The Book of the Dun Cow

Titles:  Book of the Dun Cow; Book of Sorrows

Author:  Walt Wangerin, Jr.

Rating:  0 stars out of 3 possible, "D" or "F"
            Not Recommended

Audience:  Youth, Adults

Book of the Dun Cow was the worst book I've read since Marilynne Robinson's Housekeeping, or Annie Proulx's The Shipping News.  Disjointed, obscure, and slightly bizarre.

Sometimes the Literati bless these things with National Book Awards and rave reviews, but they just don't translate to Joe-Reader and Joe-Reader's children.

I tried hard to like Book of the Dun Cow.  I really did.  I've enjoyed many animal fantasy-allegories.  And I've read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, so you'd think I could make the transition.  But honestly, it was just weird.  And given the small amount of time we have to read with our children, I believe time is better spent on something like the Redwall series or The Hobbit.

The only character I enjoyed was John Wesley Weasel with his nervous rodent dialect and his love for friend mouse.  Tick Tock the ant was also admirable.

Mundo Cani Dog was miserable, not to mention confusing.  Chauntecleer the Rooster vacillated between being a flawed, temperamental leader vs. a downright vulgar bully.

The villains (Wyrm, Cockatrice, basilisks) were so evil and disturbing I would have trouble recommending the book to many families.  The same is true for the language as "damn" and "bitch" were thrown around too frequently.

All in all, I thought there was just too much anger in this book.  I understand the book is  reflecting the flawed world in which we live, but I just don't care to be steeped in it while  reading "literature."

I would add some illustrative quotes, but everything would feel so out of context it would  only add to your confusion, unless you consider yourself a particularly abstruse individual with a penchant for archaic references to medieval literature.

(What is a Dun Cow?   Why is the dog named Mundo Cani?)  I almost get the Latin, but it doesn't agree with the rest of the vernacular.

Yes, there is a sacrifice.  Yes, there is a surprise ending.  Yes, Chauntecleer is humbled and changed.  Yes, evil is stayed for the time-being.  Unfortunately, these messages are obscured inside an abstract vehicle.

There are plenty of current and classic options available for the epic animal battle/tale:  Watership Down, Animal Farm, Redwall, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Warriors series, etc.  Comparatively, The Book of the Dun Cow would appeal to only the smallest sliver of middle school readers.