Thursday, January 27, 2011

Life as a Dog

Dogboy
Eva Hornung

Genre: Contemporary/Literary
Audience: Mature audiences (adults)
Rating: 5/5

This is easily the most disturbing, yet oddly beautiful book I have read this year. It is dark and bleak, but portrayed in a way that seems almost natural. The life of feral child, Romochka is frightening and heart-rendering. The way he is treated by his own species, frankly terrifying. It is a compelling and quite intense read.

Romochka is only four years old when his mother abandons him. Alone and hungry, he wanders from home and follows a nursing bitch back to her den. The gentle dog adopts him as one of her puppies and from then Romochka grows up with the dogs. His life is a harsh one - a struggle to survive through the terrible Rusisan winters, and as he grows older, he learns to mingle with two worlds - the human world and the dog. He is a bright, resilient boy and one cannot help but admire what he survives.

Highly recommended.

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