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I post on Monday with an occasional random blog thrown in for good measure. I do my best to answer all comments via email and visit around on the days I post.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

D is for Dogs



For this, my third year doing the challenge, I am going literary. For every letter of the alphabet I will talk about a book, an author or a character from fiction or myth that made an impression, was inspirational, or caused me to think.




I was into dog stories, but not your sissy Lassie types. Nope, not me. As I've mentioned in past posts the first book that I can remember making me cry was Jack London's Call of the Wild. I was around eight when I read the Classics Illustrated addition, maybe ten when I read the book. Both times I sobbed at the end. I still do. Obviously, Call of the Wild lead to White Fang.







Which was followed closely by Kazan the Wolf Dog.














On the heels of Kazan came the Silver Chief series. This is a picture of the book I still have. It's got my name and address in it and everything.

It seems kind of odd that a little girl in the tropics would be taken by wolf-dog stories that mostly take place in Alaska or Canada.

Maybe it was precisely because the setting was so different that I was attracted to them. Maybe it was because the dogs were so different from our ornery family mutt. And yet they were similar. They were fearless, and so was our dog Happy.




Then came Farley Mowat's book, The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. This was the first true story of a dog I ever read. Talk about bawling at the end.


In high school I read Mowat's, Never Cry Wolf. 


One of my goals is to write a novel about our dog Happy. He personality was so huge. As it is, he makes an appearance in my novel, A Lizard's Tail. But it's not enough, he deserves a book of his own. 



D is for Dogs Other D influences: The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire


25 comments:

  1. Hi, I really enjoyed your post! Trying to get to as many as I can, really hopping around . ha ha.
    I am a retired librarian (elem. school) and have always loved books about dogs, too. Even Lassie Come Home. Have you ever read the children's book, "The Dog Who Thought He Was a Boy"? My kids loved hearing that one. It is a picture book but very entertaining. Can't remember the author, though.
    Best regards to you,
    Ruby

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  2. I rather liked Lassie stories. I can't cope with dog stories that are too sad. I do love dogs.
    A to Z of Nostalgia

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  3. great post! makes me want a highly-trained dog (not one that I have to train, one that already is).

    will be back to read more!

    best,
    MOV

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  4. Great choice. I used to read a ton of books when I was a girl about dogs.

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  5. I like title The Dog Who Wouldn't Be. I luv Call of The Wild too. Haven't read it or White Fang in quite awhile. Thanks for a great reminder.

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  6. Great choices, Bish! Jack London was awesome! My dad loved to read his books.

    I hope you write the book about Happy. It has got to be read by the masses, pal. :-)

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  7. I admire all those doing the A-Z challenge.

    Your post makes me love my dogs even more. I didn't read a lot of books about them growing up, but I plan to buy a few for my child.

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  8. Hi, from another A to Z blogger. Dog books make me cry. Cat books, too. My favorite animal character from childhood was Bambi. Now it's the library cat.

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  9. I have recently read Jack London's White Fang (free download on Kindle). It's a masterpiece written from the wolf's point of view. Otherwise Roy Hatersley's Buster is a favourite of mine. Marley and me rates highly with my daughter.

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  10. Bish, I have to read happy dog stories. Call of the Wild did me in and I couldn't touch another. Now my idea of a dog story is the movie... Beverly Hills Chihuahua. I even cried when she was lost in Mexico wearing only one booty. :)

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  11. Hurray for dogs! I loved reading stories about animals, but I had such a hard time when bad things happened to them. Still do. Great post, Bish.

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  12. I like dogs in stories but I don't think I've ever read a story where the dog is the central character. Well, maybe I did read Call of the Wild when I was younger.

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  13. Let's hear it for those dogs! I love a good dog story. These look wonderful.

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  14. I loved loved LOVED Call of the Wild as a kid. It's one of those books that brings back instant memories.

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  15. I think I read one Silver Chief book. I wasn't the girl who loved animal stories, but I would read whatever was lying around.

    Erin

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  16. I like dogs, but haven't had one since childhood, nor have I read a story recently that has one.

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  17. There are so many great books out there with dogs as the character/s...I have so mny favorites.
    :) Good D word!

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  18. Like that book cover of Kazan.

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  19. I really liked Lassie. Great theme for the A-Z and nice to meet you:)

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  20. Never heard of Kazan, although I've read most of Jack London's books.

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  21. I have been going to re-read Call of the Wild. I don't remember it at all. Now because of your post about dogs, I just might!
    Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror & Other Memoirs

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  22. Dogs have to be the most popular animal in literature.

    Great post.

    now following,
    mood
    Moody Writing

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  23. I loved The Call of the Wild and White Fang, too. I want to read both again one of these days. I've never read those other dog stories. But I do love dog stories. A lot. I loved Old Yeller and one of my all time favorites is Stoned Fox. Yes, you have to write a book about Happy. Definitely!

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  24. Hi Bish - I once wrote a paper for university on dogs and their presence in Michael Ondaatje poetry. Now there is a guy who loves dogs! I love the dogs that show up randomly in books - I'm a doggy gal - gotta love Farley being a Canuck and all...

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  25. I can't remember all the dog stories I've read. I do recall that some of them made me cry. I did read several stories by Jack London.

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