Customer Reviews

Started Early, Took my Dog

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This was a clever book with a clever, well-thought story and plot. It involved many characters, the main ones were Tracy Waterhouse, a policewoman who rescued a child, and Jackson Brodie, a private investigator who rescued a dog, and Matilda (Tilly) an old, senile actress who could hardly rescue herself. This is not an easy book to read, and certainly not one to read over weeks because one would lose focus and thus the connections that were to come together in the end. It was written with a stream-of-consciousness style of writing and so has a number of distractions thrown in which the reader has to figure out how they were relevant to the story. Furthermore, the author juxtaposed events so that one has to keep track of the dates in order to follow the clues and the story. I gave this book only three stars because it was not the kind of writing I enjoy reading; but to those who enjoy the challenge of a "warped" story and do not mind stream-of-consciousness narratives, they might give this 4 or 5 stars.

First Sentence: Leeds: `Motorway City of the Seventies'.

Spur of the moment decisions lead to life-altering consequences. A child and a dog link characters in an expected way that leads to injury and death.

Atkinson has created several mysteries within one story in this latest outing, and although Jackson is the continuing thread between the books, he is certainly not the only significant character.

One element I so enjoy about Atkinson's books is that her characters are somewhat abnormal for being no realistically normal. Brodie is an ex-cop, ex-PI with a number of failed or failing relationships. It is nice to learn much more about him and his background here. Tracy is a long way from being the attractive, sexy, young cop so common now. Tilly is an elderly actress with early dementia.

I find it almost impossible to describe this book. The writing is clever but without feeling contrived. Her voice and humor are delightful. There are coincidences, but they are deliberate and play upon the theme. The theme, which comes from the traditional poem "For want of a nail..." is brilliantly played out.

I did not find this the easiest book to read due to time and POV changes. It was a bit slow getting into, but it was never boring. I am always fascinated by Atkinson's writing and I love her titles. All I can say is that this is a book which can stand on its own and is very well worth reading.

STARTED EARLY, TOOK MY DOG (PI-Jackson Brodie-England-Cont) - VG
Atkinson, Kate - 4th in series
Doubleday, ©2010, UK Hardcover - ISBN: 9780385608022

(4.5 stars) However good Kate Atkinson's three previous Jackson Brodie novels have been, they were just the warm-up for this one. Though they are often called "mysteries," Atkinson's novels are far more character-driven than the norm, and more literary in execution-intriguing on several levels simultaneously. In this novel, Jackson Brodie becomes a broader character, his inner life at least as important as the plot with which it intersects. Brodie has always had a problem with alcohol and women, with whom he has always looked for escape from some of the underlying miseries of his life. Married twice and "almost married" to a woman who fleeced him, Brodie can be forgiven for being cynical about people and their motives. The one characteristic which keeps Brodie going is his outrage about the injustices he sees around him, with his strongest calumny directed toward those who take advantage of children.

In Started Early, Took My Dog, which takes place in Leeds, West Yorkshire, several plot lines begin before the entrance of Brodie. The starving, almost dead child of a prostitute is found in an apartment with the body of the mother in 1975, and the child is later adopted. The other story lines take place in the present. Two thugs have arranged to kidnap a child in Munich. A female former police superintendent in Leeds saves a child from being abused, then offers to buy the child from the prostitute who has been dragging her through the streets. A senile actress in a TV serial witnesses something she does not understand. Amid these beginning plot lines, Jackson Brodie sees a small dog being horribly abused by a muscleman and saves the dog, which quickly wiggles its way into his life and heart.

What follows is a complex story of identity, including Jackson Brodie's own identity, as characters who were orphaned and/or adopted try to understand the past and make connections. Brodie himself has never recovered from the death of his sister Niamh, one of several deaths which decimated his family before he had even reached his teen years. Jackson becomes involved in the search for truth regarding the other plot lineswhen he is hired to try to find the parents of one of these adoptees.

Atkinson's irrepressible humor comes through in her style: She includes more literary references per page, often humorously, than most other writers have in an entire novel. These fit into the narrative so smoothly that it is easy to overlook them. In one ten-page sequence near the beginning, for example, Atkinson gives brief quotations from Cormac McCarthy, Emily Dickinson (who seems to be a favorite throughout), and Shakespeare's Julius Caesar and his Sonnet 73 on death. Birth, love, aging, and death are constant themes here as several adults, including Jackson Brodie, try to come to terms with their lives as children and find peace. Some, like Jackson Brodie, still have hope--"Hope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul/And sings the tune without the words/ and never stops--at all." (Emily Dickinson)

Jackson Brodie #1: Case Histories: A Novel
Brodie #2: One Good Turn: A Novel
Brodie #3: When Will There Be Good News?: A Novel

Another Kate Atkinson arrives and lives up to my sky-high expectations.

If you want everything tied up in a neat package: No. If you want a linear narrative: No. "Easy read?": No. But if you love interesting, complex characters, complex stories and delightful writing: Absolutely Yes.

Part-time private-eye and semi-successful womanizer Jackson Brodie, and cranky retired cop Tracy Waterhouse are the centerpieces of this book. Jackson spends the book confused, chasing several people that he believes may have the answers for an adopted client. Tracy also spends the book confused, running away from people she thinks are pursuing her after she "purchases" an abused-looking child from an angry petty criminal. Atkinson tackles the themes of identity, confusion, and family while following these two constantly-moving characters.

My only complaint is about the amount of time that Jackson spends brooding about his ex-wives/girlfriends. Also, there are some loose ends (Atkinson tends to tie up her convergent stories by the last page). This leads me to the happy conclusion, though, that we haven't seen the last of either Jackson or Tracy.

I am in awe of the talent of Kate Atkinson. This is a real page-turner that had me laughing a lot. The characters are great. Tracy is so real. Jackson is so inscrutable. The themes of children and dogs are perfect. Who hasn't wanted to rescue an abused child they've seen in the supermarket or an abused dog they've seen in the park. How Ms Atkinson has woven the characters and themes into a suspenseful novel is just amazing. Read this book. You won't regret it. And don't worry about the time line. It just takes a little concentration to follow the action and it keeps you on your toes.

Kate Atkinson's new book will leave you wanting more, positively! She's a wordsmith with a story that insists that we make moral choices we might rather ignore.

One of her primary protagonists, Tracy, an otherwise "hard-nosed" member of the police force ...handling sexual offences, vice, human trafficking, and just about anything nobody else wanted to... is retired and wondering what to do with her life. Shopping on an afternoon at the local shopping center, she watches as an old druggie she recognizes from her days on the force, Kelly, appears to be dragging a tiny little girl and screaming at her. Tracy is drawn into the fray by instinct and curiousity. She follows Kelly, continuing to observe as she kicks at the child, screams at her to stop singing, dragging her through the crowds and down the street.


Since Tracy knows Kelly's other children have already been taken away from her, and that she obviously isn't "clean," she wonders what the freakish woman is doing with this tiny child! When all is said and done, Tracy offers Kelly a chunk of money to "buy" the girl from her. Kelly's eyes are wide with greed. The transaction is made...the child's hand is transferred to Tracy's, and Kelly rides off into the sunset on the local bus. Not, however, before she mouths something like, "But she's not....." And Tracy is left wondering what she's done...helped or kidnapped a child! A child who instantly become one she can't bring herself to part with.

Thus, begins this novel from the pen of Kate Atkinson. With a menagerie of lush, loveable characters complete with their particular idiosyncracies that only serve to make them more endearing, she has us captured from the get-go. Not only does she give us the quintessential darling, little urchin, but she also includes a scrappy little dog that was rescued from a snarling, abusive hood!

Attention given not just to description but also to the quirkiness of inner thoughts and dialog; as well as to bucolic surroundings makes for a great deal of this author's genius. Plus, I wonder how she could have made the tension knot up inside me over that scruffy mutt! Such techniques will have you experiencing all sorts of comedy as you read this book.

Ms Atkinson seasons her novel with wit, perfect timing and a humor that will catch you off-guard when you least expect it. I found myself laughing and smiling often as I read this book. While she is astute and serious about her main and parallel storylines, and there is much to learn here with regard to morality and choices, her subtle, silver-handed delivery with its tinge of the obsurd is unique to her style. It's no wonder that she has won awards for her previous work.

Jackson Brodie, the soul searching, former private detective of "Started Early, Took My Dog," is a character featured in others of her books. His odd relationship with his ex-wife throughout the story is so charming. It has the qualilty both to drive him mad and to sustain him, making it a sadistic little treasure for the reader to enjoy in and of itself! I need to read more about him, absolutely.

Kate Atkinson is a writer of exceptional quality. I highly recommend reading her newest book, "Started Early, Took My Dog." It's an enjoyable read that goes well with a glass of wine, some Respighi (Ancient Dances and Airs Suite 2..) on low, and a comfy chair...sophisticated and easy on the heart.

Highly recommended without reservation.

Deborah/TheBookishDame

I did my absolute best to read Kate Atkinson's newest book as slowly as possible so that I could savor every last bit. Alas, it was just too good, too readable.

It's something I can't quite put my finger on. Something about the compelling plot, the parallel storylines that intersect in the most interesting ways, something about the deeply flawed and very human characters...something about Atkinson's writing style that makes me keep reading "just one more page" until finally the story is finished and I have to wait for her next book.

"Started Early, Took My Dog" was such a delicious read - this mystery and these characters was so well done. And now I enter the waiting game again.

"All roads lead home," says Julia. "All roads lead away from home," Jackson replies. This is Kate Atkinson at her best. I so love her novels and wish she could write two or three a year. Yet they are so convoluted and complex that it takes a bit to put all the characters together, and some characters just disappear from our reference, only to pop up in unexpected places.

This is the fourth book featuring Jackson Brodie. He is a semi-retired private investigator. What makes Brodie so fascinating is that he remains a mystery to himself. He has ex-wives, two children by different wives, life and death experiences, and still manages to survive. 'Started Early, Took My Dog' is about people falling through the cracks, child abduction, child abuse and animal abuse in modern England. Sometimes, but rarely, somebody bothers to help, and then the real fun begins. The story switches between the 1970s and 2010. Tracy, an ex-detective, purchases a young girl from her abusive mother. As a young policewoman she found a starving child left alone for 3 weeks in an apartment with his murdered mother. Tracy becomes involved and asks too many questions, and the child disappears.

Jackson Brodie, on the trail of finding the biologic parents of a young woman, rescues a small dog from an abusive master. As a side note, why are more people willing to become involved in an abused animal but not an abused child. Jackson and Tracy come together in a most unusual fashion, without knowing who the other really is, and then they go their own ways. There are Jackson's family and Tracy's family interwoven in-between stories. The good and the bad policemen met along the way, and Tilly a washed up elderly actress who loses her memory. Her blurring between reality and her own past is not easily digested in this novel. The good and bad guys intermingle, and the relationships they form carry them forward.

One of the most promising and telling of characters is the child, Courtney, Tracy takes and shelters. Courtney does not talk much, eats a lot and wears a tattered Princess dress and carries a wand. She may be a metaphor for all of the abuse in the world. Can she be salvaged?

Kate Atkinson is one of those writers who can describe our modern times in prose that is so easily relatable. The novels are very clever, interspersed with knowledge that we carry with us, the choices we make, who we love and why, who we can trust with our real selves. We come to care for these people and hope they reappear in future novels.

Highly Recommended. prisrob 03-22-11

Case Histories: A Novel

When Will There Be Good News?: A Novel

This book starts in the confusing manner of introducing the characters by chopping and changing from one plot to the next. This annoyed me initially, but by about the halfway mark I was all turned around and loving it. I normally don't mind this manner of writing, but in this instance it impaired my ability to 'get into' the book. However, it is well-worth the effort of getting through the opening chapters. My recommendation would be to set aside a couple of hours to read straight through, and then you will struggle to put it down.

Uncommonly clever, funny, and thought-provoking, from first page to last. I jest not: 'Tis passing strange and passing marvelous, this most recent of Kate Atkinson's novels, and my first encounter with Jackson Brodie, her multi-book ex-cop P.I.

In this story of chance meetings, instant adoptions, cover-ups, Rippers, found treasures, and families lost, the interwoven tales of Tracy Waterhouse, 50-something ex-detective in search of the love of her life; always-second-best veteran stage actress cum Magnum PI's mum Tilly;long-murdered crack whore Carole Braithwaite and her orphaned child; and the divorced, confused, and somewhat cynical Jackson, happenstance and swift, instinctive choices propel us as we leap from the '70's to the present and back again on a mystery tour rife with laughter, profundity, and - most notably - quickly and expertly drawn characters who are the center of this novel, even when the centers of their worlds cannot hold.

Unlike other mystery-suspense-crime novels of my recent acquaintance, Started Early, Took My Dog is a book I will recommend to one and all, whether or not such genres are normally within their customary reading. And that's because the plot, although swift-moving and intriguing in itself, is really not what this book is about. It's the characters: Tracy, the big, butch ex-police officer whose instant choice to buy a kid propels her into the love she's always wanted and Tilly, the slightly-less-than-grande dame tilting under the constellations of her own dimentia and Courtney, the stoic four-year-old whose smallest gesture could break a cold man's heart and Barry, the dissolute cop drowning in layer upon layer of guilt for his own compromising acts and of course Brodie, he of the title 5:30 a.m. rising and the accidental canine companion.

You'll want to know what becomes of them, what they'll think and feel next, what they'll say, and how they'll react to what fate and their own chance choices deal them.

And if you're like me, you'll slap sticky after sticky into this book for passage after passage marking stellar turns of phrase, quick and penetrating insights, and perfectly apt applications of beautiful quotes borrowed from the greats of Western literature.

It's a true reader's delight, and I suggest you buy it for yourself and your friends and your book group today.