The Last Dog on Earth
By: Adrian J. Walker / Narrated By: Jonathan Aris, David John
Length: 13 hrs and 2 mins
What a surprise! What a delightful, heartrending, funny, deep, just flat-out WONDERFUL SURPRISE!!!
I admit it…
When Big Sis and I got together to discuss The Last Dog on Earth, I didn’t wait. I was not gracious. I was not patient. I did not let Sis have her say. Rather? Nooooo, I just barged in and boomed, “Wasn’t sure I was going to like this at first, but man! I LOVED IT!!!”
‘Twas okay cuz, you see, Sis loved it too…
At first? Okay, last dog on earth, the Heinz 57-mongrel, Lineker, opens the story, and upon hearing him in all his profane glory, I groaned: Oh crap, a vulgar dog—how clever—it’s. Been. Done. TO DEATH!!! And then our narrator switches, and we’re on to earnest and writing, Reg. A somewhat slob, a DEFinite recluse, and they’re both navigating life in England after a catastrophic Nationalistic takeover by the Purples, who’ll just as soon torture and kill any they deem unfit, unworthy, un-ANYthing enough as they would look at them.
The narrators, Jonathan Aris, David John were immediately absolutely wonderful. Yeh yeh yeh, swearing dog notwithstanding and all that jolly rot. Those two were not the problem. No, it was the “cleverness” of the writing, and a bit of a pacing problem as author Adrian J. Walker chose to unfold the story of England’s demise through verrrrrry slowly-developed observations both Lineker and Reg make as their days progress, ho-hum, tralala lala, keeping to themselves, keeping to the shadows, same-old, same-old. Nothing changing in their world despite the fact that society has crumbled, and the Purples patrolling, corralling, murdering, are par for the course.
EVERYTHING changes when a young girl-child shows up outside Reg’s flat, and her knocking on the door, her piteous, silent weeping, just freak him out. NOTHING changes in his life; he will NOT be suckered in by his pity for her, because his fear of her is total and complete. Even tho’ he hears an echo of his dead wife’s voice telling him to help the little girl, he ignores it and hunkers down.
But through very, very clever story-crafting, and drop-dead perfect character development, Walker has us joining Reg, Lineker, and the girl as they try to get her to safety, as they’re tested, betrayed, tortured, and challenged time after time after time as the pace most CERtainly picks up. Yes, I could only listen in fits and starts through the beginning, but by the middle? DEFINITELY by the end? Sis said it: Edge Of Your Seat Listening!
Every bit of this 13-hours is used wisely (Even the slow beginning), every minute spent showing an inner change reflected by a response to challenges, sometimes devastating challenges; every minute spent on showing just how any—and there are MANY—of the characters got to be the way they were. Things turn deeply philosophical, deeply heart-stirring, profound. Fears and phobias, love and devotion, betrayal and redemption.
And humor, so very much humor that, despite some truly horrific twists and turns, both Sis and I snorted and guffawed in this brilliantly-crafted story. A mighty chuckle, just when something horrible is about to happen? Now THAT’S literary talent, genius plotting and shaping.
Again? Both narrators knocked their performances outta the park. Profanity to go with deep thinking? Check. A little girl whose courage is found, enough to make her finally speak? Check. An older sad-sack man, riddled with doubt, holding so very tightly to pain that he refuses to look at but will carry for the entirety of the novel? Until given a chance to be brave and speak his pain? Check. Lineker finding himself challenged and changed by devastating situations, by wretched betrayals of his devotion, by discovering a wowzer of a truth? Check and check and, oh good golly gosh yessssss! check again. Brilliant performances, just spot-on! Bravo to them both.
So yeh, kinda sorta really, reeeally, reeeeeally loved this book. Despite the slow start for me, it eased into Must Listen To This NOW, Must See How They Get Outta This NOW, goshdarned quickly.
Laughter, so many tears…
Yesssss, and YES! again…!!!
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