Dogs and Monsters

(Paperback)

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From the bestselling author of The Porpoise come eight mesmerising stories moving between Greek myth and the near future to explore what, ultimately, makes us human The bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time weaves ancient fables into fresh, unexpected forms and forges new unforgettable legends. 'A marvel of a collection' Kaliane Bradley, author of The Ministry of Time 'A consummate storyteller' New York Times The myth of the Minotaur in his labyrinth is turned into a wrenching parable of maternal love - and of the monstrosities of patriarchy. The lover of a goddess, Tithonus, is gifted eternal life but without eternal youth. Actaeon, changed into a stag after glimpsing the naked Diana and torn to pieces by his hunting dogs, becomes a visceral metaphor about how humans use and misuse animals. From genetic engineering to the eternal complications of family, Haddon showcases how we are subject to the same elemental forces that obsessed the Greeks, as he reimagines stories from Laika the Soviet space dog on her fateful orbit to St Anthony wrestling with loneliness in the desert. 'In sentences as precisely cut as paper sculptures, Mark Haddon fits ancient myth to the cruelties and wonders of the present' Francis Spufford, author of Cahokia Jazz

Reviews

'A marvel of a collection - suffused with curiosity, humanity and mystery, bold in its scope and virtuoso in its telling. Mark Haddon makes stories matter' * Kaliane Bradley *
'In sentences as precisely cut as paper sculptures, Mark Haddon fits ancient myth to the cruelties and wonders of the present' * Francis Spufford *
'Timeless spins on classic Greek myths . . . [Haddon] seems to be toying with the essence of storytelling, the way that it has persevered and sustained itself through the ages . . . The times may change but the stories remain the same in this ambitious, eclectic collection' * Kirkus *
Im looking forward to this Haddon is reliably excellent * New Scientist *
These delicately worked and impressively patient stories show us what other visions might reveal themselves when we are not in too much of a hurry to get to the end * Observer *
A gripping exploration of narratives and those who control themThe tight prose and descriptive range are remarkable There isnt much room for redemption in this wise, immersive book: but with a faithful mutt by your side, youll (usually) be all right in the end * Spectator *
Breathing new life into myths, Haddon heads into the labyrinth in this impressive collection which tackles transformation and transmutation * Daily Mail *
Compelling Haddons writing, [is] always rock solid and frequently luminous All [the stories] are complex, surprising, evocative and richly entertaining * Guardian *
Haddon follows his imagination from the human into the animal realm and beyond, into the divine [in these] supple and emotionally involving tales * Times Literary Supplement *
Eight engrossing, inventive retellings of myths Dogs feature throughout, and it is humans who are the monsters. Highly recommended * Mail on Sunday *
[Haddon] moulds myths and fables into vivid new shapes * Guardian, *Books of the Year* *

Author Bio

Mark Haddon is a writer and artist. His bestselling novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, was published simultaneously by Jonathan Cape and David Fickling in 2003. It won seventeen literary prizes, including the Whitbread Award. In 2012, a stage adaptation by Simon Stephens was produced by the National Theatre and went on to win 7 Olivier Awards in 2013 and the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play. In 2005 his poetry collection, The Talking Horse and the Sad Girl and the Village Under the Sea, was published by Picador, and his play, Polar Bears, was produced by the Donmar Warehouse in 2010. The Pier Falls, a collection of short stories, was also published by Cape in 2016. To commemorate the centenary of the Hogarth Press he wrote and illustrated a short story that appeared alongside Virginia Woolf's first story for the press in Two Stories (Hogarth, 2017). His most recent novel, The Porpoise, was published by Chatto & Windus in 2019.