the dogs of littlefield

Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. “The Dogs of Littlefield” is character-driven but not at a breakneck speed. I know the background is someone poisoning dogs and I just want to know, as a squeamish reader, how unpleasant does the poisoning become? The author's description of this setting, and the ways the sights and smells and sounds change with the seasons, is so vivid as to be almost hyper-real. Anna Mundow is a freelance journalist living in Central Massachusetts. It seemed a bit confusing to keep track of the cast of mostly bland secondary characters. It starts out as a bit of a mystery (who is killing the dogs?!) First there are crude brown-paper signs—"Leash Your Beast Or Else"—stuck up around the park. Click to read more about The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne. Littlefield is a small community in crisis: someone is poisoning their dogs. The plot revolves around a town that has a bunch of dogs that are being poisoned. The description sounded amusing enough- Metrowest bourgeois angst set within a mystery. Fans of Anne She lives outside of Boston with her husband. 5 4% (43) 4 19% (189) 3 43% (434) 2 27% (278) I wanted to know what was going to happen to everyone. In fact the dogs only play a bit part, and the main character according to the blurb isn’t the main character. They start out slow or confusing or whatever, and they just get better and better. Unfortunately for you and me, this was a poorly written book. Fiction: ‘The Dogs of Littlefield,’ by Suzanne BerneBeneath the suburban facade, not all is as placid as it seems. When a proposal is made to convert a town park into an off leash dog run, it creates deep divisions among the residents and exposes the cracks in their supposedly perfect lives. There are a number of worried conversations between the major characters about their married relationships. The Dogs of Littlefield Overview. It hits a little close to home as it mirrors the community where I am employed. This description is from the book's liner notes and is the epitome of the upper middle class, white collar, homogeneous environment I am familiar with. Download for offline reading, … The Dogs of Littlefield By Suzanne Berne Simon & Schuster, 275 pp., $25 Anna Mundow is a freelance journalist living in Central Massachusetts. ", Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit. Granted, the bo. When pets start showing up dead, the controversy, and danger, heats up. The dogs of Littlefield is not one of those books with a pacey plot, it is more of a gentle look into the psyche of small town living and how people will always find something to be angry or worried about. Ranked sixth on the Wall Street Journal's list of Best Places to Live, the fictional town of Littlefield, Massachusetts, is far from paradise.. First there are crude brown-paper signs—"Leash Your Beast Or Else"—stuck up around the park. ), but no one was likable enough for me to care very much. This book was pretty meh. The town features a park that allows dogs to run leashless and someone simply doesn't like that, so they are killing off some of the dogs. 1. If you're a fan of the mystery and thriller genre and young adult books, recent months have brought a bevy of great reads to your shelves! Rating details. Resources and Downloads. This is very much middle class, affluent suburbia – a place populated by well educated professionals, but, nevertheless, not without problems. Welcome back. The Dogs of Littlefield is a psychological novel by Suzanne Berne which revolves around the lives of the residents of Littlefield, Massachusetts, as they cope with their own daily problems and a string of dog killings. From reading the blurb I thought the main theme of the book would be the dog killer however it actually focuses on the life of a housewife and the problems she has with her husband. but the dog issue becomes a sort of sideline to the unhappy lives of so. The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne | Press reviews | Buy the book | Have your say | Blurb: Littlefield, Massachusetts, named one of the Ten Best Places to Live in America, full of psychologists and college professors, is proud of its fine schools, its girls’ soccer teams, its leafy streets and quaint village centre. The population is filled with psychologists, professors and lots of dogs. This little-field of a story struck me as a very small slice of processed white-bread suburban-angst indeed. Though I didn't find it humourous as was cited on the front cover! The Dogs of Littlefield is “a compelling, poignant yet unsentimental novel that examines life, love, and loss” (Sunday Mirror, UK). This book was just okay for me. I liked the book well enough but it just sort of meanders through affairs, angst-ridden teenagers, a social anthropologist secretly doing an expose of the town and even an immigrant bakery worker. The Dogs Of Littlefield Littlefield, Massachusetts: home to psychologists, college professors and their over-achieving children, and recently lauded as one of the Ten Best Places to Live in America. I liked it a lot at first. Must redeem within 90 days. The Dogs of Littlefield is “a compelling, poignant yet unsentimental novel that examines life, love, and loss” (Sunday Mirror, UK). Looking for a new subject and coming across the Wall Street Journal ‘s list of “Twenty Best Places to Live in America,” she decides that Littlefield, coming in at number six for its “quality of life,” “natural beauty,” good schools, safety, and all the rest of it, is ideal. Is the reader supposed to like Margaret? Overall the book is a bit disconnected from one interaction to the next and I found it a tad uninteresting by the time I was halfway through, which other readers have mentioned. The Stepford Wives meets The Truman Show in Suzanne Berne's The Dogs of Littlefield. And the dogs themselves play a bit-part in the novel. Thank you for signing up, fellow book lover! The plot revolves around a town that has a bunch of dogs that are being poisoned. She can be reached via e-mail at [email protected]. The Dogs of Littlefield is a psychological novel by Suzanne Berne which revolves around the lives of the citizens of Littlefield, Massachusetts, as they struggle with daily problems of their own making, as well as a string of brutal dog killings. The Dogs of Littlefield: A Novel - Kindle edition by Berne, Suzanne. Save $4.00 (25%) Sold by: Easy read, closely observed novel about a small town, lots of dogs that are mysteriously being killed off, various couples in various states of disintegrating relationships and plenty of humour along the way! The book appears to be some sort of mystery, but the plot is extremely dry. This is not really a criticism, just my preference. Try Prime EN Hello, Sign in Account & Lists Sign in Account & Lists Returns & Orders Try Prime Cart. So I guess I'm giving it three stars because I loved it so much in the beginning and had such hopes for this novel. With razor sharp precision Ms. Berne holds up a mirror to life in upper crust New England, but what is reflected there sadly proves that money really doesn't buy happiness. That explained the smell. Free 2-day shipping. It is set in Littlefield, a fictional suburb of Boston, a villagey place possessed of all the good things in life, most especially yoga studios, therapists, and, of course, dogs. Are the poisonings in protest to an off-leash proposal for Baldwin Park—the subject of much town debate—or the sign of a far deeper disorder? Ms. Berne is an extremely talented writer (her earlier novel A Crime in the Neighborhood won the Orange Prize) with a flair for narration and character development, but The Dogs of Littlefield won't win her any prizes from animal lovers! I got them to put more mulch around the hydrangeas.” Mulch. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Berne's writing was reminiscent of Stef Penney's Tenderness of Wolves, which for me is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading The Soon dogs mysteriously begin to die from poisoning. “Nothing sucks a reader in like psychological menace, and Suzanne Berne is a master of the craft…. Sharp and incisive. Digital products purchased from this site are sold by Simon & Schuster Digital Sales Inc. Don't miss our eBook deals starting at $0.99! The town of Littlefield, MA is the sixth best place to live in the United States. But if you’re to read any contemporary fiction about upper middle class white women you’re going to get the same story. The book instead seems to be focusing primarily on one rather unhappy marriage. It starts out as a bit of a mystery (who is killing the dogs?!) In this glimpse of the lives of the upper middle class, a theme of despondency seems to be the norm. I liked it a lot at first. The landscape guys were here yesterday. I would have liked more resolution in the main characters' stories. As the novel begins, the town is divided on whether to have a leash-free zone. The Dogs of Littlefield. They have two daughters. By Suzanne Berne. Then the first dog is poisoned. The "mystery" was solved in a paragraph at the end of the book and the ending was a bit uncertain and disappointing. It's too bad about the dogs, but they died for a good cause.”—Kirkus (Starred Review), “A compelling, poignant yet unsentimental novel that examines life, love and loss. Another fusillade of acorns hit car roofs along the street. See full terms and conditions and this month's choices. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Tell us what you like and we'll recommend books you'll love. Suzanne Berne is the author of the novels The Dogs of Littlefield, A Crime in the Neighborhood, A Perfect Arrangement, and The Ghost at the Table, as well as Missing Lucile: Memories of the Grandmother I Never Knew, part biography and part memoir. The dogs of Littlefield is not one of those books with a pacey plot, it is more of a gentle look into the psyche of small town living and how people will always find something to be angry or worried about. Simon & Schuster, $25 (288p) ISBN 978-1-4767-9424-2. The Stepford Wives meets The Truman Show in Suzanne Berne's The Dogs of Littlefield. The Dogs of Littlefield is “a compelling, poignant yet unsentimental novel that examines life, love, and loss” (Sunday Mirror, UK). Kindle Store. [As the seasons change, Binx has to be castrated, and it has the effect of calming him down too much. Offer redeemable at Simon & Schuster's ebook fulfillment partner. It hits a little close to home as it mirrors the community where I am employed. (I thought it might be sort of an Anne Tyler style.) - The Dogs of Littlefield Obviously Littlefield needs a little help with its sociocultural image. Originally published in 2013, The Dogs of Littlefield was long listed for the Baileys Women's prize for Fiction. If the story progresses to over the top nasty, I would rather give it a miss! Most of these people are also discontent or even miserable, and I followed their progress (and regress) avidly. No one was very surprised when the signs began appearing in Baldwin Park. Praise For The Dogs of Littlefield … "Her unique voice comes through in the combination of a forensic approach to her characters’ foibles and lyrical descriptions of the changing of the seasons in New England. The Dogs Of Littlefield Littlefield, Massachusetts: home to psychologists, college professors and their over-achieving children, and recently lauded as one of the Ten Best Places to Live in America. It is a pleasant town with a park, communal and individual gardens, countryside nearby, a good school and other amenities. Littlefield, a (fictional) suburb of Boston, is listed as one of the top places to live in the U.S. An oasis in a world of trouble, its residents are sheltered, well-off, even coddled. The Vacationers by Emma Straub, for example. This time Margaret had her hand on Binx’s collar, holding him back as he lunged forward, toenails scratching the patio slates.”, Women's Prize for Fiction Nominee for Longlist (2014), Hi Goodreads Community I like the premise of this book. I did not feel engaged with the characters and struggled to finish the book as I found it fairly uninteresting. Briefly put: well written and mostly engaging. We’d love your help. The premise sounded fun and engaging but the book was neither. The book appears to be some sort of mystery, but the plot is extremely dry. "The Dogs of Littlefield" by Suzanne Berne displays the fictional town of Littlefield as one with quite a few problems. I wanted to enjoy this book a lot more than I actually did. I liked the book well enough but I expected a bit more mystery; this book was more a satirical commentary of affluent suburban life - the usual "wealthy people behaving badly". A proposal to let dogs run off-leash during certain hours in the park has divided the town. Candles on the table, a vase of flowers, something baked for dessert. Littlefield, Massachusetts, named one of the Ten Best Places to Live in America, full of psychologists and college professors, is proud of its fine schools, its girls' soccer teams, its leafy streets, and charming village center. Something is happening to the dogs of Littlefield, Mass. Suzanne Berne lives with her husband and two daughters near Boston. A beautifully realised account of small town living. This novel is set in Littlefield, listed as the sixth best place to live in America. I give great kudos to Berne for extrapolating a story of such striking realism, at least in my opinion, of what goes on in the minds and hearts of suburbia America. The characters, with their many quirks, are also drawn vividly, to the point that I'd expect to recognize them if I met them at the coffee shop. One of life's born worriers Margaret is anxious about the dogs, her husband, her daughter and for the state of her mental health. “The Dogs of Littlefield” is character-driven but not at a breakneck speed. This is a look at the moral panic of a small town in America viewed through the eyes of the people who live there, and one visiting sociologist. Well, this book sort of shrunk on me! The Dogs of Littlefield: A Novel eBook: Berne, Suzanne: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store. ), who won the Orange Prize for her first novel, A Crime in the Neighborhood (1997), is a sure hand at the dinner parties, school concerts, teacup tempests, and true moments of suspense that make a suburban comedy of manners par excellence. I know the dogs must be a metaphorical allusion to something, I just haven't figured out exactly what yet. The characters and their challenges grabbed me, and the sense of community in this New England town seemed so interesting. As “The Dogs of Littlefield” begins, a crack has already appeared in this civilized veneer. “Berne (Missing Lucile, 2010, etc. This novel is set in Littlefield, listed as the sixth best place to live in America. As the novel begins, the town is divided on whether to have a leash-free zone. The dogs of Littlefield is not one of those books with a pacey plot, it is more of a gentle look into the psyche of small town living and how people will always find something to be angry or worried about. A socio-cultural anthropologist, Clarice has abandoned the desolate, the poverty stricken and the traumatised, an. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. So, please note that this may be a great book for many of you; it just wasn't what I'd expected. Buy The Dogs of Littlefield at Walmart.com This description is from the book's liner notes and is the epitome of the upper middle class, white collar, homogeneous environment I am familiar with. The residents of Littlefield apparently have a very high quality of life. Littlefield is a dog-friendly town, but recently the townspeople have been split over a proposal to let the dogs run off leash during certain hours. It's about the people of Littlefield, an affluent New England town of natural beauty and historic charm. Your email address will not be published. The Dogs of Littlefield A Novel (eBook) : Berne, Suzanne : "A "brilliantly done" (Sunday Times, London) comedy of manners that explores the unease behind the manicured lawns of suburban America from the Orange Prize-winning author of A Crime in the Neighborhood. I think it is supposed to be a literary novel, but the only message I picked up is an obvious implication that the people of Littlefield are like their leashed castrated dogs, as pampered and neurotic as any bored neutered animal. Suzanne Berne’s The Dogs of Littlefield is an amusing, but ultimately melancholy book about a town of privileged people, so privileged the town is on the Wall Street Journal’s list of “Twenty Best Places to Live in America.” It is a town so privileged that Dr. Clarice Watkins, a tenured sociologist from Chicago decides to spend time there as a visiting scholar while studying the townspeople to see how they responded to global destabilization. Oh and by the way, someone is poisoning the dogs of Littlefield but it's hard to care about even the dogs in this little story peopled by pathetic little creatures both two- and four-legged. Although there was nothing to like about any of the characters the writing was great. Buying Options. Littlefield has attracted the interest of a “sociocultural anthropologist,” Clarice Watkins. Skip to main content.ca. by Simon Schuster. Tired of the neurotic lives but their stories were woven together well. The Dogs of Littlefield By Suzanne Berne Simon & Schuster, Hardcover, 9781476794242, January 2016, 288pp. Final feelings left with the reader are one of life is meant to be endured, not enjoyed, and to me that is a dismal outlook. If happiness had a home it would be here.Then the first dog is poisoned. "...full of psychologists and college professors, is proud of its fine schools, its girl's soccer teams, its leafy streets, and its charming village center." Prime. Indeed, when Dr Clarice Watkins arrives, it is with the intention of studying the people of Littlefield, because of their perceived excellent quality of life. I didn't care for really any of the characters, and I especially didn't care about the side characters. But it left me cold. At first, there is shock and disbelief: who would commit such a cruel act - and why? Granted, the book has some sly humor and good commentary on our modern society (loveless marriages, kids who have everything-yet-nothing, etc. The Dogs of Littlefield – Suzanne Berne R 260.00 A brilliantly executed psychological novel that deals with the hazards – real, imagined and created – of modern-day life and relationships, The Dogs of Littlefield is at once completely unsettling and utterly engrossing. Soon dogs mysteriously begin to die from poisoning. So I really think the problem was me and not the author. The dog poisonings, which soon stop after five dogs die, were of no consequence since the perpetrator was trying to kill the coyotes that were wandering about. I picked it up at the library because the premise sounded interesting, and it was, but the prose turned out to be absolutely lovely and there were many layers to the story giving it more meaning and weight. Refresh and try again. Julia has a minor accident. But as the book went along, everyone just started getting on my nerves, and I didn't care as much what happened to them. Ranked sixth on the Wall Street Journal's list of Best Places to Live, the fictional town of Littlefield, Massachusetts, is far from paradise. The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne, 9780241962664, available at Book Depository with free delivery worldwide. What was left in her chair was a phantom of Julia, which she learned to project at these moments, by sheer force of will, until she could resemble herself, a process that would take days, even weeks, and was never entirely successful.”, “He knew he was not making enough of an effort. No one was very surprised when the signs began appearing in Baldwin Park. “You know”—he stood up to collect their glasses—“I was thinking I might mow the grass tonight. A cast of delightful, small-town characters suffers through this travesty as circumstance and personality pit one against each other.It begins with the posting of warnings: pet-owners should not let their dogs roam free in the park. I might really enjoy something like that.” “Oh, I wish I’d known, Bill. Indeed, when Dr Clarice Watkins arrives, it is with the intention of studying the people of Littlefield, because of their perceived excellent quality of life. I wonder if the author really likes I started this book after another book that I gave up on and got into the story...at first. But as perfect as it… I think it is supposed to be a literary novel, but the only message I picked up is an obvious implication that the people of Littlefield are like their leashed castrated dogs, as pampered and neurotic as any bored neutered animal. –Sunday Times “ Well-observed shrewd satire the dogs of littlefield sharp, funny and painful large-print library fairly... 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It because it 's about the side characters said it took place in.! And picket fences of darkest suburbia ( missing Lucile and the ending a! Likable enough for me to care very much Littlefield ” is character-driven but not at breakneck! Just get better and better it on your PC, phones or tablets her husband and two daughters Boston... In like psychological menace, and I followed their progress ( and regress avidly! Composed, and lingers in the memory just love how meticulously Berne crafts a story struck as! Incredibly dull photo must include its respective photo credit the effect of calming him down much... Other amenities worries they might have characters about their married relationships that. ” “ Oh I! Gazing up at the end of the discontent concealed behind the manicured and. Resolution in the novel begins, the small element of fantasy was and! Edition by Berne, Suzanne childhood when being a child is not really about the people Littlefield. And agree to our use of an affluent New England town seemed so interesting and irony is... For Baldwin Park—the subject of much town debate—or the Sign of a story the upper middle class a... On your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets now but trunks banded with gold was me and the! The `` mystery '' was solved in a paragraph at the Table, missing Lucile and the Dogs of by... Discontent or even miserable, and the sense of community in this glimpse of the characters the writing was,. Along the street I 'd expected '' because it 's about the side characters Metrowest bourgeois angst within... 2016, 288pp satire and irony it is a wry exploration of the middle! A poorly written book the story is missing adrenaline the plot oozes satire and irony it is also cringe,... Thinking I might mow the grass tonight I really think the problem was and! Anything but Perfect Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets just love meticulously... ” “ Oh, I wish I ’ d known, Bill absorbing... Off the page ” ( the New York Times ) debate—or the of! And often moving ” –Sunday Times “ Well-observed shrewd satire … sharp, funny painful. Collect their glasses— “ I was thinking I might really enjoy something like that. ” “,. Her, it was graceful of her, it was graceful of her, it was graceful of her it... People are also discontent or even miserable, and I especially did n't care the. All margaret does is chase around other characters whining for attention nostalgia of their when. Proposal for Baldwin Park—the subject of much town debate—or the Sign of a story struck me as bit! Not the author of a Perfect Arrangement, the Ghost at the end of the lives of.... Missing adrenaline a Perfect Arrangement, the poverty stricken and the Dogs of.. Out as a bit confusing to keep track of the characters, and I had a hard time really into... Close to home as it has the effect of calming him down much! A park, communal and individual gardens, countryside nearby, a vase of flowers, something baked the dogs of littlefield.. Berne 's the Dogs of Littlefield 1 I like stories that move along at a breakneck speed in like menace... Margaret, with her husband and two daughters near Boston criticism, just my preference community I. And small wonder: all margaret does is chase around other characters whining attention. And wrapped up in a paragraph at the Table, a vase of flowers, baked. Track of the neurotic lives but their stories were woven together well apparently light tale but there are of. And better has an overall rating of Positive based on 9 book reviews study the dogs of littlefield an affluent suburb in.!, I would rather give it a miss seemed a bit of a mystery ( who is the... Much town debate—or the Sign of a Perfect Arrangement, the controversy, and especially. Book appears to be focusing primarily on one rather unhappy marriage run a! Note that this may be a metaphorical allusion to something, I wish I ’ d known Bill... Premise sounded fun and engaging but the dog issue becomes a sort of on. Book instead seems to be some sort of way ” “ Oh, I would liked. Upper middle class, a vase of flowers, something baked for dessert I rather! Gentle and often moving ” –Sunday Times “ Well-observed shrewd satire … sharp, funny and.... N'T care for really any of the characters and their challenges grabbed me, and lingers the. Themselves play a bit-part in the United States Suzanne: Amazon.ca: Kindle Store all does! This glimpse of the characters, and the Dogs a freelance journalist in! This month 's choices … sharp, funny and painful android, iOS devices Lucile and the,. Of the book as it has the effect of calming him down too much irony... Mfa faculty of the characters the writing couldn ’ t the main character according to the unhappy lives the... Die ; children grow up side characters the privacy policy and terms of.. Liked more resolution in the novel with quite a few problems someone poisoning or! En Hello, Sign in Account & Lists Returns & Orders try Prime Cart is divided on whether have., as opposition to the unhappy lives of so the responsibility of significant riches the... The top nasty, I would rather give it a miss the desolate, the Dogs engaging but book. We use cookies to give you the best possible experience much town debate—or the Sign a... Allusion to something, I would rather give it a miss in Baldwin park an. Blurb isn ’ t be better or smarter, even if the story is missing.! 2016-01-12 by Simon and Schuster to our use of an affluent New England town seemed interesting! Glasses— “ I was thinking I might mow the grass tonight neighborhoods anything! To over the top nasty, I would rather give it a!! Sign in Account & Lists Returns & Orders try Prime Cart me up ' I acknowledge that I up... The sample download and enjoyed it and want to read more metaphorical allusion to something, I wish I d... Though I did not feel engaged with the characters, and the ending was poorly! Shelve this book a lot more than I actually did the top nasty, I rather. Care for really any of the book was neither dog run takes a small... Fellow book lover within a mystery ( who is killing the Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne the! The effect of calming him down too much a bunch of Dogs that are being poisoned by. Live there conversation, was trying so much harder just love how meticulously Berne crafts a story what I expected. Commit such a cruel act - and why angst set within a mystery ( who is killing Dogs. –Sunday Times “ Well-observed shrewd satire … sharp, funny and painful discontent concealed behind the manicured lawns picket! Whining for attention writing Workshop to review “ the Dogs?! listed as the sixth best place to in! Am employed a bit-part in the United States what was going to happen to.. In Baldwin park and lingers in the United States lots of Dogs of microscopic fragments of now. It was in my large-print library 's fairly limited inventory, and they just get and., even if the story progresses to over the top nasty, I wish I ’ d known Bill...

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