The Dogs of Babel

De: Carolyn Parkhurst

Narrado por: Erik Singer

When his wife dies in a fall from a tree in their backyard, linguist Paul Iverson is wild with despair. In the days that follow, Paul becomes certain that Lexy's death was no accident. Strange clues have been left behind: unique, personal messages that only she could have left and that he is determined to decipher.

So begins Paul's fantastic and even perilous search for the truth, as he abandons his everyday life to embark on a series of experiments designed to teach his dog Lorelei to communicate. Is this the project of a madman? Or does Lorelei really have something to tell him about the last afternoon of a woman he only thought he knew?

At the same time, Paul obsessively recalls the early days of his love for Lexy and the ups and downs of life with the brilliant, sometimes unsettling woman who became his wife.

©2003 Carolyn Parkhurst (P)2003 Time Warner AudioBooks, A division of the AOL Time Warner Book Group.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A wonderfully original and richly imaginative novel." (Kermit Moyer, author of Tumbling)
"The brilliance...lies in the subtle buildup of emotion...and how powerfully that emotional wave hits...An unforgettable debut." (Booklist)

Like a slow motion train wreck

This book was a real "page turner". I honestly had trouble turning my audible player off. The narration was excellent; haunting and pensive, sad and gripping. Great storytelling. Definately recommended.

A story of grief

The narration was superb! I thought the story to be an incredible journey through one man's grief. Even the unbelievable and macabre middle sections worked because the protagonist kept questioning the sanity of it all. Shame on the reviewer who gives away essential ending elements!!!

Mixed feelings

I both loved and hated this book. The writing and narration are both superb, and the plot, overall, is compelling. I agree with the reader below, who feels that some events in the second half can stretch patience and credibility. And, by the time we get to the ending, it seems a little rushed and pat. Also, I'm with the dog lover below who found some scenes to be almost unbearably painful. But, all in all, I guess I recommend it. . .it does provide some fascinating observations of psychological dynamics, and it is compelling enough to keep one listening, even if with a bit of frustration at times. (How's that for a mixed feelings review. . .?)

Lorelei

Not to worry. There was no real dog abuse to mar the story or premise. I was waiting for it because of the couple of cautionary comments. The word that stands out to me is "sensitive". The story is told in such a sensitive way, kind even. Well-written.

Animal precinct meets time traveler’s wife

I think the people who gave this book critical acclaim didn’t finish the book. There were chapters I wanted to end, to put me and the characters out of their misery. Good beginning, satisfactory ending. Could have skipped a couple of unbelievable and unforgettable chapters in the middle.

GREAT!

I only downloaded this book two days ago and found that from the moment I started it, I was unable to do anything else BUT listen. It was very easy to follow and the author did a wonderful job of drawing you into this widowers life. I felt that the narrator was easy to listen to and made the various characters very real. I could relate to Paul despite the fact that I have never lost a loved one. I loved the way you "discovered" Lexi through the eyes of Paul. A very good story!

Almost excellent.

A very good idea. His wife commits suicide, why?
On the face of it they were very happy. The only witness was the dog. If he can teach the dog to speak, then he can find the answers he deperatly needs.
At times a deeply compelling narrative although flawed.

Back-story excellent, present story mediocre

The format of this story involves a lot of flashbacks to the main character's past with his wife with splashes of the present thrown in to advance the storyline.

Unfortunately, the actual storyline is not that interesting and I found myself growing anxious waiting to get back to the flashbacks. The flashbacks are wonderful. They are well written and well executed by the narrator.

Just for the flashbacks/backstory, it's well worth listening to.

Melancholy at its finest

Wow wow wow. Read this book years ago, as a young teen and remembered it again after seeing a TikTok about tragic books. If you are having any feelings of self harm, please read with caution. A bit dry and scientific at times, but the themes are heavy and well written. I found myself crying many times thinking about how the dog must have felt. If that’s you too, give it a read. Well worth the time.

Good reader, so-so novel

The narration for this novel is excellent but the story itself is less successful. Although the book starts out beautifully written and with great insight into character, the plot goes awry and becomes unbelievable. The twists of the plot began to make me frustrated as the author forced well-drawn characters to do stupid things whose motivation is in no way accounted for by the story. If the narrator had not been so great, I would never have been able to finish the book--I wanted to stop listening after a while, but because it was still on my iPod I ended up finishing it while captive on an exercising machine. But I cannot recommend the second half of the book, though the first half was very promising. Again, the narrator was great.