Tomorrow

By: Damian Dibben

Narrated by: George Blagden

Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's summary

A winter’s night, Venice, 1815. A 217-year-old dog is searching for his lost master.

So begins the journey of Tomorrow, a dog who must travel through the courts and battlefields of Europe - and through the centuries - in search of the man who granted him immortality. His adventures take him to the London Frost Fair, the strange court of King Charles I, the wars of the Spanish succession, Versailles, the golden age of Amsterdam, and to nineteenth-century Venice.

His is a story of loyalty and determination, as Tomorrow befriends both animals and humans, falls in love (only once), marvels at the human ability to make music, despairs at their capacity for war and gains insight into both the strength and frailties of the human spirit. But Tomorrow’s journey is also a race against time. Danger stalks his path, and in the shadows lurks an old enemy. Tomorrow must find his master before their pursuer can reach him and his master disappears forever.

A spellbinding story of hope in the face of despair, Tomorrow draws us into a century-spanning tale of humanity and the unbreakable bond between two souls. After all, what is lost can surely be found…

©2018 Damian Dibben (P)2018 Penguin Books, Ltd

I did not think I was going to like this but......

Any additional comments?

I am an animal lover and very sensitive to them so most of the time I do not choose to read books about them as there's always abuse or neglect or downright cruelty. My senses just cannot take much of that. So I surprised myself when I chose "Tomorrow" and actually purchased it! It had such positive reviews, I thought perhaps this story might be different.

Little did I know how different!

I also shy away from period pieces usually so I surprised myself again. Thank goodness I actually listened to it. It was by far one of the best books I have had the privilege to experience ever! The narrator, George Blagden, enhances the story with his various voices. Each character was just a bit different and especially with women's voices, he was spectacular!

It has been two days now since I finished listening to "Tomorrow" and it still makes me smile with the memory. So good!

This is a Sad One

I generally steer clear from books about animals, or with a significant animal character, because, seemingly invariably, the animal dies in the end, and it makes me really, really sad. I overrode my usual reservation for Damian Dibben's Tomorrow because Tomorrow, according to the book's description, is an immortal dog. So he couldn't die in the end, or, I figured, if he somehow did, it might be less sad because he'd lived for centuries.

Well, I'm not going to give anything away, but Tomorrow is, indeed, an immortal dog, and this book is still very, very sad. Tomorrow's odyssey in search of his master is punctuated by his recollections of the long life he had with the man. It's really poignant, at times pretty harsh stuff. Tomorrow is a keen observer of the human condition, and does not shy from reflecting on man's capacity for good as well as his capacity for incredible cruelty.

Tomorrow makes friends with other humans, and other animals over the course of his long years. Of his animal friends, his fellow dog, Sporco, is the most memorable. This character is delightful, and their journey together is as poignant and beautifully wrought as the larger story of Tomorrow and his master. Expect this to be atmospheric, tense, funny, delightful, and ultimately heartwrenching.

If I could, I would give the story three and a half stars. This is because, at times, it really does drag. The book is long, necessarily I think, and there is certainly plenty of action, but there are moments in the story during which I found my mind wandering. And, despite this book being about a dog, one of nature's most joyful animals, I found that things fell flat a little bit, and it took me a while to put my finger on why.

I think it's because Tomorrow is so serious. There are times at which Dibben truly allows him to be a dog, and that's when this book is working at its best. But often, and perhaps it's because of his long life, Tomorrow comes across as rather joyless in a very human way, and I wanted him to retain more dogness even as he has the wisdom of centuries and an anthropomorphic sentience. This book gets heavy, and Tomorrow being a lighter (though no less uncanny and wise) character I think would have balanced things out a bit.

George Blagden does an excellent job as a narrator. It took me a while to really appreciate him, because he has such a soft, soothing voice, and during the parts in the story that dragged, his soft voice made it all the harder to not drift off. But he handles various voices and accents, and even languages, exceptionally well. I can't imagine any of the characters sounding any different from how Blagden narrated them.

All told, this was a very sad book. But I'm glad I didn't miss it. This will stick with me for a while, and yes, I may have gotten really bummed at a few points, but what a well-written, beautifully imagined (and well-researched) exploration of the nature of humanity, the nature of dogs, and the nature of love.

A genre bending masterpiece

This was by far the most creative and intelligent novel I have read/ listened to in a very long time. I wish Audible would hurry up and get George Blagden to record all of Damian Dibbens works, including the young adult novels. The prose is beautiful and captivating, the characters are sympathetic, the history dramatic. But oh what a story!

One Of The Best Stories EVER!

Poignent, filled with enticing detail, characters I cared for deeply and an ending so beautiful that I listened to it three times!

Great Story

narrator has a soothing put-you-to-sleep voice, which was hard for me since I listen in the car after a tiring day at work. otherwise this was an excellent book. great story, and it really makes me wonder if my dog knows more about me than I think he does...

Beautiful story, excellent narration

Excellent. Some similar themes to vampire novels, the role of death in life, what it would mean to be immortal, but without the blood and feeding. Strong characters. Loved the portrayal of the dog protagonist: wise, loyal, doggy, but not silly or a caricature. Loved the 16th century setting.

Fantastic distinction of the different character's voices by the narrator.

Very good!

A very different kind of book! Not sure what I expected when I got this, but I must say, I was not disappointed! Loved it!

I bought this because of the dog

I thought this was a going to be something about a dog. It seems to be about vampires or alchemists and weird revenge. Didn't finish it. It never really got going.

starts a little slow but endearing

For those who love their dogs and a little history it's an interesting and sweet story.

Unusual and captivating story

The premise of the story is unusual. I enjoyed the intertwining of history and fantasy, of life lessons and horrors of war, of friendship and purpose.
I enjoyed the Narrator but was most comfortable at an increased speed of 1.3.