The Dog of the South

De: Charles Portis

Narrado por: David Aaron Baker

Duración: 8 h y 1 m

Resumen del Editor

From Charles Portis, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of True Grit, The Dog of the South is a novel about a husband on a crazy road trip pursuing his runaway wife.

Ray Midge is waiting for his credit card bill to arrive. His wife, Norma, has run off with her ex-husband, taking Ray’s cards, shotgun, and car. But from the receipts, Ray can track where they’ve gone.

He takes off after them, as does an irritatingly tenacious bail bondsman, both following the romantic couple’s spending as far as Mexico. There Ray meets Dr. Reo Symes, the seemingly down-on-his-luck and rather eccentric owner of a beaten-up and broken-down bus, who needs a ride to Belize. The farther they drive, in a car held together by coat hangers and excesses of oil, the wilder their journey gets. But they’re not going to give up easily.

“[Charles Portis] understood, and conveyed, the grain of America, in ways that may prove valuable in future to historians trying to understand what was decent about us as a nation.”—Donna Tartt, New York Times Book Review

©1979 Charles Portis (P)2012 Recorded Books

funny but a little meandering down the stretch

If you're only gonna read one Charles Porter's book read true grit. I did think this one was funnier than a Confederacy of dunces. There are a lot of racial slurs so be on the lookout for that

A true gem

I laughed aloud at this quirky tale and the characterizations resonated with my knowledge of the American Southwest. David Baker beautifully captured the drawling language, even to my native Texan ear

A Perfect Match of Reader and Writer

What did you love best about The Dog of the South?

David Aaron Baker deserves an Oscar (whatever the appropriate equivalent might be) for his performance. He demonstrates a complete grasp of the written work and an impeccable sense of timing and delivery as he brings the characters of this charming work alive. Charles Portis must listen to this and marvel at how Raymond and Dr. Symes and the British Hondurans come alive in his novel. Confederacy of Dunces is the only equivalent I have encountered.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Dog of the South?

The interaction of Raymond and the cast of characters he encounters is wonderful. But any reader will recognize that Portis' ear for dialogue is uncanny. A reader who can make those encounters echo two adversaries, without the benefit of a writer's use of the printed page to identify speakers, is one of a kind. Baker is in rare form.

Have you listened to any of David Aaron Baker’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not sure.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh. Wonder. Learn.

Any additional comments?

One of a kind.

An enjoyable book, excellently narrated

A wacky, off-beat, and humorous book. I like the way that the author exaggerates the idiosyncrasies of every character, so that no-one is quite normal but at the same time perfectly believable. A good narrator can really bring a book to life and the narration of this book was superb. The voice he was able to create for each character so perfectly matched that character and he moved effortlessly from one to another in dialogue. I particularly liked the voice he created for the Doctor - masterful! I will definitely be looking to listen to more books narrated by Mr. Baker.

Loved it

Really loved this story. Simple, a little sad, funny. Narrator was fantastic. Highly recommend! On to True Grit next.

Hilarious and deeply entertaining journey novel

First off, this is a perfect novel. Some of the funniest character writing ever written lies herein.
Second, the actor reading this is AMAZING. Easily one of the best audiobooks I’ve ever heard. I’ve listened to it a few times already and can’t wait to listen again.

Another gem from Portis

Some of the language is true to the time period but a little shocking now. Not sure why it is named that when the “dog” played such a mall role in the story. A man travels from Little Rock to Belize chasing his wife and her ex with the express purpose of getting his car back, only to find maybe that’s not what he wanted all along.

A highlight of my long life of reading

This is one of the most enjoyable books I have read/heard in 50 years of reading. With his startling and hilarious combination of sagacity and cluelessness, the narrator/main character Ray Midge puts me in mind of A Confederacy of Dunces (absent the gravitas). I was smiling all the way through, except when I was laughing out loud.

Long end good start.

The end dragged on and on...which is saying something for such a short book. Not a bad listen though.

The Odyssey of an Everyman

Poignant and funny tale of a seemingly ordinary and somewhat misbegotten soul who pursues a former coworker who has absconded with his wife, car, and credit card. Naturally, there's more to it, with deep insights into the nature and nurture of the human psyche. Twainesque humor and an all around most enjoyable story. Didn't want it to end.