"Dogwalker," a debut novel by Arthur Bradford, is an abrasively honest and original book. The actions and stories are absurd, but Bradford forces his reader to reflect upon and empathize with his characters and their situations.
The book is a series of short vignettes. None of the characters are the same in each subsequent story, even if they are all told by a supposedly continuous yet unnamed narrator. With that single constant, the short stories take on the perspective of this narrator's point of view.
Most of the stories, as you can tell from the title, deal with dogs in some way, but these aren't normal dogs, and these are definitely not normal circumstances. In the world of "Dogwalker," dogs can sing, talk and even have sex with humans. Also, many of the dogs are missing limbs or are disfigured in another way. This may appear very odd and perplexing to the reader, but Bradford tells his stories in a very matter of fact way, compelling the reader to take everything Bradford says as reality. Many of the stories in this collection are absorbing and intriguing -- you won't be able to put the book down.
For instance, in one story, the narrator visits a family on a farm for Christmas. One evening, Elizabeth, the daughter, decides to swallow an egg whole -- the shell and all. At first the egg gets lodged in her throat, but with another gulp, the egg travels swiftly into her stomach. No one in her family seems surprised by this; apparently, it's not out of the ordinary. The next day, Elizabeth feels ill and then proceeds to vomit up a live baby chicken.
This story, like most of the stories, is so absurd that the reader is both appalled by the subject matter and, at the same time, fascinated. The reader wants to continue reading to discover what absurdity will occur next, and the shock value of each story serves only to spark the reader's interest even more.
Another vignette that reaches and surpasses the limits of rationality is a story entitled "Roslyn's Dog." In this story, the nameless narrator converses with an unhappy dog in a cage. Through gentle coercion, the dog persuades the man to open the cage door and set her free. The dog escapes, and she bites the man's leg, after which weird things begin to happen to him.
The narrator starts growing hair around the bite mark and on the rest of his body. Then the dog returns to his house, and she kisses him. The dog transforms into a woman, and conversely, the now hairy narrator turns into a dog. The owner of the original dog finds the newly transformed narrator/dog and locks him up in the cage.
Realistic? Not a chance. But it is inventive and interesting without a doubt. These are the types of stories that you will encounter in "Dogwalker." Nothing is too bizarre or unfathomable, and the reader must learn to be ready for anything. What is most admirable about Bradford's novel is that just below the surface of absurdity are tender and honest portrayals of love and friendship, odd as that may seem.
For example, in "Chainsaw Apple," the narrator decides to perform a stunt at a picnic with one of his friends, attempting to carve the initials of his friend into an apple with a chainsaw. The friend, however, must trustfully hold the apple in his mouth.
When the performance time arrives, a woman in the audience volunteers for the stunt before the planted friend can jump up on stage. What follows is a blatantly bloody sequence, a hospital visit and police intervention. Oddly enough however, the woman, although severely mauled from the chainsaw, develops a bond with the narrator -- she bails him out of jail and a relationship unfolds.
Quite obviously, in this novel at least, friendships and relationships tend to arise from precarious and unlikely circumstances. Either from close encounters with death or unlikely situations with dogs, love can be found almost anywhere. And this is part of Bradford's style, for it emphasizes his concept of bizarreness.
Bradford writes in a very plain and deliberate fashion -- every sentence serves a purpose and is important. He lays down the facts, ridiculous as they may be, and implores the reader to enjoy his stories and his characters.
All of these stories possess a certain charm. They follow the conventions of dreams, where anything can happen and usually does. Just like in dreams, you don't question its believability; you simply accept everything that Bradford has to offer.
Although the reader may not be able to directly relate to "Dogwalker's" vignettes about misfit dogs and quirky characters, the stories do provide compassionate insight into human nature. The characters in Bradford's world act and behave like normal individuals -- just individuals trapped in bizarre circumstances -- and their behavior and reactions are brutally honest, original and refreshing.
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