Deserves to be a classic

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	• Dogsbody William Morrow, 1977 average customer review:based on 44 reviews
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highly recommended

One of the Best...

I found this book at my local bookstore way back in the summer of 1979--I read and re-read it until it finally, sadly, fell apart. What a treat it is to see it listed here on Amazon, with so many rave reviews. I agree with a comment made by another reviewer, that Diana Wynne Jones is one of the more underrated authors of children's literature, particularly of fantasy/science fiction. The story shows a complexity not normally found in books aimed at the "tween" set, a delight also in that it can be enjoyed by older children and adults as well. In a personal note, it bears the distinction of being the only book which inspired me to write to the author (back in 1980), to thank her for penning such a wonderful novel.

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Not Free SF Reader

The dog star Sirius has been a bad dog star. His punishment is that he gets to be an actual real life furry mutt, instead of the stellar variety.

Sent to earth, he ends up in the creek when a young girl rescues him, and raises the puppy as her own.

The dog star has a quest to fulfill and an item to find until he gets to be a star again.

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Incredibly Engrossing!

I actually stumbled upon this book in Barnes and Noble, and remembered seeing a friend of mine reading it a couple years ago. She has good taste in books, so picking it up I was immediately attracted by it's beautiful cover-art. Following my mother to a fabric store afterwards, I began to read. And honestly, it was extremely difficult to put down. I found the end to be slightly confusing, but that is hardly worth mentioning. If you're on the fence about buying this book, I definitely recommend purchasing it. You won't regret it! The characters are well defined and I love seeing their unique reactions to the dog. Sirius is a lovable character as is the young girl who keeps him.

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A Star Among Us

Imagine that the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, and every stellar body in the sky are alive and conscious, possessed by great spirit beings known as "illuminaries." This is the story about one of the greatest of such entities, Sirius - the Dogstar.

Notorious for his fiery temper, Sirius is unjustly found guilty by his celestial peers for the murder of another illuminary. Their sentence upon him is unusual and involves a mission: The murder weapon, the "zoi," has landed on the Earth. Sirius is to locate and retrieve this thing that has the unfathomable power to destroy suns. His judges, however, make sure that it will not be such an easy task. Part of Sirius' sentence is to be born on Earth as one of that sphere's creatures, a dog. Upon his birth he will have the time of a dog's lifespan to locate and retrieve the zoi. Otherwise he will die as a common earth animal and his spirit will cease to exist.

Born into an unwanted litter of white-furred and green-eyed Labrador mixed breeds, he is soon after tossed into the water with the other pups to die. Fortunately he is saved by Kathleen, a lonely Irish Catholic girl who is shunned and mistreated by the English relatives she is forced to stay with while her father does time in prison. Naming him Leo, Kathleen is at the start Sirius' only protector, while he is her only friend. Duffie, her uncle's wife, is a mean-spirited menace for both of them, constantly threatening to have the dog put down and turning Kathleen out into the streets.

Although in the beginning Leo/Sirius is barely aware of his preternatural origins, certain memories and ideas begin to enter and alter his dog mind. After some initial hostility (of course) with Tibbles the housecat and her two sons, the three felines soon befriend the canine and show him ways of getting around --and out of-- the house. In his daily travels away from the house he is soon aided by Sol, the illuminary of our own sun, and the spirits of the Earth and Moon. He also encounters a mysterious pack of sinister dogs looking very much like him. As he remembers more of his former existence and his mission, Sirius becomes conflicted with many complicating factors which stall his goal. He must deal with the biological and instinctual urges of his dog nature. And, most importantly, he is torn by the desire to remain with Kathleen, giving her the love and sense of security she desperately needs.

Immediately after reading C. McCallister's excellent review of DOGSBODY I wanted to get this book. I'm glad to say that I was not disappointed. Diana Wynne Jones has written a charming but bittersweet story that will appeal to both children and adults. Sci-fi, fantasy, even murder mystery fans have reason to read and enjoy this book. The characters --human, animal and celestial-- have a complexity of personality rarely seen in stories such as this.

After reading this book, you will never look at a bright eyed, tongue flapping mutt like you used to do.

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Deserves to be a classic

Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones was an absolute page-turner. I was completely immersed within the first few pages of the book. It's certainly a unique concept: the book begins with the star Sirius on trial for a crime he claims he didn't commit. Found guilty, he is sentenced to life in a single solar system, where he will have the opportunity to put things right. If he succeeds, he will be restored to his astral position; if he doesn't, he will live out his alloted lifespan and die. The fates having a sense of humor, he's born on Earth as a dog. And the story presents a dog's view of life masterfully. The book was written in 1975, but is timeless--the humans characters could as easily move through this century as the last. There's an underdog appeal in the story of Kathleen, the human who champions and cares for Sirius as he grows. The daughter of an IRA terrorist, she is the unwanted/misused ward of her English relatives. Readers will likely care for this girl as much as the protagonist. I've read several of the author's books before, most recently _Howl's Moving Castle_, and find that this book, like that, is appropriate for young adult readers without being dumbed down or prettied up for them. I finished it in a day, and immediately set it into the "to read" pile of my 9-year-old son.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

The Dog Star, Sirius, is tried for murder by his heavenly peers and found guilty. His sentence: to be reborn on Earth as a dog until such time as he carries out the seemingly impossible mission imposed on him.

In his Earth guise, Sirius, renamed Leo, truly lives a dog's life. Although he is the pet of a girl who loves him, both child and dog are mistreated by the family with whom they live. But the worldly obstacles Leo faces are minor when compared with his chilling encounters with the Dark Powers that are set against him. His quest seems hopeless until at lost Sol, Moon, and Earth itself come to his aid.

Dogsbody is a tense, exciting, sciencefiction fantasy, a thriller, and a touching dog story all in one.

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