through Watership Down as it upsets me so much, but that could be to do with the film - it really freaks me out (I'm such a chicken!).

 

Richard Adams seems to go for really tough subjects when he's writing. The only book of his I've ever read is Maia & it deals with sex slavery! Funnily enough, the 1st time I read it, I got it in our school library - I think our librarian must have just thought "Oh, he wrote Watership Down" & added it to the shelves without checking the content as it's rather risque! I managed to track down a hardback copy years later & it sits on my shelf, wating to be read again (which I do every now & again). It's well hefty though - over 1000 pages!

[dogmatix]

Watership Down, my favorite book. I have two signed copies. One is a very rare edition. I also had my very first paperback copy from 4th grade. I've read that one probably 30 times.

 

The Plague Dogs also good. It made me angry, I guess it was supposed to.

Another great Adams book is A Girl in a Swing. Can't recommend that one enough.