What do you think?
Rate this book
Cold Dog Soup
Enter Latchmer, falling. An innocent abroad in New York City, he has a lot of problems: an anonymous job with Xerox; a childhood that vaguely troubles him; a hot date tonight with lascivious, one-handed Sarah Hughes. Then fate deals Latchmer a joker in the deck, and all his problems come down, apparently, to this: how to get rid of a dead dog. As Latchmer hits the night-time streets, his burden double-bagged in Hefties, little does he know what an incredible journey awaits him.
It is an odyssey through hell and hilarity, guided by one Jean-Claude, a philosophically reckless Haitian cab driver who believes, quite rightly , that dogs have a far higher purpose in death than to enrich the soil. As his strange adventure unfolds, Latchmer suffers from a guilty and guileless compulsion to tell curious tales of betrayal. In the end, having sought to bury his shaggy charge in Central Park (all other options having proved unavailing), he finds himself face to face with his own unburied past.
It is an odyssey through hell and hilarity, guided by one Jean-Claude, a philosophically reckless Haitian cab driver who believes, quite rightly , that dogs have a far higher purpose in death than to enrich the soil. As his strange adventure unfolds, Latchmer suffers from a guilty and guileless compulsion to tell curious tales of betrayal. In the end, having sought to bury his shaggy charge in Central Park (all other options having proved unavailing), he finds himself face to face with his own unburied past.
240 pages, Paperback
First published November 27, 1985
3 people are currently reading
156 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Dobyns
82 books207 followersDobyns was raised in New Jersey, Michigan, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. He was educated at Shimer College, graduated from Wayne State University, and received an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1967. He has worked as a reporter for the Detroit News.
He has taught at various academic institutions, including Sarah Lawrence College, the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, the University of Iowa, Syracuse University, and Boston University.
In much of his poetry and some works of non-genre fiction, Dobyns employs extended tropes, using the ridiculous and the absurd as vehicles to introduce more profound meditations on life, love, and art. He shies neither from the low nor from the sublime, and all in a straightforward narrative voice of reason. His journalistic training has strongly informed this voice.
He has taught at various academic institutions, including Sarah Lawrence College, the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers, the University of Iowa, Syracuse University, and Boston University.
In much of his poetry and some works of non-genre fiction, Dobyns employs extended tropes, using the ridiculous and the absurd as vehicles to introduce more profound meditations on life, love, and art. He shies neither from the low nor from the sublime, and all in a straightforward narrative voice of reason. His journalistic training has strongly informed this voice.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 26, 2015
It had been a strange day . . .
And the evening was going to be even stranger.
When Michael Latchmer makes a date with a weird one-handed woman, not even a sinister message written in the sky can warn him of the horrors and wonders the coming night will hold. And it all starts when he meets Jasper, an elderly red dog who loves anchovies and olives.
What follows is a wacky nocturnal journey through the Big Apple's wormy underbelly. Freaks, weirdos and misfits will gather to offer advice and criticism as Latchmer tries to complete his quest. (Watch out for the transvestite selling vibrators in the shapes of famous writers!)
This was an okay read; more mildly amusing than laugh-out-loud funny. I was all set to assign three stars, but the last few paragraphs were rather sweet and really warmed my heart. I've got a few lines that I'd like to share, and even though they are in no way spoilers, I'll hide them to keep the whiners quiet:
Dog lovers should be warned - as you might surmise from the title - nothing good happens to any of the pooches in this book!
And the evening was going to be even stranger.
When Michael Latchmer makes a date with a weird one-handed woman, not even a sinister message written in the sky can warn him of the horrors and wonders the coming night will hold. And it all starts when he meets Jasper, an elderly red dog who loves anchovies and olives.
What follows is a wacky nocturnal journey through the Big Apple's wormy underbelly. Freaks, weirdos and misfits will gather to offer advice and criticism as Latchmer tries to complete his quest. (Watch out for the transvestite selling vibrators in the shapes of famous writers!)
This was an okay read; more mildly amusing than laugh-out-loud funny. I was all set to assign three stars, but the last few paragraphs were rather sweet and really warmed my heart. I've got a few lines that I'd like to share, and even though they are in no way spoilers, I'll hide them to keep the whiners quiet:
Dog lovers should be warned - as you might surmise from the title - nothing good happens to any of the pooches in this book!
July 9, 2014
I read this little gem years ago. A bizarre comedy that reminded me a lot of the movie "After Hours." The things some guys will do to get laid! If you've ever found yourself wandering around the big city in the small hours, wondering what the hell was going on, this book is for you.
I read it probably 20 years ago and I still think about it.
Here's something weird. The book isselling for almost two hundred dollars new!
I read it probably 20 years ago and I still think about it.
Here's something weird. The book isselling for almost two hundred dollars new!
July 8, 2011
This quirky little book was recommended to me by one of my favorite authors (Jonathan Carroll), and I'm really glad I took the time to hunt it down. It's been out of print for a while now, but I was able to order a copy off Amazon.
This story starts off reasonably enough with the main character going over to dinner at a woman's house whom he met at gym. There he meets the woman's mother and her dog. At this point, the book veers wildly away from normal and heads toward the absurd. But this absurdity would surely make Kierkegaard or Camus smile. I will not say more about the story, because to say more would be to ruin the joy of reading it.
My only complaint is that book is over too soon.
I really, really liked this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
This story starts off reasonably enough with the main character going over to dinner at a woman's house whom he met at gym. There he meets the woman's mother and her dog. At this point, the book veers wildly away from normal and heads toward the absurd. But this absurdity would surely make Kierkegaard or Camus smile. I will not say more about the story, because to say more would be to ruin the joy of reading it.
My only complaint is that book is over too soon.
I really, really liked this book and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
March 4, 2012
This is one of my very favorite books. I need to re-read, because I can't remember why.
July 24, 2012
A bizzarre black comedy, enjoyed it thoroughly, nothing like anything I have read before.
September 21, 2013
With its late night/early morning NYC setting and compounding series of misadventures, it reminded me of the Scorsese film 'After Hours'. Dark, witty, and very well written. Highly recommended.
Read
November 25, 2020calling a comedy unfunny would ordinarily be tantamount to saying "don't bother," but here's one case where i would still advise peeping, w/ certain caveats. for one thing, the way it follows the contours of farce despite a dearth of lols is super interesting in how this quality mirrors the stories latchmer tells (& the contrapuntal passages about his grandfather's adultery, come to think of it). also, for connoisseurs of bad vibes, this is right up there with twin peaks s3 in terms of a "anything can happen as long as it's disconcerting." as for those aforementioned caveats: there's some pointless & ugly use of slurs, & if animals coming to fictional harm bothers you, you should keep a wide berth. cover is reeeeeally rough on the eyes too. if you know the right cabdriver, tho, who knows, you might get a good price for it!
June 16, 2016
An odd little book from the 80's--not for the faint of heart, those that find dark humor disturbing, or anyone who has recently mourned the passing of a beloved pet. As a whole, I'm not so sure this work holds together as well as one might expect, but the momentary flashes of poetic vision--sometimes sorrow, sometimes loneliness, sometimes innocence, sometimes hope--can be stunning, and the story moves on the border between the mundane and the surreal often enough to keep you surprised, as anything can and very well might happen next.
The overall storyline is not new--some pilgrim or lost soul sets out on an unexpected journey that lasts an entire night, and takes us along, vicariously, to experience underbellies of the urban world we never knew existed. Allusions to Dante's descent into Hell crop up, but this is absurdist humor, too, so it doesn't linger on the profound too much, which is perhaps the more effective path to take. Our protagonist, Michael Latchmer, starts out tripping at the door on his way into a blind date's apartment for dinner in Manhattan, and finds himself soon enough with a large dead dog named Jasper in the back seat of a taxi driven by a crazy Haitian, his mission: to bury poor Jasper. Through the incredible journey he delivers a gift of gab, but he mostly seems to create tales that crush the spirits of his audiences, though diverse they surely be. Throughout the night he slowly recalls more and more about a series of events he experienced as a child, first confronting death, adultery, secret promises, and betrayal--but this doesn't slow down the pace of the careening taxi, nor of the novel.
The overall storyline is not new--some pilgrim or lost soul sets out on an unexpected journey that lasts an entire night, and takes us along, vicariously, to experience underbellies of the urban world we never knew existed. Allusions to Dante's descent into Hell crop up, but this is absurdist humor, too, so it doesn't linger on the profound too much, which is perhaps the more effective path to take. Our protagonist, Michael Latchmer, starts out tripping at the door on his way into a blind date's apartment for dinner in Manhattan, and finds himself soon enough with a large dead dog named Jasper in the back seat of a taxi driven by a crazy Haitian, his mission: to bury poor Jasper. Through the incredible journey he delivers a gift of gab, but he mostly seems to create tales that crush the spirits of his audiences, though diverse they surely be. Throughout the night he slowly recalls more and more about a series of events he experienced as a child, first confronting death, adultery, secret promises, and betrayal--but this doesn't slow down the pace of the careening taxi, nor of the novel.
May 7, 2018
I've read most of Dobyns' books, not sure how I missed Cold Dog Soup, published in 1985. This novel reminds me more of his poetry than his other novels. I enjoyed the book, but it does show it's age in places. Very After Hours-esque plot, which coincidentally came out the same year.
August 7, 2012
I read this book by accident when my mother passed away and it was in her collection of novels. So very very glad I read it. Whilst I loved it I realise it certainly wouldn't be for everyone. I can't rave about it the way I'd like to, most people won't find it as funny and weirdly enjoyable read like I did.
October 20, 2020
Pretty funny book, I’m glad I picked it up just from the title. Reminded me a bit of a Tom Robbins book but as a short story instead of a novel. Definitely recommend it just because of the outlandish plot. I enjoyed the parallelism of each chapter even though each setting and characters are so different. Over all an easy to read, fun little book!
March 7, 2011
Very funny book. Totally different theme to any other I have read.
August 2, 2020
Such an odd story - hard to put down as you had no idea where it would take you next. Laugh out loud parts too.
February 17, 2022
Don't know why this doesn't have broader awareness. I thought it was so funny.
June 9, 2025
Weird and dark and funny, I actually really loved it
December 13, 2018
I reread this book after I came across the movie recently. The movie was well worth a second viewing and the same was said for the novel. While the movie captured a lot of the magic in the book a few things they missed, particularly the main characters “root” conflict. And on the second read i felt the full awe moment of the main character who had transcended in the moment.
There were some other differences in the second and third characters, but overall a great movie, one of many NY Film projects that the late Great Beatle Georgie Harrison lost his shirt on. Perhaps both the movie and the book were ahead of there time. There’s a lot of comparison to the movie After Hours, there is that fast-paced slice of life dark comedy comparison.
Dobyns is a writer that runs amuck from poetry, crime, and dark comedy. If you enjoyed Stevie K’s Salem’s Lot the style of some writing style and verbage is remarkable to Dobyn’s fiction
My previous review “Absurd, dark-humored and stream-of-conscience. Never read anything so bizarre told from a calm narrator. Somewhat reminiscent of a Pirandello play.”
There were some other differences in the second and third characters, but overall a great movie, one of many NY Film projects that the late Great Beatle Georgie Harrison lost his shirt on. Perhaps both the movie and the book were ahead of there time. There’s a lot of comparison to the movie After Hours, there is that fast-paced slice of life dark comedy comparison.
Dobyns is a writer that runs amuck from poetry, crime, and dark comedy. If you enjoyed Stevie K’s Salem’s Lot the style of some writing style and verbage is remarkable to Dobyn’s fiction
My previous review “Absurd, dark-humored and stream-of-conscience. Never read anything so bizarre told from a calm narrator. Somewhat reminiscent of a Pirandello play.”
March 21, 2015
I picked up this book after reading The Burn Palace, which I really enjoyed. This book was very different, somewhat reminiscent of Jonathan Carroll. There was a lot to like, especially with the surreal NYC settings and dark humor (reading it in a restaurant by myself, I laughed out loud and garnered a fair amount of attention), but ultimately I didn't really get into it.
May 26, 2014
The middle-of-the-night NYC adventure parts were okay, but the rest of this book alternates unfunny cruelty with interminable tedium and wackadoo attempts at whimsy. One of the longest 200-page books I ever read.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews