Fluke (edició 2019)

2020 Update: I tried to re-read this, but I was just feeling so anxious about bad things happening to the dog protagonist that I decided to stop around page 30.

James Herbert has built an imposing reputation as a king of horror writing, perhaps second only to Stephen King. So, "Fluke" was a great disappointment which had great promise but couldn't reach any great heights.

The story of a dog who slowly realises he used to be a human man and heads off to find his family. He meets an intelligent rat and other various creatures as we hope for a big ending worthy of a horror legend, but doesn't happen. ( )

This book is very good. I often have conversations with Archimedes my cat, well I think I do. What a wonderful world we would live in if we all knew that we are connected. Imagine if everything was aware of everything that existed. Like an internet of things but, not virtual. REAL! Imagine a peaceful existence where nothing is hidden. No barriers or boundaries. No bigotry or judgement. Only love and transparency. Imagine knowing what the trees were thinking. The flora and fauna. Did our ancient ancestors have these abilities? Fluke is a great book by one of my top ten UK authors. James Herbert created a brilliant story of reincarnation and loves lost. Of the world through the eyes of a man reincarnated into a dogs body. Great book. ( )

Slightly unusual book by Herbert in that it is one of his very few non-horror novels. It is a sweet little book about a man who is reincarnated as a dog, and his journey to discover the truth about his past. It proves that Herbert is capable of branching out into different genres and it is one of my favourites from him. ( )

Fluke by James Herbert begins with a puppy first finding awareness. From the beginning, the dog (who is eventually named Fluke) senses that there is something different about him...he has strange memories, and wonders if he once was a man. Fluke ends up as a homeless stray, but makes friends with a gangster's dog and learns the ropes of dog life. He eventually decides to see if there is any truth to his flashes of memory, and travels back to the town where he suspects he lived as a man, in hopes that he will find his family and solve the mystery of his death.

Fluke's story is beautifully narrated, in an authentic dog's perspective. It is a bittersweet story, as Fluke's life is tough, but his perspective is so doggone realistic that it makes for a wonderful tale. ( )