As both a dog-lover (understatement) and an Aussie, how could I not love this short little tale of a dog with such character and personality (and wind)? It's incredible that the author never met this dog, the way he writes about the mischief and adventures is so genuine and feels so real, like it could be your own dog or you neighbour's dog he's describing. John was also a fantastic character, the kind of guy you'd love to be able to count amongst your close friends.
The rural Australian slang was dead on and the imagery of Australia's scorching, hellish summers and diverse landscape was delightful to read. I wanted to read this before seeing the film and I'm so glad I did. Best part? You can knock it over in a couple of hours and put it down feeling content and cheerful.

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Adorei ler este livrinho que me conseguiu deixar bem humorada de cada vez que pegava nele.
Só achei que o tipo de escrita utilizada (embora adequada), deixou transparecer um certo "afastamento emocional", que no final da narrativa, quando esta se tornava mais dramática, pecou na intensidade e me impediu realmente de amar este livro
Ainda assim, foi uma leitura que pretendo repetir muitas vezes.

I found this strange little book at a jumble sale - 4 books for £1! - and, seeing that it was written by Louis de Bernieres of Captain Corelli's Mandolin fame, I thought it worth a punt.

Based on the author and on the reviews on the back, I expected more. Is that unfair? It is a pleasant enough book, containing lots of little stories or anecdotes about Red Dog, the star of the book, who was quite a character admittedly, but it is all rather quaint and the reveal / punchline of each tale somehow seems to fall short.

When our children were really young, they enjoyed a book called "Six Dinner Sid" - about a cat who poached dinner from multiple neighbours in a street, initially without anyone realising. Red Dog was also a sociable type, who attached himself to people at his own convenience, and managed to worm his way into their hearts.

An amiable enough read and, with short, discreet chapters, easily put down and revisited - ideal for your bedside cupboard.

Most Aussies will be familiar with the story of Red Dog, probably most after the successful movie based on this book of the same name. This book, it feels like, leans heavily into a fictional re-telling of the tales the author collected on his travels through WA.

The stories and characters, while relatively simple, are endearing and entertaining, but clearly the star of the show is Red Dog. A popular fixture through the Pilbara area, Red Dog gets up to all sorts as he wanders the outback looking for his next meal and next adventure. I'm sure the true stories are even more interesting than we'll ever know.

A dog widely loved, though probably should have been desexed. I guess it was the 70s!

I read this for school and really found it tedious. I didn't enjoy the writing style or construction of the chapters however I really appreciate the history behind this.

A warm fuzzy, easy listen in audiobook format.
I love the Red Dog film... and have a rascally Kelpie of my own, so I have a soft spot for this story.

At times it feels a bit like a caricature of outback Australia, written by an admiring outsider. But overall, it’s a heartwarming story about the goodest of boys.

3.5 stars

Lovely, especially if you like dogs.

here is the dog. the dog is red. the dog is running. look at the dog. it is running. look, it is red. the running dog is red.
here is a man. the man is blue. the man is walking slowly. here is the library. look at the man. he is putting the book on the trolley. unfinished.

Although I have seen the movie a number of times, I enjoyed the book, mostly because of the many characters, but also it was charming in the way it was told in two parts, In times of John, and post John.
Red dog was as much a character of the times, as well as a dog for all people, and a unique fixture of the North-West of our great state,and remembered in bronze just to top it all off.
A fun read.

Um livro tocante, sobre um cão deveras especial. Trata-se de um cão australiano, muito curioso, que decidiu libertar-se do "elo" dos donos e seguir viagem, com qualidades acima da média que o permitiram tornar-se o cão de uma comunidade na Austrália profunda.
É um livro de aventuras baseado num cão que existiu e que ficou homenageado para sempre sob forma de estátua que existe.
Um livro para qualquer idade, obrigatório para quem goste de animais. Muito humano.

What a supremely written book by Louis De Bernières!

To be frank, I didn’t think Blue Dog could be any better, but this book tugs on my heart strings too much. That’s probably why there is a movie and the prequel book in the first place

Adorei o livro! Todas a histórias do Vermelho, tudo o que ele passou... E ver que ele era amado e acarinhado por pessoas de locais tão distantes! Gostava de o ter conhecido! :)
No fim do livro fiquei com um nó na garganta... Sinto-me como se o tivesse conhecido e andado por lá com ele!
O livro lê-se muito bem!