Dogs and Monsters
A dark and gripping new short story collection from the bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
-
-
4.0 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- £5.99
Publisher Description
The bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time weaves ancient fables into fresh, unexpected forms and forges new unforgettable legends.
'A marvel of a collection' Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time
‘A consummate storyteller’ New York Times
The myth of the Minotaur in his labyrinth is turned into a wrenching parable of maternal love – and of the monstrosities of patriarchy.
The lover of a goddess, Tithonus, is gifted eternal life but without eternal youth.
Actaeon, changed into a stag after glimpsing the naked Diana and torn to pieces by his hunting dogs, becomes a visceral metaphor about how humans use and misuse animals.
From genetic engineering to the eternal complications of family, Haddon showcases how we are subject to the same elemental forces that obsessed the Greeks, as he reimagines stories from Laika the Soviet space dog on her fateful orbit to St Anthony wrestling with loneliness in the desert.
'In sentences as precisely cut as paper sculptures, Mark Haddon fits ancient myth to the cruelties and wonders of the present' Francis Spufford, author of Cahokia Jazz
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Two decades on from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time—and its many, many awards, plus a lauded stage adaptation, Mark Haddon returns with curious, thought-provoking and heartbreaking incidents involving, yes, dogs, monsters and man’s relationships with them. This collection sees ancient fables reimagined and new characters introduced, as Haddon’s piercing ability to extrapolate a single emotion into something profound creates epic twists and turns across single pages. From the myth of the Minotaur (exploring an unparalleled maternal instinct) to the tragic final moment of Laika the Soviet space dog and her doomed one-way trip, these are short stories that will stay with you long after finishing.
