The Dogs of Babel is the first choice for the

The chapters go one of two ways. A large portion of the book focuses on Paul's memories of how he and Lexy became a couple up to the final fight they had before her death. This is where the book really shines. I loved getting to learn about this fascinating woman who makes her living making masks. One thing I realized quite quickly, with her dramatic highs and lows, was that Lexy was mentally ill (I assumed bipolar). The other half of the book is a little more uneven. I really enjoyed the sections that focused on the books that Paul and Lexy owned, as what books you own say so much about you (although I was surprised that there weren't that many novels, given that this is a novel). There are other parts of the book which I feel required some serious suspension of disbelief. The concept of a linguist professor attempting to teach a dog to talk is dubious, but acceptable. There were some sections in the later section of the book involving telephone psychics, and dog mutilation cults that seemed a little far fetched to me, and diminished my enjoyment somewhat.
Despite a somewhat problematic plot, I found I enjoyed The Dogs of Babel. I felt a deep sense of sympathy for Paul, a man who was completely in love with one woman, and had to deal with the reality of her death. I am quite glad that it was chosen for the book club this month.
Rating: four stars
Length: 264 pages
Source: Lewiston Public Library
Challenges: This book is not part of any punishments
Similar book: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Other books I've read by this author: this is my first
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