The Dog of the South

By: Charles Portis

Narrated by: David Aaron Baker

Length: 8 hrs and 1 min

Publisher's summary

Charles Portis has drawn widespread critical acclaim for his inventive prose. In The Dog of the South, Ray Midge is on the trail of his wife, Norma, who’s headed for Mexico with her ex-husband. On the way Ray meets the eccentric Dr. Reo Symes, a man with more get-rich-quick schemes than common sense. Together, they’ll have to overcome tropical storms, grifters, and plenty of car trouble en route to their destination—wherever that may be.

©1979 Charles Portis (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC

funny but a little meandering down the stretch

If you're only gonna read one Charles Porter's book read true grit. I did think this one was funnier than a Confederacy of dunces. There are a lot of racial slurs so be on the lookout for that

A true gem

I laughed aloud at this quirky tale and the characterizations resonated with my knowledge of the American Southwest. David Baker beautifully captured the drawling language, even to my native Texan ear

A Perfect Match of Reader and Writer

What did you love best about The Dog of the South?

David Aaron Baker deserves an Oscar (whatever the appropriate equivalent might be) for his performance. He demonstrates a complete grasp of the written work and an impeccable sense of timing and delivery as he brings the characters of this charming work alive. Charles Portis must listen to this and marvel at how Raymond and Dr. Symes and the British Hondurans come alive in his novel. Confederacy of Dunces is the only equivalent I have encountered.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Dog of the South?

The interaction of Raymond and the cast of characters he encounters is wonderful. But any reader will recognize that Portis' ear for dialogue is uncanny. A reader who can make those encounters echo two adversaries, without the benefit of a writer's use of the printed page to identify speakers, is one of a kind. Baker is in rare form.

Have you listened to any of David Aaron Baker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not sure.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh. Wonder. Learn.

Any additional comments?

One of a kind.

An enjoyable book, excellently narrated

A wacky, off-beat, and humorous book. I like the way that the author exaggerates the idiosyncrasies of every character, so that no-one is quite normal but at the same time perfectly believable. A good narrator can really bring a book to life and the narration of this book was superb. The voice he was able to create for each character so perfectly matched that character and he moved effortlessly from one to another in dialogue. I particularly liked the voice he created for the Doctor - masterful! I will definitely be looking to listen to more books narrated by Mr. Baker.

Loved it

Really loved this story. Simple, a little sad, funny. Narrator was fantastic. Highly recommend! On to True Grit next.

Wow

narrator is gifted. magnificent performance. the book is a roller coaster commentary on the human condition. great experience.

Close to perfect

A masterpiece book matched with a perfect narrator.
This is one of the best audiobooks on Audible

a wild shaggy dog tale, colorfully narrated

I got such a kick out of this book. The characters are delightfully eccentric, and the book really kicks into high gear when the protagonist crosses paths with a colorful con man known as Dr Symes (if this were a movie, Symes would be played by John Goodman). The narrator does a terrific job with voices and accents. Immediately upon the end of the book, I listened to the entire narrative all over again - That's how much I enjoyed it.

Belize can be a complicated place

The narrator enhances already nuanced characters. They are like us all - sure in their ideas yet perplexed in their actions. The tale wanders at it’s own pace - a few times maybe too far of the path - but overall it seems Portis has his plan and he sticks too it.

A highlight of my long life of reading

This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read/heard in 50 years of reading. With his startling and hilarious combination of sagacity and cluelessness, the narrator/main character Ray Midge puts me in mind of A Confederacy of Dunces (absent the gravitas). I was smiling all the way through, except when I was laughing out loud.