Book description
A stunning novel which examines our fears, prejudices and desires, from
the author of 'Ghost MacIndoe' and 'Invisible'.
On a beach in southern England, a dog returns to its owner with a human
hand in its mouth. The hand belongs to a homeless eccentric named Henry,
who has been wandering the south-west of England for the last thirty
years. As the local policeman and his accomplice piece together Henry's
movements prior to his death, talking to those who knew and watched him,
they uncover an extraordinary life. And as the story of Henry's life
becomes clearer, so the life of the narrator becomes more and more
complex, in ways he could never have expected.
'So He Takes the Dog' is a detective story like no other, a novel that
further confirms Jonathan Buckley as one of the finest writers at work
in this country. 'Brave, unsettling and brilliant.' Independent
'Buckley manages [his story] with aplomb. There are some lovely,
slightly unsettling images and a real sense of the rhythms of suburban
life…George Orwell would almost certainly have approved.' Observer
'Beautifully quiet…“So He Takes the Dog” is a testament to the power of
the modest, the gracefulness of the still.' Patrick Ness, Guardian
'A hugely satisfying read.' Daily Express
'Buckley is expert at stringing together the tiny dramas of individual
lives.' Daily Mail
'Buckley's novel is subtle and gently paced after the shock of a
visceral opening…He writes with real compassion about both the victim
and those touched by their proximity to human despair…The result is
intensely moving and haunting. These fractured lives are too close to
our own to make for comfortable reading, but it is testament to
Buckley's writing that we can't look away.' Time Out
'A very well written and beautifully observed piece of work…Buckley has
a rare talent for putting the oddities of modern day life into the
spotlight.' Irish News
'Affecting, carefully crafted, quietly tumultuous. The elusiveness of
our emotionally stunted sleuth is its greatest achievement.' Times
Literary Supplement Jonathan Buckley lives in Brighton. He is the
author of four previous novels, 'The Biography of Thomas Lang' (1997),
'Xerxes' (1999), 'Ghost MacIndoe' (2001) and 'Invisible' (2004).
