Carmen Dog [Paperback]

Carol Emshwiller (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1990

"Only (Emshwiller) could have taken the women's movement, opera, and a wolverine and come up with such enchantment."--Connie Willis, author of "Lincoln's Dreams."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Emshwiller ( Verging on the Pertinent ) stretches a conceit past the breaking point in this uneven allegory. Women are degenerating into various animals, and female animals are acquiring human characteristics. The men are puzzled, but don't much mindg ; animals, they realize, are ideal companions ("Relationships and responsibilities were less confining. After all, they merely involved dumb animals who were not worth consideration, politeness, time, effort, gifts"). Her fantastic premise allows Emshwiller canny and frequently hilarious insights into the damaging sex-role stereotypes both men and women perpetuate (a dog's visit to a psychologist is a highlight). But she juggles too many genres here--the g plot turns on mad scientists, academic conspiracies, formula romances--without sustaining the reader's interest in the central story of human/animal metamorphoses. Eventually the g social critique is swallowed by increasingly silly scenarios.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A rollicking outre satire.... full of comic leaps and absurdist genius." -- Bitch Magazine

"An inspired feminist fable.... A wise and funny book." -- The New York Times

"Combines the cruel humor of Candide with the allegorical panache of Animal Farm." -- Entertainment Weekly

"Pure essence of Emshwiller." -- Connie Willis, author of Passage

"The most unappreciated great writer we've got.... Ought to be a classic in the colleges by now ." -- Ursula K. Le Guin, author of Changing Planes --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Mercury House; 2nd Printing, 1990 edition (March 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 091651577X
• ISBN-13: 978-0916515775
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,050,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly amusing social commentary, August 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Carmen Dog (Paperback)

"Women are turning into animals, and animals are turning into women..." What a way to start off a book. Pooch, a dog-girl who longs to play the title role in "Carmen," absconds with a baby whose mother is becoming a turtle. Along the way, she meets many other intriguing characters, among them a snake-woman and a vicious socialite who is quickly becoming what her personality most resembles (namely, a wolverine). And in the meanwhile, the world as we know it is turnig upside-down.

This book was funny; however, the way that it poked fun at gender roles and modern-day society went much deeper than mere humor.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a bracing look at the feminist movement, August 15, 2009

By 

chilirlw "chilirlw" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carmen Dog (Peapod Classics) (Paperback)

Women are turning into animals, and some animals are turning into women. Men fuss about what sort of status should be given to the new "humans", and doctors and psychologists are concerned with the prospect of a "takeover" of power and what this will all do to the institution of Motherhood, not to mention a man's privileges and rights. A thought-provoking, witty examination of the women's movement and society's reactions to it, this is a fun book to read that gives one a real feel for what it was like to live through the changes in women's roles in the 60's and 70's.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars biting satire, September 12, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carmen Dog (Peapod Classics) (Paperback)

Something strange is going on as the psychiatrist explains to his new patient Pooch the dog that "the beast changes to a woman and the woman changes to a beast". Pooch the dog turned woman worries about the baby as the mother has become a snapping turtle while the father seems mystified about the changes, but not overly concerned. Things come to a head or perhaps a bite when the turtle-mother bites the baby and refuses to let go until Pooch takes a lit match to the neo-beast's neck. Since the father remains uninvolved, pooch decides to flee with the baby for the infant's sake.

However, pooch has to reconsider her decision when they arrive in New York City when the Central Park Wolverine gang threatens them and the scientists at the Academy of Motherhood want to test her and throw away the baby. Men do what they do best; ignore the goings-on as dogs make better companions than women.

Using personification to satirize relationships, especially gender stereotypes, Carol Emshwiller provides an amusing look at acceptable societal roles that stifle people. The story line is at its best when it skewers how humans behave and how we assume "beasts" behave. When it spins into mad scientists on the loose conspiracy, CARMAN DOG loses some of its acerbic bite as the bark becomes louder not keener. Still this is a deep swift satire that will have the audience laughing yet also thinking about its underlying warning that labeling and classifying negatively oversimplifies everyone.

Harriet Klausner