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Fifteen Dogs

(Quincunx #2)

André Alexis

3.79 · Rating details · 20,387 ratings · 2,557 reviews

It begins in a bar, like so many strange stories. The gods Hermes and Apollo argue about what would happen if animals had human intelligence, so they make a bet that leads them to grant consciousness and language to a group of dogs staying overnight at a veterinary clinic. Suddenly capable of complex thought, the dogs escape and become a pack. They are torn between those w ...more

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Paperback, 159 pages

Published November 5th 2015 by Serpent's Tail (first published March 23rd 2015)

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Oct 02, 2015 Chris rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian, made-me-cry, animal-books, read-on-kobo, hey-i-know-that-place

Woof.
Woof woof wruf wuf.
Woof woof.
Grrrr.
Wruf wuf.
Whimper.
Goddamn it. Fuck you, Apollo!
Woof wuf.
Wuf.

sobs uncontrollably

Translation to follow once I stop crying.

P.S. Wrrruuff woof Giller Prize wuf.

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Apr 01, 2015 Jennifer (aka EM) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: going-to-the-dogs, maple-flavoured

Edited: my first review was harsh. And although I stand by my overall evaluation, I don't really want to slam this little book, a Giller prize winner - and recognize that I am decidedly in the minority on it.

----------------------------

This book was disappointing. It failed for me in three main ways:

1) The authorial voice left me uninspired - I found it monotonous and entirely lacking in humour (for a book that seemed tailor-made to be chockablock with whimsy or dark comedy or both). I found tha ...more

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Dec 05, 2015 Glenn Sumi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: set-in-toronto, giller-winners, canadian

A doggone clever and moving book

If animals were granted human intelligence, would they die happier or unhappier? That’s the intriguing question at the heart of André Alexis’s imaginative novel, the most recent winner of Canada’s prestigious Giller Prize.

The gods Apollo and Hermes, dressed like hipsters and drinking Sleemans, are considering this one night at a Toronto bar. Apollo says animals with human intelligence would die even more unhappily than they would otherwise; he’s willing to bet a y ...more

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Dec 14, 2015 Jill rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If George Orwell decided to write his allegorical Animal Farm in 2015 instead of 1945, he might have come up with something like Fifteen Dogs.

On second thought, scratch that. I don’t think anyone – not George Orwell, not Paul Auster with Timbuktu, not Jack London with Call of the Wild – could ever come up with something quite this sui generis although they’ve all done some darn good writing of their own.

Fifteen Dogs is, to put it quite simply, remarkable. The premise is quirky: Zeus’s two sons, If George Orwell decided to write his allegorical Animal Farm in 2015 instead of 1945, he might have come up with something like Fifteen Dogs.

On second thought, scratch that. I don’t think anyone – not George Orwell, not Paul Auster with Timbuktu, not Jack London with Call of the Wild – could ever come up with something quite this sui generis although they’ve all done some darn good writing of their own.

Fifteen Dogs is, to put it quite simply, remarkable. The premise is quirky: Zeus’s two sons, Apollo and Hermes, come up with an extraordinary wager: they will instill select animals with human intelligence and communication skills. If, at their life’s end, any of the animals is happier than he or she might have been, Hermes is the victor, if, however, human intelligence leads to more misery than contentment, Apollo will prevail. It is decided that the fortuitous fifteen will be 15 canine patients of a nearby veterinary clinic.

At first, there’s a lot of dogs to keep straight (fortunately, the author helpfully provides a cast of characters) but eventually, the action focuses on just a few: Majnoun, a black poodle…Benjy the Beagle…and most compellingly, Prince, an amicable mutt who is also a poet. Here are some musings from Majnoun as he tries to decipher the state of being human: “What would it be like, for instance, to be unable to distinguish the smell of snow in winter from the smell of snow in early spring? What kind of world was it in which one could not, blindfolded, distinguish the great range in the taste of water or smell when a female was in heat. To be so limited? Inconceivable.”

This book is philosophical in the best of senses, dealing with concepts of individual freedom vs. pack conformity, the old ways vs. the new ways, domination vs. submission, tortured knowledge vs. mindless happiness, and more. The questions at the crux of the book are some of the most important of all time: What does it mean to be alive – to love, to think, to suffer, to feel, to communicate, to question? Where do we all – canine and human – fit into the world and when does our dedication to “who we are” rise to being unique and noble? What happens when we become strangers to our own kind…and to our very nature?

Andre Alexis weaves in a fair amount of subtle, yet laugh-out-loud humor as he inhabits the dogs’ perspectives. Yet his fifteen canines are essentially noble creatures, and he never plays a scene strictly for laughs. This is really a wonderful book. You don’t have to be a dog-lover to love it but for those of us who are, special treats are waiting.

...more

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Dec 17, 2015 Matthew Quann rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: giller-prize, alexis-quincunx, oh-canada, canada-reads

[4.5 Stars]

Second Book of Alexis' Quincunx

CANADA READS 2017 WINNER: CONGRATS TO ANDRÉ ALEXIS!

In 2000, the Baha Men famously asked, “Who let the dogs out?” Little did they know that it would be over a decade before Andre Alexis would answer that question in his Giller Prize-winning novel Fifteen Dogs.

Alright, alright, Fifteen Dogs has nothing to do with that significant piece of musical culture. The unique, heartfelt, and surprisingly philosophical Fifteen Dogs is a beautiful novel, through and [4.5 Stars]

Second Book of Alexis' Quincunx

CANADA READS 2017 WINNER: CONGRATS TO ANDRÉ ALEXIS!

In 2000, the Baha Men famously asked, “Who let the dogs out?” Little did they know that it would be over a decade before Andre Alexis would answer that question in his Giller Prize-winning novel Fifteen Dogs.

Alright, alright, Fifteen Dogs has nothing to do with that significant piece of musical culture. The unique, heartfelt, and surprisingly philosophical Fifteen Dogs is a beautiful novel, through and through. The premise is as follows: Hermes and Apollo are having a discussion over a few pints in a Toronto bar when a wager is suggested. The gods will grant fifteen dogs human intelligence and wager on the unlikely event that one of the dogs dies happy. It is then that the reader meets the titular fifteen dogs as they come into consciousness. Despite a seemingly immense cast for a novel under 200 pages, many of the dogs meet untimely ends early in the novel and a few hounds rise to be the book’s leads. The dogs’ perspectives in the novel are revelatory. These are not just dogs that can think like humans, they struggle with their canine nature amidst these newfound mental capabilities.

Though the plot may seem outlandish and slightly juvenile, the novel’s aspirations are lofty. Alexis grapples with the very questions that have plagued humanity for all of our existence (source pending): what does it mean to be human? What is love? Would we find faith without being led to it? These topics and many others are covered in believable and realistic passages as the dogs each decide on different paths in their lives. Of particular note is the humor and realism that Alexis creates as the dogs puzzle out the behavior of humans. These scenes are equal measures hilarious for the dogs’ misinterpretation of human activities and profound as the dogs come to grips that they are similar but separate from the rest of society.

I can’t honestly think of a book I’ve read that is quite like Fifteen Dogs. Alexis’ writing is confident, the characters are believable, and his situations naturalistic. The book is filled with wit, and the unique perspective of the dogs provides a reading experience that is quite unlike anything else I’ve encountered. What’s more, as far as award-winning literature goes, Fifteen Dogs is not excessively challenging, but highly rewarding. If you’re embroiled in a heavy work schedule or a daunting academic semester, Fifteen Dogs would make a fine choice.

*Update February 2017: I've decided to pass on most of this year's Canada Reads selections after being disappointed with the 2016 selections and having lots of reading on my plate. With that said, and having read none of the other selections, I'd recommend spending time with this one! ...more

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Mar 24, 2017 BookLover rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tpl, reviews, fiction, author-first-reads

Not sure what to say about this book. It did impact me deeply, though probably not for the same reasons the author intended. This was a mostly dark and bleak look at humanity. To be honest, I found it quite upsetting.

The premise of the book (a bet between gods whether 15 dogs, gifted with human consciousness, would die happy) meant seeing each dog through to it’s death. I generally don’t like stories, whether they be books, tv shows or movies, that take us on the full journey to death. It nudges ...more

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Nov 30, 2015 Paul Lima rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Okay, I'm half way through this book and I'am not sure how I lasted this long. The author obviously knows nothing about dogs. To settle a bet, two Greek gods give 15 dogs in a pound human attributes, including speech. And they pretty much all turn on each other; many die. Is this a commentary on human behavior using dogs? Whatever it is, it lacks any credibility--even with the willing suspension of disbelief. It is a poorly written book with a bunch of 'characters' who basically become assholes. ...more

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Sep 27, 2016 Hanneke rated it it was amazing

It felt like I was under a magical spell to read this novel about a pack of dogs who were granted the power of human speech and thought. The gods Apollo and Hermes made a bet on whether the fifteen dogs would end up their lifes as happy or miserable creatures. Having human thoughts and feelings proved to be mostly unfortunate, if not dangerous and bewildering for the dogs. Only a few dogs experienced friendships with humans and developed an appreciation of beauty. The majority of the dogs prefer ...more

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Jul 08, 2015 Alex rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorite-reviews, 2015

My dog can't talk. I checked again this morning. His answer to pretty much everything I say is to play bow and growl at me.

Andre Alexis's book is about fifteen dogs who can suddenly talk - and reason like humans - and it seems tailor-made for college freshmen. Alexis gets an opportunity to blitz us through Philosophy 101 as they wrestle with their new sentience (the dogs, I mean, although watching freshmen wrestle with their new sentience is also entertaining). "One of the qualities his ideal do My dog can't talk. I checked again this morning. His answer to pretty much everything I say is to play bow and growl at me.

Andre Alexis's book is about fifteen dogs who can suddenly talk - and reason like humans - and it seems tailor-made for college freshmen. Alexis gets an opportunity to blitz us through Philosophy 101 as they wrestle with their new sentience (the dogs, I mean, although watching freshmen wrestle with their new sentience is also entertaining). "One of the qualities his ideal dog possessed was being," one dog muses: "therefore the dog of dogs had to exist," and here's Anselm's ontological argument in all its inanity.

Alexis's dogs are obsessed with status, a primary theme of the book: who is humping whom? Status is not of immediate concern to me, so this theme had limited resonance. But as a guy who spends a lot of time in dog parks, I can confirm that status is of immediate concern to dogs. I'm not sure whether Alexis chose to write about dogs because he was interested in status, or to write about status because he was interested in dogs.

I do think his interest in "status" goes beyond philosophy, though. Look, you can't help but notice sentences like this: "Masters have agreed that their submissives must be bound to them with leashes and collars. If you were a master, would you keep me on a leash?" And in case you think I'm reading too much into that, Alexis goes ahead and throws a full-on human bondage sex scene right in there. Hegel has something to say about masters too, and we're not not talking about Hegel - but we're talking about sex too. There's a current of kink through this book.

It's a fast read, plenty entertaining, and it comes off as a college book. It has some neat ideas but nothing crazy deep. The squeamish may be put off by that healthy but kinky human sex scene, a variety of dog-on-dog action, and/or the many deaths: it's stated up front that dogs will die.

Not my dog, of course. My dog will live forever. Good boy. He glances at me sideways, very quickly, and then play bows. ...more

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Nov 10, 2015 Andrew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Strange that I don't want to write a review for this, because a review won't do it justice. If you're a dog lover, this book will wreck you, and I mean that in the best way possible. Astounding, heart breaking, and easily among the best books I've read this year. ...more

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Mar 28, 2015 lark benobi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015, male-identified-authors, coach-house-books

There is something immediately gripping about this novel. Its core conceit--that 15 dogs become suddenly human-like in their ability to reason and perceive their own mortality--was a very effective way to explore one of the oldest adages in philosophy: whether it's true that "the unexamined life is not worth living." The story is beautifully told. It gave me new spaces in my brain to think about some very old questions. ...more

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Mar 22, 2015 Jessica Woodbury rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, best-2015-arcs, arc-provided-by-publisher, authors-of-color, bff

This is that rare literary novel that has chops but also serious mainstream potential. The story of two gods who give a group of dogs human consciousness in a bet has a lot to say about thought and individuality and what it means to be a person and a dog. It also has a plot full of goodness and violence that keeps the reader turning pages. (I read it in 2 nights and wouldn't stop until I was finished on the second.)

The bet is whether dogs bestowed with consciousness can die happy, so of course t ...more

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Feb 04, 2015 Wanda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: good-dog, canadian-eh, read-in-2016, public-library

An interesting novel, which has obviously caught the attention of a number of Calgarians. I had to wait a very long time to get it from our public library and when I returned it this morning there were 543 people waiting their turn. It reads quickly, despite the fact that it is jam packed with ideas.

If any of you have read Jo Walton’s The Just City, this book has a similar feel, with the Ancient Greek gods intervening in the lives of 15 dogs—giving them human consciousness and wagering on whethe ...more

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Dec 05, 2015 Paul Bryant rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: novels

Hmmm, a whimsical wager by two Greek gods lounging around in a Toronto bar? Eugh. Fifteen random dogs given human intelligence to see if this will make them happier or not? Yeuchhh. So we’re not in Kansas anymore? Nope, we’re smack in the middle of Tweeville.

Alright, so when you get over those two hurdles, it then becomes sweet and quite compelling, but also confusing, irritating, incoherent and mawkish. If you want to shed tears over noble dogs leading lonely lives pining for their old owner to ...more

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Dec 10, 2016 Wendy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: dec-16

After finishing this novel last night I watched the 30 minute long video of Andre Alexis being interviewed.
Being a self proclaimed depressive fit perfectly with the type of person I imagined this author to be.
There was not an ounce of happiness in this story. (Ok possibly the very end depending on how you look at it)
I am a dog lover! If 15 dogs are going to be released from a veterinary clinic most are going to be seeking love and affection.
What we were given was a lot of violence and death.
I am ...more

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Nov 26, 2019 Claire rated it it was amazing

Shelves: best-of-2019, read-harder-2019

Fifteen Dogs blew me away. This book equally gave me Animal Farm, and Lord of the Flies vibes, while remaining something that felt incredibly original. It’s not a story for the faint hearted; the lives of these fifteen dogs are brutal and harrowing in both human and animal ways. But Alexis is unwavering in his exploration of the weight of human consciousness. This novel asks big questions about the impact of this consciousness on our interpersonal relationships, our notions of happiness and unha ...more

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Apr 16, 2017 Brad rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: about-death, canadian-lit, mythology, read-in-2017, exceeded-my-expectations, to-read-again, about-life, bronte-milos-books, about-deities

The ending of Fifteen Dogs was a no win for author and readers alike; well, some of the readers lost, and I came down on the losing side.

The problem (if one can call it that) is built right into the premise. Apollo and Hermes make a bet (and this is no spoiler since it opens the book) that, having granted human intelligence to fifteen dogs in a Toronto vet hospital, not a single one of the fifteen dogs will die happy. Apollo is on the side of unhappiness; Hermes is on the side of happiness. One ...more

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Dec 29, 2015 Chihoe Ho rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Trust a pack of dogs to tell us more about what it is that makes us human! Fifteen Dogs started off as a simple story but became more insightful with every twist and turn.

I must admit, I initially resisted this novel due to my snobbery – think about it, a story about fifteen talking dogs sounds like it could go downhill pretty quickly, doesn't it? It was foolish of me to think so as André Alexis has deftly crafted an undeniably entertaining and thought-provoking plot. It's filled with keen obse ...more

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Nov 30, 2015 Andrea McDowell rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

Oh my god. Prince and Majnoun. I am heartbroken.

I can't even describe to you how disordered and distracted I was while finishing this book.

So you've read the cover copy and you know that the premise is that Apollo and Hermes have a bet: if you give human consciousness and intelligence to fifteen dogs, will it be a curse or a blessing? Will any of them die happy, or will it make them as miserable as it makes us? And since the bet is only settled when all fifteen dogs have died--you are then trea ...more

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Apr 30, 2015 Krista rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: can-con, 2015

Apologue (ap·o·logue \ˈa-pə-ˌlog, -ˌläg)
— noun:
an allegorical narrative usually intended to convey a moral

Two Greek gods walk into a Toronto bar...and after downing a few Sleemans and riffing on the farce that is human language, Hermes and Apollo decide on a wager: They will grant human intelligence to a random group of animals, and if even one of them is happy at the moment of death, Apollo would owe his brother a year's servitude. Passing by a veterinary clinic, they bestow the “gift” to fifteen dogs that are overnighting, and nearly immediately, the animals' misery begins; with existential crises layered upon their innate behaviours like a teetering jenga tower.

The most obvious result of the gods' gift is that those dogs who decide to pack together in High Park develop a language with which to communicate with each other, and straightaway, this language is used for jokes and puns, and most significantly, one dog discovers poetry. While some of the pack become introspective when they hear Prince's poems, the dominant dogs become confused by the threat that these strange word combinations pose to their status. Like in any decent Greek apologue, tragedy ensues.

The reader understands that we must watch all fifteen dogs die – and that at least the first fourteen must die miserable – or else there is no point to the wager or the book. And so we see much violence – from humans and between the dogs themselves – along with deprivation and the particular heartbreak of watching a dog's loyalty betrayed. The gods continue to meddle, with even the Fates and Zeus himself intervening in the wager, and it becomes fairly clear that human intelligence is no gift at all. (Although, really, the biggest problems arise due to the dual nature of the dogs – they have human intelligence, yes, but retain all their dogness as well.)

Andre Alexis is a really interesting writer, and as I've seen in his earlier works, he likes to use unusual literary frameworks in his books that I, at any rate, need to have spelled out for me. Fifteen Dogs was turned on its head for me when I got to the endnotes (and so the following might be spoilery for those who haven't read it yet):

The poems in Fifteen Dogs are written in a genre invented by Francois Caradec for the OULIPO. It was invented after Francois Le Lionnais, a founder of the group, wondered if it were possible to write poetry that has meaning for both humans and animals. In Fifteen Dogs, each poem is what Caradec called a 'Poem for a dog'. That is, in each poem the name of a dog will be audible – to the listener or to the dog – if the poem is said aloud, though the name is not legible.

For instance, the name of Prince, the poet dog himself, can be found here:

Longing to be sprayed (the green snake
writhing in his master's hand),
back and forth into that stream –
jump, rinse: coat slick with soap

And this information about “poems for dogs” served to highlight the following from Hermes:

Hermes's thoughts turned to Prince. How odd that such a perceptive creature had imagined the death of a language would mean the death of its poetry. For the immortals, all true poetry existed in an eternal present, eternally new, its language undying. Having once been uttered, Prince's verse would live forever.

And so, is that the true gift of human intelligence (and, therefore, the moral)? That language leads to art which leads to immortality? At any rate, this was a highly interesting and enjoyable read (if you can “enjoy” the deaths of fifteen doggies) that gave me much to think about. ...more

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Nov 11, 2015 Imi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, animals, fantasy, 2016-top-reads, contemporary, kindle, favourites, faves-released-2010s, canadian, authors-of-colour

I wasn't expecting to be so blown away by this. It easily could have been terrible. I'm not usually a fan of novels told from a dog's perspective, which are usually overly sentimental and also require the reader to suspend disbelief at the "dog's" very undoglike thoughts. Alexis dealt with this problem thanks to the novel's imaginative and highly original premise; the Greek gods Apollo and Hermes have a bet over what will happen if you give human consciousness and intelligence to fifteen dogs. T ...more

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Mar 22, 2017 Lata rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: canlit, x2017-sff-tbr-cleanup, bipoc-author, x2017-read

Earthy, and at times lyrical, this story of a bet between Apollo and Hermes plays out in the minds and actions of several dogs in Toronto. The two gods wonder, if granted human intelligence and language, would dogs lead unhappier lives than humans. The gods then bestow said gifts upon fifteen dogs in a clinic. The results of the gods' actions play out for years, with the dogs experiencing confusion, anger, fear, sadness, and in rare cases, some happiness.
The dogs struggle to understand their wid ...more

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Jan 03, 2017 Primrose Jess rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I did not like this book, I thought carefully if I could give it a "it was ok" star ranking and I really couldn't. There was nothing I liked about it. I was left with the conclusion that the author was trying to convey major themes about humanity and the nature of humanity. He did. Yet I didn't find the reading the raw, unlikeable characteristics of humanity forced into the noble, pure nature of a dog. I'm a dog lover. There are many reasons I love dogs and their pureness of spirit is something ...more

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Feb 08, 2017 Malcolm rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was a remarkable, imaginative, thought-provoking book which examines just what sets humans apart from other animals.

Apollo and Hermes are sitting in a bar in Toronto (How's that for a start?). Shortly, the discussion turns to the nature of humanity and a bet is made regarding whether human intelligence leads to more or less "happiness". Being gods, the two find fifteen dogs kenneled in a vet clinic nearby and instill each with the intelligence of human beings. Will their new lives end in g ...more

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Aug 29, 2015 Sandra rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: doglovers, or any-kind-of-animal-lover

Shelves: 2015, animal-kingdom, favorites, fantasy

What was he, really? Where did he fit in the world? Was he waiting for Nira because it was in his nature to wait, or was his dedication unique and noble? Most days, he felt only that waiting was right. Every once in a while, however, he imagined waiting was only the expression of an instinct, something he had to do. This thought, whenever it occurred, saddened him, mere instinct being unworthy of Nira, who was not his master but, rather, a being who completed him, made him more than he w

...more

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Feb 13, 2019 Lauren rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, fantasy, audiobooks, hoopla-rentals

Oh wow, dogs! A light-hearted story about man's best friend, right?
Well, no.

It all begins with a wager. The Greek gods Hermes and Apollo take human form and are hanging out in a bar in Toronto.
.
“‘I wonder,’ said Hermes, ‘what it would be like if animals had human intelligence.’ . . . ‘I’ll wager a year’s servitude,’ said Apollo, ‘that animals — any animal you choose — would be even more unhappy than humans are, if they had human intelligence.’”
.
Fifteen dogs at a nearby kennel are the focus of th ...more

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Apr 14, 2015 Book Riot Community added it · review of another edition

Shelves: literary-fiction, swords-and-spaceships-recs

This book is both a dog lover’s dream come true- and their worst nightmare. Apollo and Hermes are hanging out and decide to have a bet on whether granting a group of dogs human intelligence would make them happy. Eventually the gods and the fates and pretty much everyone gets entangled in this story. But at its heart are the titular fifteen dogs. Poetic Prince, soulful Majnoun, gruff Atticus, and many more. It’s one of those books that manages to make grand statements about the human condition b ...more

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Sep 15, 2015 Kimbofo rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: commonwealth-fiction

André Alexis’s Fifteen Dogs has been longlisted for this year’s Giller Prize. It’s by far the oddest, and possibly most absurd, book I’ve read in a long while. Indeed, to say I didn’t much like it might be an understatement.

Under normal circumstances, I’m sure I would have abandoned this strange and unusual novella. But as some of you will no doubt know, every year since 2011 I have taken part in the Shadow Giller — chaired by KevinfromCanada — in which a group of us read and review all the boo ...more

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Mar 23, 2017 Kathleen rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: canadian-author, canadian-literature, fiction, read-in-2017, canada-reads-finalists, fantasy

FIFTEEN DOGS by Andre Alexis is only 171 pages long, and is cleverly written with stories within stories. You can quickly read this simple story about fifteen dogs and miss the deeper philosophical and metaphysical aspects.
I appreciated being able to flip to the front of the book and refresh my memory on who was Max, Majnoun, Benjy, or Lydia. There was no problem remembering which dog was Atticus.
There were a few gritty sections that I found difficult to read, but the desire to find out what is ...more

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Oct 05, 2015 Tan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: interesting-narrators, canlit

This book destroyed me in the best way possible. Read it, then hug your dog.

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Play Book Tag: Fifteen Dogs - André Alexis - 5*	6	38	Oct 29, 2020 05:16PM
Play Book Tag: [pb][flurries]Fifteen Dogs, by Andre Alexis, 3.5 stars	2	8	Oct 25, 2020 12:37PM
Play Book Tag: (Poll Ballot Tally) Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis - 4 stars	5	16	Oct 22, 2020 01:38PM
Play Book Tag: [Poll Ballot] Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis 4 stars	8	12	Jul 31, 2020 07:40AM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. From the perspective of Dogs. [s]	7	700	Apr 22, 2020 10:43AM
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About André Alexis

André Alexis

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André Alexis was born in Trinidad and grew up in Canada. His most recent novel, Fifteen Dogs, won the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. His debut novel, Childhood, won the Books in Canada First Novel Award, the Trillium Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Giller Prize and the Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. His other books include Pastoral (nominated for t ...more

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Quotes from Fifteen Dogs

“Perfect understanding between beings is no guarantor of happiness. To perfectly understand another's madness, for instance, is to be mad oneself. The veil that separates earthly beings is, at times, a tragic barrier, but it is also, at times, a great kindness.” — 24 likes

“Death was in every fibre of these creatures. It was hidden in their languages and at the root of their civilizations. You could hear it in the sounds they made and see it in the way they moved. It darkened their pleasures and lightened their despair.” — 13 likes

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