Search - Dogsbody

I found this book at my local bookstore way back in the summer of 1979--I read and re-read it until it finally, sadly, fell apart. What a treat it is to see it listed here on Amazon, with so many rave reviews. I agree with a comment made by another reviewer, that Diana Wynne Jones is one of the more underrated authors of children's literature, particularly of fantasy/science fiction. The story shows a complexity not normally found in books aimed at the "tween" set, a delight also in that it can be enjoyed by older children and adults as well. In a personal note, it bears the distinction of being the only book which inspired me to write to the author (back in 1980), to thank her for penning such a wonderful novel.

Oh, I REALLY enjoyed this book! Though this is targeted toward the young adult market, I think it is a story for all ages! The premise of a celestial being trapped in the body of a dog on Earth is definitely unique, but the way it is written, though it is a fantasy novel at heart, there are a lot of realistic details about a dog's life. Anyone looking for a unique spin on a dog book would definitely enjoy this! The dog/star's perspective was wonderful and just completely unlike anything else I have ever read. A wonderful, mythic sort of tale... just terrific!

I liked the last Diana Wynne Jones books I read so much that I was eager to pick this one up, especially since it had won some award or other (checking…) OK, it was an ALA Notable Book and “Commended” by the Carnegie Medal. Fine. However, unlike many of Wynne Jones’ stories, I felt that this was definitely a ‘kids’ book.. I would recommend that any small child who has a dog read it for the insights into how a pet dog thinks. But I didn’t really get into it that much.
The story is that Sirius, the Dog Star, is condemned by a court of his fellow luminaries for an alleged crime, and is sentenced to live out his life in the body of a dog, here on earth. He’s born into the form of a puppy which gets adopted by a young Irish girl, Kathleen, and becomes torn between helping her in her bad home situation and remembering/trying to accomplish the quest that has been assigned to him on earth, to find a lost object of power and redeem himself in the view of his peers.
As I said, it’s very effective in recreating the thought processes of a dog, but the story wasn’t really complex or sophisticated enough to find satisfying, for me.