Books for adults distributing animals as main characters are hard to written good, without becoming too cliché and attributing to the four-feet intentions and emotions the humans may be openly express as well. My favorite so far is Timbuktu by Paul Auster, a short and very emotional novel about a dog about to become homeless as his human is dying.
But I have a new favorite though: Temps de Chien/Dog Days by Cameroon-born and German-educated Patrice Nganang. The main character of the book and the first-person storyteller is the dog philosopher Mboudjak, a chronicler of the daily human fights and interactions in Yaoundé, Cameroon´s capital city.
From his low standpoint he is looking up to the human misery, their cheating and fighting and murderous intentions and sometimes facts. Although he is more than a simple observer, and he is intensely experiencing his human stories, Mboudjak prefers to stay in his corner and notice the humans, with humour yet healthy distance.
He is also documenting the torments on the streets of Yaoundé, the political and social struggle, the corruption and the inequities. But everything with a smile and some good laughs too. In the original French version, the book is intense, with vivid dialogues and puns.
And if you thought dog´s life is hard, then you should try at least once to change seats with a dog and notice what really means to be a human...
Rating: 4 stars
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