Customer Reviews

Plague Dogs

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This has got to be the best novel I've ever read, and I've read a lot. It is the sheer quality of Richard Adam's insight and imagination that makes this stand out. Two dogs, Snitter and Rowf escape into the isolation of the wilderness, and from there Adams paints an emotional and stark painting of the two dogs' suffering. Snitter's story of his life with his master is really heart-rending and all the characters are meticulously portrayed. The main complaint about this book is that his prose can get a bit intense at times, and I admit it took a while to get flowing in Adams's narrative. Get past that and you'll come to appreciate the thoroughness and beauty of his writing. In addition to being emotive and suspenseful this is a brilliant attack on animal experimentation and how we (humans) can be so cruel and irrational, and really if you miss this, you miss the book!!

I read "The Plague Dogs" after I'd read "Watership Down," which is also written by Richard Adams. And while perhaps "The Plague Dogs" is a bit more difficult of a read than "Watership Down," and may lack the narrative flow of his first book, it is a tremendous novel, nonetheless. His central characters, two fugitive dogs from a testing laboratory named Rowf and Snitter, are distinctly drawn and reminiscent of some of the great tragic characters in English Literature. Their flight from captivity will draw you in from the moment they escape the laboratory, and will continue to hold you breathless as they ellude their captors and seek a new master. The novel works on two levels: both as a commentary on the mistreatment and abuse of animals in laboratories, as well as a look at humans from an animal's point of view. Be warned, however, you may not like what you see. On a negative note, the author often slips into a confusing slang, common to the area in which the novel takes place, when creating dialogue for certain characters like the lab workers and the Tod. At times, the lingo can become tedious and the reader may be tempted to skim over it. Also, the background information leading up to the introduction of Digby Driver midway through the novel can seem unnecessary; however, skipping over these aforementioned parts only denies the reader essential information and dilutes the novel from the author's translucent vision. With that said, Mr. Adams is at his lyrical best when the story focuses on the dogs and away from their human counterparts. Mr. Adams's ability to write from an animal's perspective remains unchallenged in fiction today. Not only is Mr. Adams a gifted storty-teller, but his mastery of the English language is hypnotic. "The Plague Dogs" and "Watership Down" are two masterpieces of modern literature that will haunt the reader long after the final page has been read. On my best day I aspire to be as human as a character in a Richard Adams novel.

"The Plague Dogs" isn't nearly as accessible as "Watership Down" & it's not a children's book. Don't start reading Adams with this book--start with "Watership Down." ... Some of the dialect (especially that of the Tod) will be very difficult for American readers (though it was slightly toned down for American editions) & it's perhaps hard to follow if you've never heard the real thing, but even it is brilliant. I have heard the real thing & Adams captures it perfectly. It works best if you read it quickly. ... Adams does some wonderful experimentation with the writing in the book, experimentation that draws on a vast literary heritage & demonstrates very wide reading, experimentation that is itself a tribute to his literary forefathers. ... The characters, especially the canine ones, are very well-drawn (I'm tempted to call my next dog Rowf). ... Good plot twists, evocative geographical description, a singularly haunting passage about a ghost, great description of snow. ... The animal experimentation theme is very well done, not overstated (all of the experiments Adams described were real) & while it's obvious where Adams stands, he has the guts to balance the debate with an unexpected portrait of a dying child. ... The true brilliance of this book lies in the ending, which is just an absolute work of art, drawing together narrative strings, switching narrative styles, switching points of view, speeding up & slowing down (& even incorporating the author's tribute to his own friends without becoming excessively idiosyncratic) until it becomes positively lyrical. The book is worth it for the ending alone ... & Adams is a master of making the incredible credible so we willingly suspend disbelief ... maybe because Rowf & Snitter are so well portrayed we sorely want them to live. Not an easy read, but SO good.

From the author of "Watership Down", this book is a hidden literary treasure -- a work of absolute genius.

The main complaint of this book -- that the intense and often wordy descriptions make it unreadable -- is valid, but ultimately insignificant. Victor Hugo, author of such classics as "Les Miserables" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is the master of extraneous description, and makes Adams look positively concise. Get past the first forty pages or so, and you may actually enjoy the peaceful reflections as a break from the challenging work as a whole. Trust me. You'll be glad you persevered.

For "The Plague Dogs" is no ordinary novel. Wrapped in its relatively simple premise of two dogs escaping from a cruel research facility is an extraordinary study and breakdown of everything that is wrong with Human society. Adams exposes the darkest machinations of the media and the social orders, revealing the manipulative strings attached to every facet of Human life and how they are pulled. We are witness to how sensasionalism and perception reshape mass reality, and how innocent lives and souls become swallowed by the bloated machine we have created to act as our ruling bodies, and the motivations behind these acts. This is an unbelievably perceptive, enlightening creation.

As a balance, Adams details the proper nature of things, and the harmony of nature. And what truly impressed me was the time he spend analyzing all sides of the issues he explores, remaining unbiased or fanatical.

Add suspense, adventure, humor, bitter irony, GREAT characters... And the ending ... you'll be afraid to breath for several chapters; the suspense is so intense. The brilliant resolution makes no compromises. You'll be sweating by the time it's all over.

In short, this book is Adams' masterpiece. Read it ... truly READ it, and you will grow from the experience into a more enlightened person.

To start off, The Plague Dogs is incredible. The most imaginatively written novel I've ever read. Richard Adams paints vivid characters who grow throughout the book, shows us their stage, not as some far off land but a cold reality that let's us follow the dogs on their journey, and sometimes Adams will start talking in ryme and poems, weaving the story together not as another novel on the shelf, but a unique piece of literature to be admired by some, and, like all good literature, despised by others. And Adams yet again shows a chilling portrait of human society, and how no person ever has the power to change or stop the actions of the people. You must read this book. But, let me warn you, it may start off slow and the mood may strike right at your heart, but read on. If you start this book, you MUST finish it. The ending is a true piece of art.

Being a fan of Watership Down I thought I would continue reading the rest of Richard Adams' books, and I find this one to be just as good as the rest. The basic plot of the story is two dogs escape from an animal experimentation lab in England and roam about the countryside, struggling to live and literally dying to find a new master to live with. They encounter one obstacle after another, whether it be hunger, the weather, or other humans, who believe the dogs are carrying bubonic plague after a young news reporter tries to stir up all of England. The story is full of Adams' views on animal experimentation, politics, and human behavior, yet it does not preach.
Readers new to Richard Adams should probably start out with Watership Down before reading this book; this way you get a better sense of his style and prose. The dialect can be extremely tough at times, and because of some of the descriptions and themes involved should probably only be read by a mature reader. I will also say that there isn't a whole lot of action to it; however, you get attached to these dogs as if they were your own pets. The author develops solid, intriguing characters and a great setting. It is definetley worth the time to read, and you'll jump to your feet at the end.

I have read this book twice and both times came away with a sense of awe. The feelings and thoughts I had after reading this book surely focused on the ill treatment of animals and the ill treatment of other human beings. I also am still thinking about the many different asides the author seemed to have that were funny, sad, ironic, horrific, uplifting, and depressing. Richard Adams tackles the ultimate complexities of mere human existence and what it means to us and animals in so many ways. I have not quite sorted it out even now. Of course we are inflicting undeserved and unnecessary pain on animals and ourselves but we are also able to change and learn and evolve. Realizing the bad even evil and the good at the same time is a task so many can not do. Richard Adams does this. He even has two endings for those of us who can only deal with one or the other (but even these are both) He seems to speak to us with several voices and I am trying to take them all in. Even he gets carried away with his vast undertaking and has to speak out as himself, or so it seems. I LOVE this book. It is my favorite and I honestly can not say the many reasons why. Give me some years to think about it.

I didn't like this book at first. I put it down after about 70 pages and couldn't read anymore, and gave it two stars on my personal list. Nothing against the book. I just couldn't understand it. I'm an American, and the dialect the dogs were talking was really hard to understand- and I hadn't even gotten to the fox speaking Geordi. And one of the dogs was insane! It was too difficult to follow along as to what was going on.

A year later I picked it up again, and decided to give it another go, and plow through. Glad am I I did. Yes, the dialect is hard for Americans, especially the Geordi, which is the hardest English dialect for Americans to understand. And this edition is even dumbed down for Americans! But it's worth it to get through it. This was an amazing story, and once into it, I was enthralled. Adams paints beautiful images with his words, where you see clearly the Lake Country, though never having been there. Slowly you start to really care about the dogs, and experience life through their eyes. One wonders if perhaps Adams spent some time as a dog previously, after being a rabbit, for he writes so realistically from the canine perspective.

This book is not for the squeamish. The atrocities of animal experimentation are vividly described, as are a number of deaths, and worse. There were a number of times when I was shocked at the turn of the story, and realized that now this story was quite different from what I had up till then read. But this too, is part of the story- "It's a hard life for an animal."

There's definitely a message here. A few of them actually: the attitude of the press; the treatment of dogs by humanity; and the treatment of humans by each other. For Adams also writes very convincing human characters. These are the true inner-workings of the human mind. His style is somewhat breezy, Dear-Readerish, but not off-putting or pretentious. Rather, Adams creates an atmosphere where we feel comfortable to be in dialogue with him, at the same time eager to read the life of the dogs.

My first instinct was to claim that whilst this book is wonderful, it does not quite meet the precedent set by "Watership Down". However, this is not really the case. "The Plague Dogs" is simply a far more adult, mature read than "Watership" and whilst it can by no means be described as easy reading, it is certainly worth that extra bit of concentration. The writing style is amazing as always, and the storyline gripping and fascinating. Adams' ability to switch from the perspective of the two dogs, Rowf and Snitter, to the humans is incredible. The book's witty contributions, gripping story line and happy ending make a wondeful story without diminishing any of the underlying concerns. It is an incredible masterpiece, and should be devoured eagely by dog-lovers and book-lovers alike!

The first 70 pages of this book were nearly insufferable. I did not want to finish this book. Nothing made sense!!! Slowly . . . Adams started to explain why everything had occured. To me, this is a little backwards, but, if you can get past the first 70 pages, this book is really excellent. It raises all sorts of questions about animal rights and the ethics of animal expirmentation. Hence my comparison to "Black Beauty". Both Snitter, and Rowf, the dog characters are very compelling. Even though I read the toned down American version, the tod's language is a bit hard, at first to comprehend, but if you get into it, it gets easier. I think, if I were the editor, I would have cut out a bit of Adam's ramblings, but all in all, this is a beautiful piece of work. There is lots of action, plot twists and characters that are good, bad and in between. I still prefer Watership Down, but I would definetly add this to my list of great books. I think that this would be an excellent book for discussion in high school and college. It really makes you think!