The Labrador Pact

By: Matt Haig

Narrated by: Simon Jones

The story of a family in crisis and the loyal dog that holds them together, from the witty, imaginative author of The Dead Fathers Club.

The Hunters - Adam, Kate, and their children Hal and Charlotte - are a typical family, with typical concerns: work, money, love, the trials of adolescence. What sets them apart is Prince, their black Labrador.

Prince is an earnest and determined young dog. He strives to live up to the tenets of the Labrador Pact: Duty Over All. Other dogs, led by the springer spaniels, have revolted, but Prince takes his responsibilities seriously. As things in the Hunter family begin to go awry - marital breakdown, rowdy teenage parties, attempted suicide - he uses every canine resource to keep the clan together. In the end, Prince must choose: the family or the Pact? His decision may cost him everything.

Wry, perceptive, and heartbreaking, The Labrador Pactis a cunning and original take on domestic life, with an improbably poignant narrator.

©2004 Matt Haig (P)2008 HighBridge Company. Recorded by arrangement with Viking, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Critic reviews

"Clearly destined to become a cult hit. I only wish my dog had thought of it first." (Daily Mail)
"Highly engrossing, hilarious yet heart-breaking." (Ink Magazine)
"A comic tour de force." (The Times of London)

Provokes thought about human nature. Depressing.

As a black lab owner it was a depressing read. It also left me disappointed in people and portrayed major weaknesses in character and relationships. Not a book for those looking for inspiration or a good pet story.

Not my favorite by Matt Haig

Odd really, interesting story from the animal's perspectives...but could have done without the vulgarity.
It's really rather dark, unfortunate and I didn't care for the direction the story took nor the ending.

tough ending

I knew what I was getting into, but
spoilers:

they killed him for the stupidest reason....

Spoiler alert! All reviews bad ending

Yes the ending a lazy trick for the writer who I thoroughly enjoyed until then!

Euthanizing good old prince was not the right ending . I have been through the dog-bite euthanasia dance and I doubt the dog would have been put fown had it been a family member bitten, The book needs the dog’s man friend to go look up municipal codes snd go through a hearing, or at least have a fence sunk in the yard fitsas required in my town.

Heart wrenching

I enjoy books from the animal’s POV, even though I know going into it that there usually isn’t a happy ending. You know from the first chapter what the outcome is, and the book is about how it gets to that point. I loved Prince, and there were some funny parts. One of my favorites was when he tried to protect one of the kids, and he said, “I have to do something. I know, I’ll shit on the floor.” I just wish the ending could have been different.