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LONGLISTED FOR THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE 2014SHORTLISTED FOR THE BOLINGER EVERYMAN WODEHOUSE PRIZE FOR COMIC FICTIONThe first novel from Joseph O’Neill since NETHERLAND.‘O’Neill, in this book, has come of age as a novelist … a comic masterpiece … as mordantly funny as the best of stand-up comedy … Superb’ John Banville, New York Review of BooksIn 2007, a New York attorney bumps into an old college buddy – and accepts his friend’s offer of a job in Dubai, as the overseer of an enormous family fortune. Haunted by the collapse of his relationship and hoping for a fresh start, our strange hero begins to suspect that he has exchanged one inferno for another.A funny and wholly original work of international literature, ‘The Dog’ is led by a brilliantly entertaining anti-hero. Imprisoned by his endless powers of reasoning, hemmed in by the ethical demands of globalized life, he is fatefully drawn towards the only logical response to our confounding epoch.
A disillusioned New York attorney attempts to escape the wreckage of his personal life by accepting a high-stakes position managing a family fortune in Dubai, only to find himself trapped in a labyrinth of moral and professional absurdity. The protagonist, a man defined by his paralyzing capacity for over-analysis, navigates the alienating landscape of a hyper-capitalist city where his attempts to exert control consistently backfire. His narrative, delivered through a detached and hyper-rational first-person perspective, chronicles his descent into a state of existential paralysis. As he encounters the eccentricities of his employers and the bizarre social codes of his new environment, he is forced to confront the limitations of his own logic in a world that defies rational explanation.
Critical reception for this work highlights its sharp, satirical edge and the author's ability to craft a compellingly difficult protagonist. Reviewers frequently note the novel's mordant humor and its success in capturing the alienation inherent in globalized, high-stakes environments. The prose is often praised for its intellectual rigor and the protagonist's unique, albeit frustrating, voice. Readers and critics alike have identified the book as a significant exploration of contemporary malaise, noting that the narrative's slow-burn intensity rewards those who appreciate character-driven psychological studies.
Page Count:
256
Publication Date:
2014-07-03
Publisher:
Fourth Estate
ISBN-10:
0007275757
ISBN-13:
9780007275755
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