The Dogs of Babel: A Novel
by Carolyn Parkhurst
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Book Summary Information
Author: Carolyn ParkhurstEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-06-07
ISBN: 0316778508
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Book Reviews of The Dogs of Babel: A Novel
Book Review: Amazing, Unusual, Wise, Gorgeously Sad
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not sure where to begin . . . this is an amazing, unusual, wise, and gorgeously sad book.
It's about a man whose young wife dies suddenly and unexpectedly in what was officially ruled an accident. But Paul begins to wonder what really happened to Lexy after he notices some strange, out-of-place, things around the apartment. The only witness to Lexy's death was their dog, and Paul - who is a professor of linguistics - decides to teach the dog to communicate so that she can tell him what really happened to Lexy.
The book has been tagged mystery, and there is indeed a mystery in it, but this isn't what I'd call a mystery genré book. It's not so much about the mystery as it is about love, loss, and the journey through grief.
About 3/4 of the way through, there is a bizarre, almost slapstick, mystery-type development that doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the book. Some reviewers have called this part ridiculous, implausible, etc. and feel that it spoils the book. I totally agree that it is ridiculous and different in atmosphere from most of the book, but I think it enhances the book in a fiendishly clever way. I think that it was inserted deliberately, and that it is intended as subtle satire.
As such, it serves a couple of important purposes. First, it lightens the mood temporarily, giving the reader a break from what could otherwise have been a relentlessly sorrowful book. It gives us a chance to laugh and roll our eyes at the creepiness and implausibility of it.
(Mild Spoiler Alert) . . .
. . .
. . .
Secondly, it distracts us from the real truth about Lexy's death. The book ends in the only way it possibly could, given the personalities of the characters, the overall atmosphere, and the events. Thus the answer could have been predictable, and although it still would have been a moving and meaningful book, the ending would have less impact if it didn't come as at least somewhat of a surprise. The Cerberus Group plot leads us off on a wild goose chase, making us think that the author might come up with ANY kind of craziness as the cause of Lexy's death: who could tell what it might be?
. . .
. . .
(End of spoiler section) . . .
Parkhurst is manipulating the reader's thought process and emotions here, and although I know that some readers find that annoying, it delights me when an author does this. It's something only the most gifted of authors can do. It requires not only unusual writing skills, but also exceptional insight and understanding into the human mind. I tend to be a very logical and unemotional person, and I loved the way Parkhurst could make feel feel all kinds of different emotions and lead my thoughts down unaccustomed, irrational, paths.
You'd have to be a truly hardhearted person not to fall in love with the dog Lorelei. Although the breeds are different, her personality is so much like my dog's that I was constantly reminded of my own dog's intelligence, good behavior, loyalty, and affection. My dog got lots of extra petting and treats while I read this book!
And I loved the way Paul and Lexy met: because of a gadget that makes square hard-boiled eggs. There really is such a thing - I have one, and like Lexy, have never gotten around to using it!
The multiple layers of symbolism are another quality that makes The Dogs of Babel such a gem. There are the books that Lexy chooses to rearrange as a clue. There are the masks that Lexy makes, a spectacularly beautiful theme. There is the mystery of Lexy's past - what happened to make her the way she was, and why does she seem to have no family (or no contact with them?) There is Disney World and New Orleans, both of which clearly have significance as more than just vacations. There are the psychics with their Tarot readings.
But most important is the Scottish legend of Tam Lin, a hauntingly beautiful and mysterious traditional story/poem/ballad. At times both Paul and Lexy embody different roles in the story: the finest knight, the elf queen, Tam Lin, Janet (the human girl who rescues Tam Lin from the elf queen.) Carolyn Parkhurst shows us the elf queen from an entirely different perspective than I have ever seen before, giving the legend (and this book as well) a whole new level of complexity, mystery, and meaning - and especially, compassion.
The various layers of symbolism are going to keep me thinking about this book days and weeks after finishing it.
The Dogs of Babel is a keeper. It's a brilliant work that has much to teach us about life and loss. You'll want to read again and again, and each time you do, you'll find something new in it.
(261 pages)
Quote from The Dogs of Babel:
"When I was a little boy, my mother, who was given to hyperbole, used to tell me that if the world were to come to an end, her last thought would be of me, and she would fling my name out to the heavens as the mortar of the earth burst apart and the ground fell from beneath her feet. It is only now, when I am surprised to find that I am growing older every day, it's only now that I am beginning to believe that my mother was not just speaking extravagantly. I think every one of us carries with us a name like this, a name whose importance may not be clear to us until we find it on our lips in those final moments. I don't think it is ever, perhaps not even for my mother, who we expect it to be."
Summary of The Dogs of Babel: A Novel
In Paul's fantastic and even perilous search for the truth about his wife's death, he abandons his everyday life to embark on a series of experiments designed to teach his dog Lorelei to communicate. Could she really give him the answers he is looking for?The quirky premise of Carolyn Parkhurst's debut novel, The Dogs of Babel, is original enough: after his wife Lexy dies after falling from a tree, linguistics professor Paul Iverson becomes obsessed with teaching their dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback named Lorelei (the sole witness to the tragedy), to speak so he can find out the truth about Lexy's death--was it accidental or did Lexy commit suicide?
In short, accelerating chapters Parkhurst alternates between Paul's strange and passionate efforts to get Lorelei to communicate and his heartfelt memories of his whirlwind relationship with Lexy. The first 100 pages or so bring to mind another noteworthy debut, Alice Sebold's brilliant exploration of grief, The Lovely Bones. Unfortunately, the second half of The Dogs of Babel takes too many odd twists and turns--everything from a Ms. Cleo-like TV psychic to an underground sect of abusive canine linguists--to ever allow the reader to feel any real sympathy for the main characters. Parkhurst's Paul Iverson can certainly be appealing at times, and his heartbreak is often quite palpable ("...for every dark moment we shared between us, there was a moment of such brightness I almost could not bear to look at it head-on."). But his mask-maker wife Lexy--Paul's driving inspiration--is a character whose spur-of-the-moment outbursts, spontaneous fits of anger, and supposedly charming sense of whimsy (on their first date, they drive from Virginia to Disney World, eating only appetizers and side dishes along the way), become so annoying and grating that it's hard to believe anyone could ever put up with her, let alone teach their dog to speak for her.
Despite its cloying tone, The Dogs of Babel marks a notable debut. Parkhurst possesses a wealth of inspired ideas, and no doubt many readers will respond to the book, but one hopes that the author's future efforts will be packed with richer character development and less schmaltz. --Gisele Toueg
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