Occasionally a book comes along that stops you in your tracks, makes you think and you just know it will stay with you for a long time. Jon McGregor's Even the Dogs is such a book.
The story begins with the discovery of Robert's body. Robert is an alcoholic who lives alone in a squalid flat that has long since had all it's amenities cut off. Although he has lived alone his house was shared by a series of addicts who came and went. The flat was a sanctuary, where people could find others like themselves, a place of shelter and a place to find company.
The story goes from the discovery of Robert's body to his burial. Mixing the present, police scene of crime examination, autopsy, inquest etc, with flashbacks to his last few days. The story is told by the addicts that shared Robert's life, the police who discover his body etc.
It sounds a grim book and in many ways it is, but it is beautifully written in a staccato style that echoes the breathless lives of the addicts. The first chapter is stunning and probably the best chapter you will read this year.
Highly recommended
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