"Fifteen Dogs" is the first book chosen by the WACC for Whitevale Reads.
Written by Andre Alexis, it won the prestigious Giller Prize in 2015.

Says Alexis, "The idea for Fifteen Dogs came to me after watching Pier Paolo Pasolini's film Teorema. In Teorema, a god comes down to earth, interacts with and influences a family and then leaves them, and we watch the result of that bereavement. I really, really liked that, and I wanted to re-write that story in some way. The situation that Fifteen Dogs describes, the gods influencing the dogs, was one that was particularly vivid to me because I have a love for animals, but maybe even more particularly because I have a love for animal stories."

As the parable begins, Hermes and Apollo bet on the outcome of giving animals human consciousness. They choose to test their bet 15 dogs spending the night in the back of a Toronto animal clinic.

“ I wonder, said Hermes, what it would be like if animals had human intelligence.
– I wonder if they’d be as unhappy as humans, Apollo answered.
– Some humans are unhappy; others aren’t. Their intelligence is a difficult gift.
– 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.
– An earth year? I’ll take that bet, said Hermes, but on condition that if, at the end of its life, even one of the creatures is happy, I win.”

The canine creatures they have chosen for their bet are 15 dogs, who for different reasons, have had to spend the night in a veterinary clinic. As described by Alexis, these dogs are different in breed, size and personality:

AGATHA, an old Labradoodle
ATHENA, a brown teacup Poodle
ATTICUS, an imposing Neapolitan Mastiff, with cascading jowls
BELLA, a Great Dane, Athena’s closest pack mate
BENJY, a resourceful and conniving Beagle
BOBBIE, an unfortunate Duck Toller
DOUGIE, a Schnauzer, friend to Benjy
FRICK, a Labrador Retriever
FRACK, a Labrador Retriever, Frick’s litter mate
LYDIA, a Whippet and Weimaraner cross, tormented and nervous
MAJNOUN, a black Poodle, briefly referred to as ‘Lord Jim’ or simply ‘Jim’
“MAX, a mutt who detests poetry
PRINCE, a mutt who composes poetry, also called Russell or Elvis
RONALDINHO, a mutt who deplores the condescension of humans
ROSIE, a German Shepherd bitch, close to Atticus”

The book is an easy read but has deeper layers and implications that one first realizes. The author makes us see (and smell) well-known Toronto landmarks through the eyes and noses of the dogs, and  their newly acquired consciousness and intelligence seem to create more problems than they solve. Some dogs start to question their dependence on humans; one even starts to write poetry, shocking those in the group intent on continuing to live the traditional life of dogs. Survival instinct and acceptance of the domination of the strongest,  which are fundamental in highly hierarchical dogs' groups, are now threatened by new, too human, feelings: jealousy, competition, contempt and hate that lead to the formation of alliances and friendships, and ultimately to betrayals and murders.

I will add links and additional comments but I invite you in the meantime to contribute your comments, positive or not, with some explanations of why you are enjoying/enjoyed the book or not.
We will meet in the evening of April 16 at the WACC for discussion and refreshment.
Check www.whitevaleacc.ca for more information.