The Lost Dog is a 2007 novel by Australian writer Michelle de Kretser.[2]
 First edition | |
| Author | Michelle de Kretser |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Ampersand Duck[1] |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Allen & Unwin, Australia |
Publication date | 2007 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 345 pp |
| ISBN | 978-1-74175-339-4 |
| OCLC | 177704074 |
| 823/.92 22 | |
| LC Class | PR9619.4.D4 L67 2007 |
| Preceded by | The Hamilton Case |
Plot
editTom Loxley is holed up in a remote bush shack trying to finish his book on Henry James when his beloved dog goes missing. In what follows the novel loops back and forth in time to take the reader on a journey into worlds far removed from the present tragedy.
Reviews
editReviewing the novel for The New Statesman, Jane Shilling noted: "Reading The Lost Dog, one is torn between contradictory urges - to race ahead, in order to find out what happens, and to linger in admiration of de Kretser's ravishing style."[3]
In The Guardian, Carmen Callil stated her opinion upfront: "This is my favourite kind of novel. It is full of incident and character, tells a gripping story, has many touches of brilliance and can make you laugh and wonder. But it is also mightily flawed...These lapses aside, the language is full of light, colour and precise observation and, better still, the author can handle ethical and political concerns with a light touch."[4]
Awards
edit| Year | Award | Result | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | ALS Gold Medal | — | Won | [5] |
| Australia-Asia Literary Award | — | longlisted | [6] | |
| Barbara Jefferis Award | — | Shortlisted | [7] | |
| Commonwealth Writers' Prize | South East Asia and South Pacific Region, Best Book | Shortlisted | [8] | |
| Man Booker Prize | — | Longlisted | [9] | |
| New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards | Book of the Year | Won | [10] | |
| Christina Stead Prize for Fiction | Won | [10] | ||
| Victorian Premier's Literary Award | Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction | Shortlisted | [11] | |
References
edit- ^ "Ampersand Duck: Covering the story". 23 November 2007.
- ^ National Library of Australia - The Lost Dog by Michelle de Kretser
- ^ "Mourning and loss" by Jane Shilling, The New Statesman, 5 June 2005
- ^ "When a dog goes walkabout" by Carmen Callil, The Guardian, 27 July 2008
- ^ "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ ""Rich pickings for Malouf"". The Age, 22 November 2008. ProQuest 364045054. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ ""Novelist wins prize for 'empowering women'"". Weekend Australian, 29 March 2008. ProQuest 356125967. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ ""Writers' prize short list is long on Aussies"". The Australian, 14 february 2008. ProQuest 356978669. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ ""The Man Book Prize 2008"". The Booker Prizes. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ a b ""Lost Dog wins NSW literary gong"". AAP Bulletin Wire 2, 19 May 2008. ProQuest 455573294. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- ^ ""Victorian Premier's Literary Awards", Literary Festivals". Archived from the original on 30 May 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2024.