Penned by the prolific Stephen
Beam, author of The Teddy Bear
Singularity, Monster in the Tree
and many others, this novella is a madcap existential adventure featuring a
colorful cast of characters, including a trained serpentine assassin, Satan; Gil,
a Filipino ritual-circumciser-cum-mad-scientist; and the titular character, Jake,
a bio-modified dog whose amazing physiognomy belies his less than amazing life—wasted
watching television, smoking, eating Velveeta nachos and vacuuming his own fur
from the sofa. One day, Jake decides he wants more, and embarks on a journey of
self-discovery which leads him to learn to read, piss on a religious
proselytizer, accidentally acquire a pet cat and promote bizarro fiction, among
other things. The outcome is genuinely surprising, yet strangely satisfying,
and as a creature equally blessed and cursed with self-consciousness, Jake’s story
is an allegory of our own as human beings (or bio-modified monkeys, if you
will). On one level, we simply want to satisfy our physical appetites for food,
sleep and sex; on another, deeper level, we need spiritual fulfillment. Through
it all, we’re haunted by the specter of death. A quick, enjoyably compelling read which teaches us that, I quote, “Life is more than banging poodles or smelling
asses.”
A great review of a very entertaining book...If you prefer a real book rather than the Kindle - you can get it from www.jaggedbooks.com
ReplyDeleteThis is out in a new paperback.
ReplyDeleteLink:
http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Rich-Dog-Stephen-Beam/dp/1479219444/