Book Review: It’s A Stray Dog’s Life by Maximillian Sam

Year 2023, Volume: 17 Issue: 1, 149 - 152, 30.06.2023

Nurten Birlik

https://doi.org/10.47777/cankujhss.1317171

Abstract

Maximillian Sam’s book for children, It’s A Stray Dog’s Life (2022, Austin Macauley Publishers), tells the story of the stray dogs in a seaside resort in western part of Turkey. We aren’t told much about the setting except for details like the seaside, the bars in the seaside or the dogs’ swimming experiences. The time is not specified but from the details like the cars, TV, accessibility of vet facilities, we infer that it is late 20th or early 21st century. There are three interlocked episodes which are narrated by three intradiegetic dog narrators. The episodes are short and convey descriptive accounts of these dogs’ lives with an Englishman called Ollie who provides food, shelter and cuddle for these dogs. The narration is not anthropocentric but it cannot help being anthropomorphic as the dogs perform the human norms and morality like respect for others, a willingness to share their food, being friendly to the neighbours, etc. Their feelings are given in human terms, too.

Keywords

Maximillian Sam, It’s A Stray Dog’s Life, anthropomorphic