It begins in a bar, like so many strange stories. The gods Hermes and Apollo argue about what would happen if animals had human intelligence, so they make a bet that leads them to grant consciousness and language to a group of dogs staying overnight at a veterinary clinic.
Suddenly capable of complex thought, the dogs escape and become a pack. They are torn between those who resist the new ways of thinking, preferring the old 'dog' ways, and those who embrace the change. The gods watch from above as the dogs venture into unfamiliar territory, as they become divided among themselves, as each struggles with new thoughts and feelings. Wily Benjy moves from home to home, Prince becomes a poet, and Majnoun forges a relationship with a kind couple that stops even the Fates in their tracks.
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One evening in Toronto, the gods Apollo and Hermes were at the Wheat Sheaf Tavern.
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(Serpent's Tail, 5 November 2015, e-book, 175 pages, borrowed from Glasgow Libraries via OverDrive, #POPOSUGARReadingChallenge, a book with a pet character)
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I really enjoyed Fifteen Dogs. I'd no idea what the book was about before I read it and chose it a random as it fit the Popsugar prompt. I loved the concept of the book; the gods grant human intelligence to dogs on a whim and sit back to bask in the consequences. The book is quite dark at times, as one of the dogs Atticus and his weaker followers decide to get rid of some dogs they perceive as a threat. There are some lighter moments in the book as some of the dogs find happiness and love. I liked this book a lot.
