This isn’t to say that Bruce Cameron isn’t a good writer or storyteller. He gives a distinct voice to the reincarnated pup in this novel – and I’m a sucker for anthropomorphism.
But it is, truth be told, Garfield’s Nine Lives, with Dogs.
It also appears to be a cottage industry, if the website is to be believed. Good for Cameron et al being able to capitalize.
I’m not cynical enough to say my heartstrings weren’t tugged. And I’m not surprised at the book’s (or subsequent movie’s) popularity, given the market for maudlin in the United States. But maybe part of me is a little disappointed to think a dog’s purpose is “to save,” though I am pleased with the simplicity of it. “To be” might be even simpler, but there’s less of a lesson to be swung with that, I suppose.
And yeah (spoilers) I knew before the book brought him there that the dog was going to end up with Ethan again, and that the dog was going to see Ethan die.
And though it sounds cruel, maybe part of me wanted the stories where the dog was in a bad situation to last a bit longer. We already tend to look at dogs through rose-colored glasses, so maybe seeing the unpleasantness dogs go through would have made for a deeper story, though probably one that would not have sold as well or been as filmable (though Pixar’s Kitbull leapt into that territory and did well with its storytelling).
You’ll see in the sidebar, however, I’ve got another Cameron book in the wings. I’ll give it a go. But probably won’t delve further into the “Dog’s Purpose” universe. One book is enough.
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