Here's what
humans are saying about the book:
Normally,
if a book makes me sad, I chuck it immediately. But this book is so
brilliant, I broke my own rule. Julie
Burchill
I love
this book. It's fabulous and moving and funny and strange. It will go
down among the great animal books. Jeanette
Winterson
This debut novel
is a winner from page one . . . A subtle, dog's-eye view of the frailty
of human relationships, it is perceptive, enchanting and destined to
be this summer's must-read. Mail on Sunday
Hard on the heels
of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, this clever, funny
and oddly dark novel is clearly destined to become a cult hit. I only
wish my dog had thought of it first. Carla
McKay, Daily Mail
The Last Family
in England is so multi-faceted it could be re-read time and again .
. . This is a remarkable book and a brilliantly entertaining read. Emmanuelle
Smith, Big Issue
A comic tour de
force . . . Haig has pulled off the difficult feat of sustaining a joke
right the way through . . . On another level it's a desperately sad
view from underneath as a family falls apart.
Fiona Hook, The Times
An incisive insight
into contemporary life, somewhere between Watership Down and Animal
Farm, that will make you think hard, as well as laugh.
Angela Levin, Weekend Magazine (Daily Mail)
Matt Haig is obviously a novelist of great promise.
Paul Pickering, Daily Express
Haig pulls it off
stylishly and unsentimentally. The Observer
This enchanting debut novel is quite unlike any book
you'll have encountered before. The result is a treat - both moving
and unexpectedly thought-provoking. Hephzibah
Anderson, Daily Mail
One of the best
books I have ever read . . . I'm sure that Disney will want to make
the movie. Mark McCrory, Belfast Telegraph
Matt Haig is a rising young star in the literary galaxy.
Yorkshire Post
A
snappily written, intelligent, warm-feeling of a first novel that makes
you believe absolutely in the idea that our dogs have their own agenda.
These dogs talk among themselves, have raging desires, peculiar habits,
swear a lot and want to get high - and probably deserve their own reality
TV show. The Last Family in England is the doggie life manual that every
Labrador should own.
Mark Palmer, Dogs Today
Abandon hope all
ye who were raised on 101 Dalmations for this canine dystopia is as
black as its Labrador narrator . . . Don't look for a happy ending,
but be entertained along the way. Rachel
Hore, The Guardian
The Last Family
in England is an enjoyable modern-day fable. Matt Haig writes with a
true dog-lover's understanding of our best friends, effortlessly capturing
the essential characteristics of different breeds. Humanising animals
in literature can quite often result in sickly-sweet sentimentality,
but Haig avoids this by injecting doses of cynicism and black humour.
. . touching, funny and unique. Kirsty
Knaggs, The List
There's much to
enjoy in The Last Family in England: read it curled up in front of the
fire beside your own mutt, and bring tissues.
Sonya Hartnett, The Age
Irresistible.
Anne Weale, The Bookseller
Our
gallant canine hero struggles through a quagmire of obligation and ethics,
striving to protect the family at all costs . . . and the author romps
through a carefully plotted maze of tragi-comedy.
Philippa Jamieson, New Zealand Herald
Extremely funny
. . . One of the most enjoyable books you could read this year. . .
Who would enjoy this book? First of all, of course, dog lovers, who
have probably always known that our four-footed friends are thinking,
feeling, communicating beings. Secondly, anyone who enjoys the kind
of book that hooks you so much you start reading at eight in the evening
and finish the next morning at two (as I did with this). Thirdly, anyone
who has ever seen, heard, ignored, played with or tripped over a dog.
Now is that everyone? Martin Higgs, Waterstone's
Literary Editor, Waterstone's Books Quarterly
. . . explores
the hidden dangers of family life from the perspective of the only family
member who gets to see everything - the knee-high, four-legged observer
in the corner of the room. Through Prince's eyes (and nose) readers
come to realise the secrets which hold families together and which,
once dug up, can lead to their destruction. Matt Haig shows us the idiosyncrasies
of our world by viewing humans through the eyes of a dog.
Angela Barnes, Yorkshire Evening Post
. . . Dog lovers
will be engrossed with Haig's interpretation of every little nuance
their pet makes and he writes in such a direct way that when he makes
you laugh, you have to put the book down and recompose yourself. . .
Highly engrossing, hilarious yet heart-breaking. Philip
Jones, Ink
In this novel with
a difference, Prince, a young black Labrador is the narrator. The Hunter's
family pet feels saddled with their troubles. It may sound a bit daft,
but the view of humans through the eyes of a dog is intriguing. Marie
Keating, OK!
The Last Family
in England is a novel that's about a very normal family's various problems
- seen through the eyes of their pet labrador .
. . he deftly balances it out with a dark, edgy tone. For Haig to choose
this topic instead of writing some Trainspotting-esque romp ends up
feeling strangely like an act of rebellion . . . Forget about drink,
drugs and the excesses of youth, middle-class English families are the
new rock and roll. Dom Dwight, The Leeds
Guide
Matt
Haig's novel, The Last Family in England, is a fable for our time, which
deals with the politics of family values. What makes this story of modern
life different to so many others is that its narrator is a family Labrador
called Prince. Prince learns from his elders but is deceived by those
dogs closest to him as he tries to keep his family safe. A thoroughly
enjoyable work of fiction. David
Bradley, City
Quirkily waggy tale
. . . If Matt Haig ever visits you make sure he doesn't jump on the
couch.
Ed Perkins, Bournemouth Daily Echo
You take a risk,
as a debut novelist, if you set out to rewrite Henry IV Part I and give
all your characters Shakespearean names. The risk of hubris is hardly
diminished if your narrator, Prince, is a black Labrador waiting at
the vet's to be put down (death row for dogs). Falstaff is a Springer
Spaniel and Lear a Rottweiler. Still, young Matt Haig overcomes the
obvious problems admirably well and the result is a plausible sounding
dog's nose view of human family and frailty. The structural difficulty
is that in the end you cannot help wondering how Prince delivered the
manuscript, given the outcome at the vet's, but by that point in the
novel your disbelief will have been well and truly suspended. Maris
Ross, Publishing News
The clearly very
talented Matt Haig's debut novel joins a fast growing pile of works
by fresh faced authors who are making this a great age for those who
enjoy a good read . . . This is a highly original and often funny work
and like a good dog, won't let you down. Lads
Mag
A quirky and imaginative
story with a cast of memorable characters . . . it also has a more thought-provoking
theme running through it; should duty be prioritised over all?
Laura Goodey, Leeds Student
I
am lost for words. This is a quite extraordinary book. I have never
read anything like it. It was impossible to put down. Prince is such
a charming and believable character - I was completely hooked. I would
recommend it as a must for everybody interested in dogs and their behaviour,
but you will need tissues at times. Also don't start it if you have
a busy day. I had to know what was going to happen next. Never what
I thought. Joyce
Stranger, Dog Training Weekly