Thread: The Dog Fighter by Marc Bojanowski

In the opening pages of Bojanowski's debut novel, our unnamed narrator tells us that he has fought dogs on the roofs of buildings and in rings surrounded by high rolling businessmen in the Mexican city of Cancion. With that, the stage is set for a curious novel of violence, nationalism, hatred, and love. Caught between a poet revolutionary and a rich businessman who possesses a dazzling beauty, the dog fighter must choose between romantic Mexico and modern money, between friendship and love, between change and resistance to it. And through it all, fueled by the murderous voice of his grandfather, he must fight the dogs.

The novel itself is written in a kind of lyrical, oral-sounding style. Apostrophes and commas are tossed out altogether. Sentence fragments abound, as do slight, and clearly intentional, grammatical conundrums. This style, that is, writing in our dog fighter's voice, makes for a terse, though strangely poetic, read. There is beauty even in the dog fighter's most vicious observations. It takes a helluva good writer to make something seemingly gimmicky like that work, and Bojanowski does it, lock stock and barrel, in a way that reminded me a lot of Proulx's The Shipping News.

For those who dig senseless violence, this novel isn't necessarily for you. In a way it's like Lolita; the violence, like Humbert's sexual appetite for young Lolita, is there, but there's so much more. Reducing The Dog Fighter to merely a story of humanity's inherent violent nature would be just as erroneous as claiming that Lolita is simply a tale of one pervert's obsession with little girls.

The Mexico that Bojanowski paints is vivid, clear and personal. The voice of his narrator is equally alive. Yes, to read The Dog Fighter is to delve into our "love affair with violence," as one blurb suggests. It's also a story about love and humanity. I feel retarded firing out all this Hallmark propaganda, but I feel I'd be selling the book short by saying just how fucken cool the dog fighting culture was. Pick it up, read it, devour it, whatever. The moral of the story is that I loved it. Bam.

Thanks Drew for writing such considerate reviews of the books, they must help you aswell in a way.

*sigh*

Now phone me up and say all of the above. *rubs thighs*

Hehe.

A xx

Reviews serve a dual function. On one hand, they give me practice for breaking stories down to bare bones and weeding out what's important. On the other hand, they illicit (zing!) vague though nonetheless lewd homoerotic comments from attractive men who reside in the UK.

hugs and stuff,

Droo

I just enjoy your writing I alwayshave, no matter what the subject.

Sorry, I'm not trying to be creepy, I just appreciate the knowledge you have and the unpretentious way in which you share it.

Hugs.

Alex, dahling, I know you're not trying to be creepy and I've never thought you were And I appreciate your appreciation, and appreciate the knowledge you bring to the table!

Darn it do you have to be so sexy

hot? anyone?

you would say something like that, wouldn't you?

!,

Droo

shyeah! duh!

I think I would also like you to call me and read that out.. I can't believe I liked a review so much, I felt like I should have been in the fiction section..

Anyway I'm intruged by this book

And now I know the way to dirtycalls from LondonGrey

Lanz - you are positively wicked, honey.

K - I would give you a ring if it wouldn't cost me an arm, a leg, and quite likely other parts of the anatomy with which I would rather not part I'm glad my review was a fun read and that you're intrigued. As for LG, well, he's articulate yet lewd, in an adorable kind of way. Thanks for dropping in

I know he is.. he likes Eddie Izzard. It's hard to be normal when you've got that weighing you down..

LOL!! Eddie Izzard is great!!

I just like Droo because he is sensitive and attractive, a deadly mix.

Plus he writes with his brain engaged, which is always a plus.

I think we have covered his behind quite well, cute, pert with nice little dimples *ahem*

*leaves room*