Finn the Wolfhound

by A.J. Dawson, Alan Swaby (Editor)

An English wolfhound, taken to Australia, is cruelly treated in a traveling circus until he escapes, braves the wild Outback, and is reunited with his beloved master.

Genres: Fiction, Classics

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1908

About the author

Alec John Dawson (1872 - 3 February 1951), generally known as A.J. Dawson (pseudonyms Major Dawson, Howard Kerr, Nicholas Freydon) was an English author, traveller and novelist. During World War I he attained the rank of Major, and was awarded the MBE and Croix de Guerre in recognition of his work as a military propagandist. Dawson published over thirty books, the one best remembered today probably being the animal adventure story Finn the Wolfhound.

Reviews

[Debbie Zapata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jan 22, 3pm ~~ Review asap.

Jan 23, 3pm ~~ This book was originally published in 1908, but this edition came out in 1962. I found it many years ago in a paperback swap shop in El Paso. Cover price 75 cents; the asking price was 39 cents. Those were the days, right? lol

This is the first re-read since I bought the book, and I had not remembered anything about the plot at all, so it was like a new book for me.

There is a foreword to this edition that was written by a man by the name of Maxwell Knight. I just this minute looked him up at Wiki, and it turned out that he was a 'spymaster' for the British government and was reputed to be the model for the James Bond character 'M'. Well, who knew?!

But besides his government work, the man was a bird watcher as well, and according to Wiki wrote 34 books, many about natural history, covering topics such as frogs, reptiles, birds, and even 'Pets And Their Problems'.

So why am I talking to much about Knight if he only wrote the foreword for this book? Because he made some excellent points in that foreword anyone reading this book should consider. And besides that, he first read the original edition of Finn at age 11 and his reread was much sooner then mine: in his teens.

He goes on to say that the original was about 20,000 words longer than this edition but that when he read this version he could not tell exactly where it had been "pruned". That statement stuck in my head and when I finished the book I checked at Project Gutenberg and sure enough, there is the original edition! There are about three chapter titles there that are not in this book, and this morning when I skimmed the first chapter a little bit, I saw where there were words missing here and there, sometimes whole sentences, but none of the missing phrases would have made a difference to the story, at least not in that quick peek of mine. So I can agree with 'M' that Antony Kamm did a "splendid job' of preparing this edition.

The best way to describe this book is to quote this same foreword that we are talking about now.
"This is not just a tale about a dog: it is an adventure story of high degree as well. There is excitement, tension, and action in every chapter. But perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Finn The Wolfhound is it is a fine account of the relationship between dog and master; and also of all that can happen if a champion youngster by ill fortune goes back to the wild. This was no easy story to write without overpainting the picture; yet A. J. Dawson managed to do it without sentimentality. Sentiment and sympathy and real understanding of a dog's mind are here in plenty; but there is nothing feeble or wishy-washy in the story."

Certainly nothing feeble about this book. It might even be almost too intense for many readers today. Like almost any book with animals as the main characters, there is abuse here. And fights and hunting and hunger and many other situations that a reader might prefer to imagine could never happen to a dog. And definitely never should happen. So if you cannot handle such violence, whether caused by stupid human beings or by Nature's laws, don't read this book.

A word about the author, A. J. Dawson. In the foreword Knight says that Dawson bred both Irish Wolfhounds and Bloodhounds. He goes on to explain that
"Finn himself is based on one of Dawson's own dogs, to the extent that he was the biggest and finest hound bred up to that time."

The point was that Dawson knew dogs and was well qualified to write this book. And I agree. Finn and the other dogs in this book always seem like dogs, not like little people in canine suits. And the last few chapters are so intense, so real, that you will be feeling the stress, whether you put yourself more in the minds of the two men or run with the pack of starving dingoes who are hunting them.

But I must say again, if you cannot deal with detailed examples of Nature's laws in action or explicit scenes of Man's cruelty, do not read this book. It can be brutal.

[Phill Moxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it is the mark of truly great story telling that such a book can stay with a person for so long.

I read Finn the Wolfhound at the age of 7 or 8, and I have developed a love of the breed and warm recollections of the story that have stuck with me to this day. I look forward to a time when I can pass this book onto my future children for them to enjoy,

[Keisha Keenleyside · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was such a lovely read, with some sad parts and a great lovable dog this was my favourite childhood book. Finn is the tallest wolfhound in the records and gets dognapped by a couple of a**holes and put through abuse. when Finn escapes he attempts to find his owner and on the way gains new experience to what life outside a loving home can be like

[Bettie]

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/30550

[Jessica Ahlros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read and reviewed in Swedish.

På svenska heter boken Finn varghunden. Översatt av Gudrun Ullman.

Denna bok berättar om kärleken som kan uppstå mellan en man och hans hund. Trots att deras vägar separeras ett par gånger, först blir Finn kidnappad sedan efter en flytt såld på grund av att mannens fru blir sjuk, så glömmer Finn aldrig helt sin älskade Husse eller Matte. Man får följa Finns äventyr och tuffa liv.

En bra bok men fick lite minus på grund av att jag inte tyckte om att Husse i början plockade bort fostermammans egna valpar... Är det verkligen så man gör som uppfödare? Aldrig hört talas om tidigare och då har mina föräldrar haft kattuppfödning...

[Bec · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★★ | 5 Stars

This is a beautifully written book that is certain to pull at the heartstrings of any dog lover. The deep love and affection Dawson had for wolfhounds is clearly conveyed throughout the entire book and I couldn't help fall in love with them too. I also really liked how Dawson was able to give distinct personalities to most of the animal characters.

[Enchanted · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was such a lovely read, with some sad parts and a great lovable dog this was my favourite childhood book. Finn is the tallest wolfhound in the records and gets dognapped by a couple of a**holes and put through abuse. when Finn escapes he attempts to find his owner and on the way gains new experience to what life outside a loving home can be like

[John Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book as a teenager and was most taken with it. A must for animal loving, or at least dog loving children / young adults.

[Anneke Lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A insightful book on mankind and dog kind. Pulls at the heart strings.

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decided to re-read an old childhood favourite and I wasn’t disappointed. Just a brilliant story about survival against all odds.

[Doodles McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a young child I really liked this doggy tale about the ups and downs of life for the Irish Wolfhound Finn, set in Australia (written 1908). Classic children's literature.

[Peter Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book at the age of 14 but have not had the opportunity too read it since. My remembered enjoyment of the story and my ability to critically appraise it is probably rather too bound up with the memories of the boy who introduced it to me whom I befriended so I won't try but I will share the remembered enthusiasm the book engendered in us. Andrew was on holiday at the 'children's home' opposite the old cottage I lived in. The 'home' was a large old flint built but cunningly faced with 'mathamatical tiles' which when laid on the surface of the exterior walls gave the convincing appearance of a brick built building. Burndell House had formerly been a farm and in my even younger days was owned by a tyrannical old woman with her terrifying (to me) one-eyed mother who wore a black, pirate-like patch over her blind eye. Now it was a holiday home for 'poor London children' . Later the home was embroiled and peppered with salacious scandals and closed conclusively and ignominiuously!

Andrew loved being outdoors as I did. Like myself he loved birds, butterflies, wild animals poaching - or at least the thought and idea of it and all things rural and savage - nature red in tooth and claw - and he liked dogs and he desired, like me, a wolfhound! (King Finn - whoever he was - Andrew told me had 300 fighting wolfhounds and I was deeply impressed by this knowledge of his!) Besides that Andrew liked modern pop music as I did and he was knowledgeable about it and he knew how to dance and showed me. He also knew about Chinese resaurants and took me to one in Bognor - he was 14 and I was 12. He showed me how to order a 'chinky-chonk meal' and you merely said the numbers which he did and he presto delicious food came! He impressed me hugely! He would read out loud to me from Finn the Wolfhound as we lay underneath one of the huge old elms that surrounded both Burndell House and the fields my dad owned. I learned to love that book but now I can only think about those past years with huge affection and more than a hint of wistfulness and acnowledge how now they are so soundly gone forever so this is not much of a review but in writing this I recommend the book to you........................................

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how to rate this book. I read it as a child and the hero stayed with me - I've always wanted a wolfhound to call Finn. However, I've just reread it, and the beginning hits completely differently. The breeding, buying, and selling of the dogs is so vile that I got so far, read the end, and put the book in a little library.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up loving this book and somehow, in all those years, I missed this information in the foreword: "The original version was some twenty thousand words longer than this and contained material which is not so interesting to readers today." Now I'm on a quest to track down the original version and decide that for myself.

Part of the enjoyment I derived from this work was that it was so different from what I typically read. There was an unfamiliar wildness to the Australian Outback, and an unflinching brutality to Finn's existence that books intended for children typically shy away from. Twenty thousand words are a lot to remove, and I can't help wondering if they did more to build up the world, and to establish the sense of place.

It's an excellently edited version, and I'm sure its reduced length made it more palatable to a wider range of readers, but I get frustrated by the assumption that readers (including children) won't have the patience or capacity to read longer, more detailed works. I'd like the opportunity to make my own decisions.

Now how to find the original version without stumbling across hundreds of copies of this abridged one?

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great adventure story, primarily for children of about 9-13 with an interest in animals, especially dogs. It is written mostly from Finn's point of view and, for the sake of the story, credits him and other animals that he encounters with rather greater powers of communication than are really credible to a critical adult. Aside from that, reading it again now, I find it just as much a page-turner as I did more than 50 years ago, when I first read it - and re-read it often. The 1962 edition is apparently some 20 000 words shorter than the 1907 original, for which I am glad: the language is somewhat old-fashioned. In this shorter form, at least, it is nevertheless highly readable.

In describing a series of Finn's adventures, it depicts some scenes of real cruelty and hardship but I think that most readers, children or not, will see them as a necessary part of what is a rather moral tale: treat animals (and people) with fairness and kindness, and they will repay you with love and loyalty.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good little book but probably not for kids or sensitive readers. There is animal abuse and animal-on-animal violence. Honestly I don't think any of it detracted from the book because, plain and simple, this is a more realistically written story with some grit to it. It's a bit like watching a national geographic special on animals- they eat each other, fight, migrate, die, ect. If reading about a little bunny rabbit meeting it's end makes you squeamish than skip this book.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful classic exciting story about a wolfhound named Finn. What's not to love? <3 I have an old tattered copy of this and also the free version from Kindle. A MUST for every wolfhound's person.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very endearing characters. Wonderfully well-written adventure story without a dull moment.

Some violence described that may be too much for small children.

[Joel Robbins · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book in the beginning, but it became too violent for an animal lover. Too realistic, I guess.