One Dog and His Man by Mike Henley
| One Dog and His Man by Mike Henley | |
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| Category: Pets | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: Narrated by Oberon the Labrador and accompanied by cartoons from Larry, it's a book to produce laughter and wry smiles from any dog lover. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 110 | Date: April 2012 |
| Publisher: lulu.com | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1471660351 | |
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Oberon is a Labrador with a pedigree as long as your arm and One Dog and His Man is his story about what it's like living with the man he generously refers to as The Boss, about life in general and the ways of the world. Think of him as the canine equivalent of the parliamentary sketch writer, there to highlight the idiosyncrasies of human life and bring a gentle humour to situations which might otherwise be taken far too seriously. Before you wonder how this is possible - how a dog can write a book - let me remind you that dogs are very intelligent animals. After all, dogs and their humans might go to what are laughingly called 'dog training classes', but it's the humans who are trained, not the dogs.
Our Humble Author is very kind about human shortcomings in his ten short stories about life at home. He's remarkably modest too, considering his own prowess, achievements and the problems with which he has to contend, although he does to admit to trouble deciphering a particular expression of his human, which teeters on the gormless. The Boss, prone to am-dram excursions is a triumph of enthusiasm over lack of competence, but when we meet him he's considering laying a lawn in what passes for his garden, but - as Oberon explains - it's as much a garden as he is a ballerina.
I the space of a few pages Oberon has dispatched a gardener, an incipient girlfriend and a plan to have his basket moved to somewhere less comfortable. Before long he tackles the thorny question of exercise, with a walk to the pub being his preferred form:
A lungful or two of fresh air, a chance to inspect the chestnut tree on the corner of Woodside Court and an End Result worth the effort. Common pleasures, to walk abroad and recreate yourself, as that Shakespeare chap puts it.
He's an educated and thoughtful chap and it's essentially this which makes Oberon's thoughts on nourishment, gender (although he is a little coy about this subject), offspring (where he's not at all coy but in fact rather forthright), the seasons, training, species, the media (but not in the way in which Lord Leveson saw his terms of reference) and finally, a muse on a winter's afternoon. They're all carefully considered, thought provoking and hilariously funny. If you're a dog lover (I personally am staff to a Rhodesian Ridgeback and her human) bells will ring furiously and there won't be page which doesn't - at the very least - produce a wry smile. If you're not then you might understand where you've been going wrong...
That sounds good? Excellent. Well, there's another treat for you. The stories are illustrated by cartoons all done by Larry and they would be a real pleasure on their own but when paired with Oberon's stories it's a treat which flies by all too quickly.
I'd like to thank the author for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If this book appeals then you really ought to look at our Top Ten Books For Dog Lovers.
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You can read more book reviews or buy One Dog and His Man by Mike Henley at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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