There Is No Dog
For centuries, humans have pondered the existence of God. In Meg Rosoff’s There Is No Dog, there is no question God exists, but in this case, it may be better if he didn’t. God, as it turns out, is a 19-year-old boy living in the present-day and sharing an apartment with his long-suffering fifty-something personal assistant, Mr. B. This wouldn’t be so terrible if God wasn’t incredibly lazy, and how whenever he fell in love, natural disasters occurred. Enter Lucy: God’s latest love interest. As Mr. B tries to keep Earth in one piece, God has only one task on his mind: how can he get Lucy into his bed?
Despite the initially strange concept, There Is No Dog is an incredibly insightful story about faith and the concept of Creationism. When I picked up this book, I expected it would make me laugh, but not much else. But Dog has turned into one of my favourite books of 2019.
The idea that God is a horny young adult is funny on the surface, but it does make one wonder why God has to be this all-knowing, all-powerful wizened old man. Why wouldn’t he be a youthful teen who only created Earth in six days because he was too lazy to do a thorough job? Who became God through a poker deal that his mother won him? Who had moments of brilliance but overall was just lucky? As someone who was raised a Catholic and has spent much of my life in a church, There Is No Dog made me question what I thought I knew about God, Creationism, and human’s concept of/relationship with religion.
Without question, my favourite character was Mr. B. Initially introduced as God’s partner/overworked assistant, the reader came to learn that although he didn’t have the official title of “God,” Mr. B did more for humanity during his time working with God than God himself did. He listened to people’s prayers, he cared about every living thing on Earth, and he tried his best to make God understand why he had to actually do something instead of just sleeping and fixating on pretty girls. Mr. B shows how every person, if they just care a little and do their part to help, can make a difference. It left me feeling empowered.
My only complaint is the relationship between Lucy and Luke. I like the characters individually, but I felt their romance, if one can all it that, was rushed. I did like the growth Luke went through in the story, and I did appreciate how he helped Lucy when she was struggling after her “relationship” with God ended, but I feel like they may have been better as friends.
Whether you believe in God or not, I recommend you read There Is No Dog, if for nothing else than the humour. You’ll be surprised what you learn about your own relationship with God, or lack thereof.
There Is No Dog Rating: ★★★★★
Despite the initially strange concept, There Is No Dog is an incredibly insightful story about faith and the concept of Creationism. When I picked up this book, I expected it would make me laugh, but not much else. But Dog has turned into one of my favourite books of 2019.
The idea that God is a horny young adult is funny on the surface, but it does make one wonder why God has to be this all-knowing, all-powerful wizened old man. Why wouldn’t he be a youthful teen who only created Earth in six days because he was too lazy to do a thorough job? Who became God through a poker deal that his mother won him? Who had moments of brilliance but overall was just lucky? As someone who was raised a Catholic and has spent much of my life in a church, There Is No Dog made me question what I thought I knew about God, Creationism, and human’s concept of/relationship with religion.
Without question, my favourite character was Mr. B. Initially introduced as God’s partner/overworked assistant, the reader came to learn that although he didn’t have the official title of “God,” Mr. B did more for humanity during his time working with God than God himself did. He listened to people’s prayers, he cared about every living thing on Earth, and he tried his best to make God understand why he had to actually do something instead of just sleeping and fixating on pretty girls. Mr. B shows how every person, if they just care a little and do their part to help, can make a difference. It left me feeling empowered.
My only complaint is the relationship between Lucy and Luke. I like the characters individually, but I felt their romance, if one can all it that, was rushed. I did like the growth Luke went through in the story, and I did appreciate how he helped Lucy when she was struggling after her “relationship” with God ended, but I feel like they may have been better as friends.
Whether you believe in God or not, I recommend you read There Is No Dog, if for nothing else than the humour. You’ll be surprised what you learn about your own relationship with God, or lack thereof.
There Is No Dog Rating: ★★★★★