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
關於作者：
Carolyn Parkhurst holds an MFA in creative writing from
American University. She has published fiction in the North
American Review, the Minnesota Review, Hawaiapos;i Review, and
the Crescent Review. She lives in Washington, D. C., with her
husband and their son. --This text refers to an out of print or
unavailable edition of this title.
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