Cave Canem
Dog tale 1: In Imperium, the new bestseller by Robert Harris, Cicero's letters to Pompey go unanswered, which leads Quintus, the orator's younger brother, to rail against the great soldier's ingratitude, but Cicero is fatalistic: "If it is gratitude you want, get a dog."
Dog tale 2: Brutal frankness, especially concerning human idiocy, is one of hallmarks of The Possibility of an Island by Michel Houellebecq: "Not only are dogs in themselves a subject of permanent wonderment, but they constitute for humans an excellent subject of conversation," says the narrator of the novel.
Comments
Another dog bite in "Imperium": Cicero takes a swipe at pacifism when he remarks that "Many a cultured house is protected by a savage dog."
Posted by: roger barlowe | November 2, 2006 3:16 PM