The Literary Dog: Great Contemporary Dog Stories

by Jeanne Schinto (Editor)

“Dogs are not people dressed up in fur coats, and to deny them their nature is to do them great harm.” So says short-story writer Jeanne Schinto in her witty introduction to The Literary Dog , a superlative collection of contemporary stories written by some of the most important writers of our time. A traditional dog story usually recounts some heroic and unbelievable dog deed that the teller swears is true. The stories in The Literary Dog , however, are not traditional dog stories at all. Writers of short fiction, from Kafka to Updike, have a distinguished history of using the dog as a subject for the highest and purest literary aims, stories not about dogs but rather ones in which dogs are essential and intrinsic to the effect. Schinto has selected only contemporary pieces, most of which were first published in the 1980s. Including stories by some of the most important writers of our time, this beautiful and highly accomplished collection features good dogs and bad dogs, but only great fiction.

Genres: Fiction, Short Stories, Dogs

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible book that I did not finish. I don't think the author even likes dogs from the stories he has collected. There is nothing Great about any of this book. Down right sad anti dog like material included. Disappointment.

[Monique · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't get this book. The stories are all very well-written. Yes, they all involve dogs. Most of them also involve dogs being killed, run over, abused, or abandoned, and these events are typically treated with a complete lack of emotion. In some, the dog is the villain. If I read any one of these stories in some other collection, I would have appreciated it. Collected back to back, though, they are an endless parade of depressing, miserable stories with very few rays of sun peeking through. Is that what makes it literary? I'd rather read James Herriot, thank you very much.

I enjoyed a few of the stories. The one that stands out most is "Heart of a Champion" by T. Coraghessan Boyle - a dark send-up of Lassie. I also enjoyed "Lying Doggo" by Bobbie Ann Mason, about a beloved dog near the end of its life. There may have been a few others.

I don't recommend buying this book unless you're the one in a million person who enjoys books about dogs, but doesn't actually like dogs or empathize with them at all.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rather uneven collection of stories. Most of these were written in the 70's and 80's and feature dogs in some way but these aren't all "warm and fuzzy" stories. Many are downright depressing.

[Mark Swessinger]

Do not read this book. It is a horrible book. I received it as a gift, and then began reading it. As dog lover I was looking forward to stories about the wonderful symbiotic relationship that dogs share with humans. Instead, what I received was a horrible collection of well written short stories about people not caring for their dogs, the death of dogs, the abandonment of dogs. The editor of this book must not have a love of either dogs, nor people who share their lives with dogs. Don't read, don't buy it. Horrible! Horrible! HORRIBLE!!!

It would receive negative stars if at all possible.

[Jack Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great compendium of Dog stories given to me by my daughter and son on my birhtday.