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Chamois
Someone asked Chamois if she was an apologue. She answered, “No, I’m an astrologic allegory. But I’m mostly French.” The story of Chamois is a look at life, through the eyes of a small black, tan and white Australian Shepherd with a beautiful soft coat and a full-size, bushy tail. She has the intelligence of a philosopher, the tenacity of a pit viper and the speed and agility of a mosquito on the autobahn. While her sense of direction is clearly not her forte, Chamois is a thinker with a thirst for knowledge, and an acute concern and caring for her fellow everything.
But make no mistake about it, Chamois is no pushover, and when threatened she responds with her greatest asset, she can run at near the speed of sound, all the time biting and nipping at your hind quarters. Her greatest accomplishment is being able to run and pee at the same time. And while she may appear to be running away, she is most likely circling around to beat you on your flank. Devoted and passionately loyal, Chamois has an insatiable appetite for living life to its absolute fullest. Her lifelong dream is to run through the Pyrenees in the Tour de France with her yellow bandana flowing in the breeze. But first, she seems to have lost her way, somewhere in either Argentina or Wisconsin.
But make no mistake about it, Chamois is no pushover, and when threatened she responds with her greatest asset, she can run at near the speed of sound, all the time biting and nipping at your hind quarters. Her greatest accomplishment is being able to run and pee at the same time. And while she may appear to be running away, she is most likely circling around to beat you on your flank. Devoted and passionately loyal, Chamois has an insatiable appetite for living life to its absolute fullest. Her lifelong dream is to run through the Pyrenees in the Tour de France with her yellow bandana flowing in the breeze. But first, she seems to have lost her way, somewhere in either Argentina or Wisconsin.
162 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2010
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August 15, 2013
Readers of all ages will delight in meeting Joseph Senecal McCann's Chamois. Chamois is a sassy Australian Shepherd dog seeking to find her place in life. Although McCann utilizes a four-legged heroine for his tale, his work shares all the hallmarks of any great hero tale that Joseph Campbell wrote so extensively about. The risks and rewards are no less for Chamois than they are for Odysseus when he made his epic voyage. McCann lets readers easily connect with that journey and relate it to their own lives by using his considerable wit and humor. The use of humor when describing the events of Chamois' journey relaxes readers and allows them to simply enjoy the tale rather than constantly having to focus on the lofty themes of the hero's journey. This book would not succeed without McCann's ability to bring Chamois to life.
While McCann utilizes humor in his tale, he does not overdue that use as you often see within the genre. Humor is used to disarm and charm the reader to a point, but not where Chamois becomes a cartoon character. Within the first few pages, the reader will have suspended any disbelief they might initially have for reading the tale of the hero's journey from a dog's view and will be thoroughly immersed in the world and adventures of Chamois. Through the author's use of dialogue, detail and minor details, McCann will have readers relating to Chamois as if she were an old friend telling them her life's tale during a fireside chat. Readers can expect plenty of laughs and much enjoyment from Chamois.
While McCann utilizes humor in his tale, he does not overdue that use as you often see within the genre. Humor is used to disarm and charm the reader to a point, but not where Chamois becomes a cartoon character. Within the first few pages, the reader will have suspended any disbelief they might initially have for reading the tale of the hero's journey from a dog's view and will be thoroughly immersed in the world and adventures of Chamois. Through the author's use of dialogue, detail and minor details, McCann will have readers relating to Chamois as if she were an old friend telling them her life's tale during a fireside chat. Readers can expect plenty of laughs and much enjoyment from Chamois.
Displaying 1 of 1 review