novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
by
Louis de Bernières
Louis de Bernières (born 8 December 1954) is an English novelist. He is known for his 1994 historical war novel ''Captain Corelli's Mandolin''. In 1993 de Bernières was selected as one of the "20 Best of Young British Novelists", part of a pr ...
charting the life of a popular dog, a "Red Cloud
Kelpie
A kelpie, or water kelpie (Scottish Gaelic: ''Each-Uisge''), is a shape-shifting spirit inhabiting lochs in Scottish folklore. It is usually described as a black horse-like creature, able to adopt human form. Some accounts state that the kelpie ...
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
Red Dog covers the life span of a Red Cloud Kelpie, originally named Tally Ho. He is said to have "hitched rides, adopted people and united communities throughout
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
's mining region." His owners are Jack and Maureen Collins. At a barbecue, Tally Ho doesn't return to the owners after they leave, and he starts traveling.
Red Dog meets John, a half
Māori
Māori or Maori can refer to:
Relating to the Māori people
* Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group
* Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand
* Māori culture
* Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...
man, at the Hamersley Iron Transport section after a salt company has moved in. Red Dog is very attached to John and they spend a lot of time together. As the town grows, more people come and befriend Red Dog. Nancy and Patsy come into the story. When Nancy notices that Red Dog has been shot, she calls John and his friend. They stop work in order to treat Red Dog and prevent his bleeding to death. Red Dog undergoes an operation. Ellen is introduced. John has an accident and dies, after crashing his motorcycle and getting his chest caved in on a rock.
Part two
Red Dog doesn't realize John has died so he goes out and looks for him. He meets Nancy on a bus, and then they have ice cream. He spends time in a caravan park with Nancy and meets Red Cat. They eventually befriend each other despite their differences. Red Dog is suspected of having Heartworm and has treatment for it. Red Dog returns to the caravan park, where he is noticed by the caretakers. The Cribbages are portrayed as bad people, with Mr. Cribbage described as having a
Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
-like mustache. They decide to throw Nancy out because she has let Red Dog stay despite the park's having a "no dogs" policy.
When other locals learn that the Cribbages are trying to get rid of the popular dog, they threaten the couple until they leave. Red Dog is poisoned with
strychnine
Strychnine (, , US chiefly ) is a highly toxic, colorless, bitter, crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine, when inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the eye ...
and has to be put down. Bill and Piotr (Peeto) find him and don't want him to suffer, but in the end they cannot shoot him. They take him to the vet who had treated him before. He gives the dog a painkiller and eases his death. The locals hold a funeral for Red Dog and a monument for him is built in
Dampier, Western Australia
Dampier is a major industrial port in the Pilbara region in the northwest of Western Australia. It is located near the city of Karratha and Port Walcott.
Dampier Port is part of the Dampier Archipelago and is primarily a port for the export of ...
.
See also
*
Red Dog (film)
''Red Dog'' is a 2011 Australian comedy-drama family film written by Daniel Taplitz, directed by Kriv Stenders and produced by Nelson Woss and Julie Ryan. It stars Koko as the title character, Josh Lucas, Rachael Taylor, and John Batchelor. T ...
*
Red Dog (Pilbara)
Red Dog (c. 197121 November 1979) was a kelpie/cattle dog cross that was well known for his travels through Western Australia's vast Pilbara region. Red Dog had a series of owners and lengthy periods travelling on his own, essentially becoming ...