Dogsbody was published by Macmillan in 1975. The novel’s protagonist is Sirius — not the star in the astronomical sense but a sentient being, the luminous lord of the Dog Star, who has been falsely convicted of destroying a lesser luminary and sentenced to live out a mortal life in the body of the creature most associated with his star: a dog.
Sirius is born as a Labrador puppy and adopted by Kathleen, an Irish girl living unhappily with her English uncle’s family in a small town. Kathleen is effectively a servant — her uncle’s wife resents her, the children bully her, and only the dog provides genuine companionship. Meanwhile, Sirius must find the Doddos — a lost celestial weapon that fell to Earth during his trial — before his enemies find it first.
The novel operates brilliantly on two levels. The cosmic plot — star-beings, celestial politics, ancient weapons — provides mythic scale. But the ground-level experience — Sirius experiencing the world through a dog’s senses (smell, loyalty, pack dynamics, the joy of running, the terror of the dog pound) — provides extraordinary immediacy. Jones renders canine consciousness with such conviction that the reader experiences the world as a dog does: dominated by scent, driven by instinct, overwhelmed by love for the one person who shows kindness.
The novel’s portrait of Kathleen’s domestic situation is unexpectedly harsh for children’s fiction. She is neglected, overworked, and verbally abused — and the adults who should protect her are indifferent. Jones treats this material without sentimentality: some people are cruel, children are vulnerable, and love — even a dog’s love — is a genuine form of salvation.
Collecting Dogsbody
First edition (Macmillan, London, 1975): Hardcover, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $150–$400
- Very good/very good: $60–$150