Griefdogg

by Michael Winkler

Meet Jeffrey hydrologist, husband of Martine, father of Bern, model citizen of Mildura.

But after he inherits a small fortune from an obscure aunt and has a disconcerting encounter with his cousin Pam, Jeffrey decides it’s time to change everything.

He tells Martine he wants to live as if he were the family pet.

Sleeping through the day or wandering beside the river, he discovers a new he can sense secret grief in others. What to do with this gift? Or with his awareness of the endless streams of water flowing unseen beneath the earth?

Michael Winkler’s first novel Grimmish became a cult hit. Griefdogg is another triumph. Funny, sad, always entrancing, it tells a crazy-sane story about identity, love, family and forgiveness.

Michael Winkler is an Australian writer of fiction and non-fiction, living in Melbourne on unceded lands of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. He is the winner of the Calibre Prize. His novel Grimmish was shortlisted for the 2022 Miles Franklin Literary Award, the first self-published novel to make the long- or shortlist. Griefdogg is his second novel.

‘Grimmish meets a need I didn't even know I had.’ Helen Garner on Grimmish

‘The strangest book you are likely to read this year.’ J. M. Coetzee on Grimmish

‘Playful, visceral and elegant. Sat down to read it, lost an afternoon.’ Robbie Arnott on Grimmish

Genres: Fiction, Book Club

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 31, 2026

Reviews

[Sportyrod · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book club. Best discussion quote:
“I didn’t like him as a human or a dog.”

Here’s a taster…and check out how long this sentence is.

“Aligning his vibrations with the attenuated glissando of subterranean seeping, an idea stretched so taut on time’s framework that you could see through it, whistle through it, pass thoughts from one side and embrace them on the other—his jumping of the gun, if the cosmos has fairness, and we have no reason to think it has, will lop some time off purgatory, collapse the bardo, put him in the express lane to enter the slowest race of them all.”

Crystal clear? Thought so. If this is how to flaunt the literary muscles, I think I’d rather know my place and make do with my atrophied intellect and actually understand the meaning of simpler words and concepts.

So what did we all think, I hear you asking..?

We were all hopeful given the premise was behaving like a dog, but it didn’t quite grab us. It took 50% to get to the man-as-dog part, which was probably too long a reservoir period (a hydrology reference there, see) without payoff. Multiple timelines (normally ok) complicated the already complicated story. A couple of us had to google what happened with Martine’s timeline.

For such a passive character (refusal to make decisions), the pace trickled (hehehe). Some could set aside the selfishness of it despite the indulgent grief. Having said that, the concept was honourable and there were some humourous phrases.

The others had issue with the incestuous scenes, but hey, we all have our vices, and some people have sexier cousins than others. Kidding. Just kidding everyone. I will say I am hard to shock, so no surprises for me.

Ratings: my 2, 2, 2 and 1 = 1.75 rounded up. Probably our lowest rating yet. Sorry author. Many readers will enjoy your book. It’s a fine piece of writing, it just wasn’t for us. Or rather, we had one literary reader select the book and the rest of us lean more towards straight-forward stories. Literary fiction lovers and people with an extensive vocabulary will no doubt get more out of this than we did. We are clearly outliers.

[Jaclyn]

Winkler wants to explore the depths of our humanity in unexpected ways. He is such a playful clever writer. The impulse to retreat from all the grief and pain in this world is one that feels rational in response to existential despair, that Winkler manifests it as his protagonist wanting to live as the family pet is a creative choice to delight in. I will sit with the ending of this book for a long time. Sublime.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Bonkers, funny, sad, thoughtful and clever. Enjoyed it a lot, so nice to read something set in regional Victoria.

Got a bit confused with the Martine timeline but not sure if that's because of me or the book. I don't think it matters though. Just sat back and had fun.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Mildura man decides to remove himself from society by becoming the family pet. Here, he learns that he can sense the secret grief of other people.

Yeah, this book was a lot. A wild premise, and even more experimental than the blurb may suggest. Conceptually challenging, but fun to read.

[Marika Cook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I…what on earth did I just read?

I consumed Griefdogg mainly on the couch with my reactive and anxiety riddled rescue dog who causes me a lot of grief, but worked out pretty quickly that’s not at all what Michael Winkler was getting at in this book.

Was lucky enough to see him speak at the Melbourne writers festival this year in a wonderful session with Toni Jordan. I’d started the book already and was struggling, but after hearing his perspective, went back to the beginning and - much like getting into the rhythm of a Shakespeare play when everything slots into place after about 20 minutes when your are used to the cadence and language - finally it made sense.

It’s a slow burn (Bern?) which starts off gently bonkers and crescendos to holy sh*t really bonkers. There are lots of uncommon words that had my ignorant brain reaching for dictionary.com more than once, but the concept is interesting and it’s definitely well written. None of the characters are likable, which I struggle with, but there was enough humanity (ironically) in each of them to keep me reading.

I now know more about hydrology than I ever wanted or needed to, and can successfully use ‘albedo’ in a sentence and sometimes that’s all a book needs to give you.

Genuinely interesting, alienating, captivating and frustrating, all in equal measure and a friendly reminder that there are worse afflictions than an uncontrollable need to tell dad jokes.

Albedo would also be a great name for a dog, just saying.

[Emily Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saw Michael do a reading of this at hill of content and it was fantastic and he just seemed like the nicest guy ever so bought it.

really didn’t like this until about halfway through, then it got better, then it got much much better and the ending was beautiful and heartwrenching.

Still, lots of parts that I felt went way over my head but were also so niche and varied that I’m not sure who the intended audience was and I can imagine those sections being confusing and boring to lots of people (but also maybe that was the point??)

[Darcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved Grimmish. As with Ryan O’Neill’s, Their Brilliant Careers (2016), it was genuinely original work from an Australian author. Griefdogg is in many ways an even more satisfying read. The protagonist’s decision to withdraw from human life seemed completely reasonable, sage even. Serious and silly, Griefdogg is wise and philosophic, it amuses and satisfies like a zen parable or koan. I heard the sound of one hand clapping. Winkler’s jokes alone were worth the price of admission. They are so good it is unfair to describe them as ‘Dad jokes’, as some reviewers have deemed fair analysis. Highest recommendation.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I had a friendship that lasted thirty years, the closest and most valuable of friendships, and it ruptured and ended. Here is all of life laid out on a silver tray, for the taking. Yeah, no thanks."

I didn't know what i was getting into when i picked up this book, but it's turned out to be one of the ones i wish i could read again, for the first time.

Clever, witty, and deeply moving, griefdogg is sure to become an australian cult classic.

[JAck SøN]

Dude really did his research on hydrology.

Felt transported to the Murray, and i really want to go back, it's been too long.

The book really came together nicely in the end.

[Adele Packer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the hell just happened? A genre defying novel that’s funny, sad, poignant and the perfect amount of unhinged. Will be thinking about this one for a while.

[edga net · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most creative aus book I’ve read in ages, highly recommend to all. HMU if you want to borrow my copy

Will be pinching a few of the one liner gags

[Text Publishing]

The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Griefdogg

‘Winkler has succeeded not only in publishing boundary-pushing work but in becoming a male artist unafraid to mock masculinity.’
Declan Fry, Age

‘Griefdogg is essential reading for members of book clubs who love lively debate; emotionally repressed dog-men who refuse to reciprocate; capitalists experiencing existential ennui; and anyone who wishes they could opt-out of everything.’ [4 stars]
Nanci Nott, ArtHub

‘I think it’s spectacular…I’m rationing it page by page because the prose is so incredible…’
Beejay Silcox, The Bookshelf

‘Griefdogg is a wonderfully eccentric novel.’
Jason Steger, Age

‘Griefdogg is both vigorously subversive and courageously daggy, offering a tale for the end of times that asks a question as old as time: ultimately, what matters?’
Declan Fry, Saturday Paper

‘I thought it was absolutely wonderful… a very very fine book.’
Shannon Burn, ABC Radio National, The Bookshelf

‘An intensely Australian book and I really like it.’
Cassie McCullagh, ABC Radio National, The Bookshelf

‘The Aussie book to read right now…deeply thoughtful, humane – and human.’
QANTAS Magazine

‘Winkler is hugely talented.’
Australian

‘At once absurd and unsettling, Griefdogg is an exploration of modern masculinity, existential despair, self-awareness and guilt, circling persistent questions about freedom and the meaning of a life well lived…consistently thought-provoking.’
Books+Publishing

‘Winkler writes with a casual intellect, reminding me of a parent giving succinct, seemingly obvious advice that nags at your edges until you suddenly find the heart of their counsel already seated within you. The issue is not fixed but quietened; human simplicity can exist within the most complex issues and the comfort of a non-answer can, momentarily, be enough – because it’s all we have.’
Clem Larkins, Readings Monthly

‘The male All Fours… wild and weird and also tackles big things about identity and forgiveness.’
Ramona Books

[Nikki Taylor]

Miles Franklin–shortlisted author Michael Winkler (Grimmish) returns with his anticipated new novel, Griefdogg. Jeffrey is a hydrologist in Mildura who, after inheriting a small fortune, decides to abandon his adult responsibilities and live instead as the family pet. Jeffrey’s withdrawal reverberates through the lives of those around him, with sections narrated from the perspectives of his wife Martine, his son Bern, and his doctor Anuraj. Through these shifting viewpoints, Winkler captures the emotional fallout of Jeffrey’s choice, examining love, loss, acceptance and rejection with a sharp eye for domestic realism. As Jeffrey steps away from the noise and obligations of everyday life, his awareness of others becomes heightened. The novel edges into a subtle form of magical realism through his sensitivity to the hidden griefs of those around him, a device that deepens the emotional inquiry without disrupting the book’s grounded tone. At once absurd and unsettling, Griefdogg is an exploration of modern masculinity, existential despair, self-awareness and guilt, circling persistent questions about freedom and the meaning of a life well lived. Winkler’s premise is deliberately peculiar, yet the novel is consistently thought-provoking, prompting readers to reflect on their own relationships to obligation, expectation and escape. Fans of Robbie Arnott and Max Porter will find much to admire in Griefdogg, as will readers drawn to literary fiction that explores free will, escapism, losing oneself, family tensions and alternative ways of existing.

[Alan Fyfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a sort of a magic realism, if you want genre, or a tall tale or a shaggy dog story. Yes, that's a dad joke, a form of humour which the protagonist, Jeffrey, end up compulsively using in Griefdogg. There are encounters with seemingly supernatural beings, canine style psychic powers, and a mysterious narrator trying to come up with the right words to say about Jeffery's death - which we know from the outset has already happened. I suspect Jeffery is exactly as likeable as much your social position / class relates to him, so quite unlikeable for me in his original form as a bitter, bourgie scientist who sees the world through a lens of perfectionism and narrow rationalist morality (while engaging in some strange adultery too). His family pet form isn't so charming either, eschewing all responsibility after an inheritance that expands on his entitlement rather than negating it - until it is charming, and Jeffery involuntarily begins to experience the heightened empathy of an actual pet. He does make a really good pet, except that his family just want him to behave like a human, so being a good-boy does little to redeem him to them. One of the great literary denouements of recent years (I won't spoil it), Griefdogg ends in a way that is pure poetry, drawing all its seemingly tangential flights into a tight and inevitable knot that there was never any escaping. A truly satisfying book for the discerning literary reader who enjoys surrealism, humour, and a rollicking good narrative.

[David McDonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to reading this book, after hearing it talked about in depth on ABC radio. I know my opinion will be unpopular, but my alternate view may counterbalance the majority of 5 star views.

I can definitely understand how this book would resonate with many readers looking for something really clever and off beat, but I really struggled with it. I simply couldn't get into rhythm with the scattered style of existential, philosophical, metaphorical prose.

I gave this book a good crack, getting through at least 50 pages, but I gave up. I just couldn't figure out what was going on, and who was who. I struggled to synchronise with the flow of this book. Maybe it's just me, and didn't fit in with the way my mind works. Who knows.

[Jennifer Severn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again I find myself unable to adequately review a book. I'm sure that it's brilliant and Winkler's writing does sparkle, but I found myself unable to immerse myself in the story. There is the main character but also a first person narrator, and the two appear to be different people at the beginning but start to converge towards the end… a little confusing for me. And there's a lot, a real lot, of hydrogeology in it, which I ended up skimming over as the novel progressed. And what on earth happened to his wife? Still, now I'm interested enough to pick up his first book, Grimmish, and see what all the fuss was about.

[Lyndall Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I also loved Grimmish. I’ve been wondering what it would be like to read this book if you hadn’t read Grimmish first. The familiarity I experienced was part of what made me love this book so much. Incredible prose. Possibly genius level. My favourite part is the perfect waxy cucumber. I too wore a customised jumpsuit announcing that I was reading Anna Karenina; I’ve never felt so seen. This book is moving and challenging and delightful and sad. Winkler is a true artist, I’m in awe of his talent and can’t wait for whatever comes next.

[James Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the back of the author’s prior book, Grimmish, I’m disappointed by this one. Winkler can be a very clever writer, and that shows in various places throughout Greifdogg. But across the full length of the book, the writing is disconnected and patchy, and the various sub-plots just don’t connect up all that well. Also, and YMMV, but the full-tilt progressive preachery just didn’t do anything for me.

So I’d give this a 2 overall, but brought up to 3 by the places where the writing really gets going.

[Stella Doona · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.
Reminder for myself not to take book recommendations from hot men in bookshops. Not sure if this is a spoiler but he used the word ergo and I just couldn’t deal with it. Maybe for people who are scientifically clued in, this book would be perfect. I don’t think I was the target audience for this book so I could see how people would love it. Too many smart words for me, I’m an idiot who wants it plain and nasty, I really enjoyed the parts that cut the fluff and did just that.

[Kelly Woolerton · Rating 2 out of 5]

DnF page 132. Was excited for the concept, hated the delivery.

You can tell the writer agonised over ever single word in here - so sharp and lyrical, but also verbose and hard to read at times (perhaps im not literary enough).

The jumping around between the characters was not for me, I found it so hard to follow ans really frustrating.

A+ for lovely gender non-binary and first nations inclusion, at least where i read up to anyway.

[Gavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant - loved it. At its simplest, this is a well paced, very entertaining and very funny novel about a bloke having a mid-life crisis when he unexpectedly inherits some money. But it is so much more than that. It also causes the reader to consider so many things - the environment (particularly water), inherited memory (love the concept of water's memory), family, work/life balance, the overwhelming number of decisions we need to make in modern life, country living in a small town, guilt, health, religion, philosophy, love ... and I'm probably forgetting a few along the way. All contained in very readable literary prose with great characters. And lots of "Dad jokes" and witty asides. Even a sex scene!

[Oscar Kearsley]

Incredible. A funny, deeply melancholic story told in some of the best prose I've read. The experimental structure of the book is genius. So many themes are being tackled within such a short time, yet none feel undercooked. I highly recommend this to anyone who usually avoids often uninspired Australian literature.

[Wayne Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning

[perth ratbag · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could take this novel and impress the words on my brain the same way you can tattoo an Uncle Toby's Fruit Roll-Up to your tongue.

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildly creative…funny, philosophical and insightful.

[Duncan Swann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Painful pomo pissant shit. Just write a fucking story.

[Win · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique reading experience with some great themes but also a hodgepodge of meandering parts throughout.

[Nicole Mumford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought provoking

[Garth Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal..