Adventures of a Dog, and a Good Dog Too

What would the world look like through a dog's eyes? Alfred Elwes answers this question with sly wit and surprising depth in this 19th-century gem, narrated by a dog named Job who chronicles his adventures with theearnestness of a faithful companion and the observational acuity of a born satirist. Job moves through life with a noble heart and an honest tail, encountering the full spectrum of human and canine behavior along the way. Elwes constructs an entire canine society that mirrors our own, complete with class distinctions, rivalries, and hierarchies, except rendered with the pure, unflinching perspective of a dog who cannot pretend, cannot dissemble, and certainly cannot lie. The result is a book that operates on multiple levels: a lively adventure story for children, and a sharp social comedy for adults who catch the winks hidden in Job's earnest narrative. More than a curiosity of early animal fiction, this is a meditation on loyalty, honesty, and the strange contract between pets and the people who love them. Job's voice remains utterly charming across the centuries, his dignity intact, his affection unwavering, his adventures eternally inviting.