I've never been much of a dog person. I will admit that, as I've gotten older, I've become more tolerant of dogs. In fact, a relative of mine has had a very hyperactive dog for the past eight years. But now that the dog has matured some, he's calmed and doesn't act quite as crazed when he sees me. The dog and I understand each other now, and he allows me to pet him. But I digress...
"I Thought You Were Dead" is a novel about a man, Paul Gustavson, at a crossroads in his life. He's divorced, a little depressed, drinks too much, and he's uncertain where his relationship with his new girlfriend, Tamsen, is going. To top it off, his father just had a massive stroke. Paul's world is crumbling all around him, but luckily, he has a voice of reason...a Jiminy Cricket-like conscience...in his half Lab/half German shepherd Stella. In the beginning of the book, the reader may think, "Okay, Paul is crazy...he can hear his dog talking to him." But as the book continues and Stella's advice to Paul makes sense, you forget that it's his pet and not a human. Regardless, Stella has been the one constant thing throughout the last 16 years of Paul's life, having survived the divorce and witness the ups and downs of Paul's relationship with his parents and siblings. The book is deep, and unfortunately, it takes a few heart-wrenching events in Paul's life to get him on the path to cleaning up everything.
So, as I said in the beginning, I'm not much of a dog person. But this book could easily make me one. Stella was one of the most entertaining characters I've read in a novel in quite some time. For me to just mention her as Paul's pet above is wrong...she's his best friend. Through her wisdom, Paul is able to restructure and rebuild his life. That's what this book is about...not a miserable guy and his dog, but a man picking up the pieces when everything seems broken.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Til next time,
Matthew
