The Dogs

the long version

The nameless narrator of The Dogs: A Modern Bestiary lives in her studio apartment with a pack of Doberman pinschers. The dogs, led by the cruel, charismatic bitch named Miss Dog, alternate between being brutal attack animals and loyal companions, being real and otherworldly. Some chapters draw upon the ecstatic and horrifying visions of Christian mystics; other take place in the landscapes of familiar fairy tales; others in the banal settings of late-night pick-up bars or suburban picnics. The narrator uneasily inhabits these worlds until the dogs force her to take irrevocable action.