Fifteen Dogs - Andre Alexis

An intriguing book on several levels.

First, the encounter between the modern world and the world of the Greek gods - a wonderful flight of imagination.

Second, the imagining of the life of dogs with a human intelligence.  It is interesting that self-consciousness is the primary effect, a disabling kind of self-consciousness.  Another primary effect is the development of trickery, deception and violence.  There is also the dog who becomes religious as he can imagine a great Pack Master in the sky mirroring his own role on earth.  Also, the dog who becomes a poet, who develops an self-conscious awareness of language as something to play with. Interesting mirror of early human development?  Also, the way he weaves language and consciousness into the the daily lives and activities of dogs.

There is also a lot of reflection on the nature of love and relationships.  Alexis uses this to pull us in finally at an emotional level in relationship to the character Majnoun (interesting choice of name - a Persian character in a love story who is driven divinely mad by thwarted love).

I must search out the rest of his "philosophical novel" series.