Metzger's Dog: A Novel (Paperback)

by Thomas Perry (Author) "Chinese Gordon was fully awake..." (more)
Key Phrases: distributing frame, automatic cannon, Chinese Gordon, Los Angeles, Doctor Henry Metzger (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
“Very sharp, very funny . . . should not be missed.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Thomas Perry is] a master of nail-biting suspense.”—Los Angeles Times

“In a word—wonderful!”—Chicago Tribune

“I read Metzger’s Dog at one sitting, taking my time and savoring every word, and there was not a moment when I’d have rather been doing something else.”—Lawrence Block

“This is the funniest novel you’re likely to read all season, and one of the best.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


From the Trade Paperback edition. --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Review
“Very sharp, very funny . . . should not be missed.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Thomas Perry is] a master of nail-biting suspense.”—Los Angeles Times

“In a word—wonderful!”—Chicago Tribune

“I read Metzger’s Dog at one sitting, taking my time and savoring every word, and there was not a moment when I’d have rather been doing something else.”—Lawrence Block

“This is the funniest novel you’re likely to read all season, and one of the best.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks (June 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812967747
• ISBN-13: 978-0812967746
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #129,445 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A really extraordinary talent in current fiction, May 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Metzger's Dog (Paperback)

Metger's Dog is one of the finest novels I have read in quite a while -- and working in publishing (don't hold it against me) I see hundreds a year. There are moments in this narrative, many moments, when the reader realizes he has placed his or her attention in expert hands. Humor and seriousness are expertly blended. Perry is a subtle observer of people and of life. The character of Chinese Gordon is revealed only on the very last pages of the book ( and never fully), and rarely have I seen such judicious treatment of a CIA type as with Perry's creation of the character Porterfield. Good and evil are carefully intertwined in this text -- all of the characters trouble these moral boundaries. Even Gravirjas (sp?), a drug boss, is admirable in his assessment of circumstances, in his reasoning and objectivity given the life he leads, the hand he holds. His fatal mistake would have been impossible for him to grasp ahead of time -- circumstances just got way beyond what he knew.

In fact, only Poterfield and Chinese Gordon, the two main characters, are up to the chess board in this plot. And like two generals from opposing armies, they walk away respecting each other, though perhaps not equally.

The name "Metzger's Dog" is a metaphor -- the dog in the novel, a vicious animal, has been salvaged from a junkyard and tamed. At the end of the novel, this dog is given the name Porterfield.

In this story it is ultimately the CIA that has been tamed. The details of how this is achieved hold up to any test for authenticity.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drop what you're reading and go find a copy of this book!, January 8, 1998

By	[e-mail] (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Metzger's Dog (Hardcover)

My favorite of Perry's books, this non-stop tale of Chinese Gordon and his confederates kept me laughing and left me awestruck. I cannot believe no one has made a movie yet of this book! How often do you get to pull for the bad guys and hate the good guys, and laugh about it the whole time? What I particularly like about Perry's work is that he never finds it necessary to reveal every detail of a character's history, only what is needed to make the plot tick along. Inevitably, his characters remain in my mind long after I've finished the book, musing over how Chinese got his name (his name is Leroy), why his cat is named Dr. Henry Metzger, and how did he meet his girlfriend who is the PERFECT girlfriend for a former mercenary. Questions only Mr. Perry has the answer to, and I hope someday to encounter Chinese in print once again -- so I can ask some new questions!

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the best, July 2, 2003

By	Jane Bedinger (Seattle) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Thomas Perry's early books are masterpieces and thank goodness the publishers have yielded to public pressure and made them available again. This is a delicious confection. Metzger's Dog has everything Perry is famous for -- violence, humanity, irony -- and unlike some authors, he carries through right up to the last scene. It's got the attention to details, strategic thinking, and casual violence of "tough" thrillers, mixed with an upbeat affection for life that makes it three-dimensional and unforgettable. You never want it to end; you never want to say goodbye to the characters. Now, join me in a moment of prayer that the publishers will reissue "Big Fish", another great book that should never have gone out of print.