"What does it mean to be alive? To think, to feel, to love and to envy? André Alexis explores all of this and more in the extraordinary Fifteen Dogs, an insightful and philosophical meditation on the nature of consciousness. It's a novel filled with balancing acts: humour juxtaposed with savagery, solitude with the desperate need to be part of a pack, perceptive prose interspersed with playful poetry. A wonderful and original piece of writing that challenges the reader to examine their own existence and recall the age old question, what's the meaning of life?" - The 2015 Giller jury citation
"A wonderfully weird and spare reflection on the nature of dogs and poetry." - The Times Literary Supplement
"A novel about a pack of talking dogs, you say? The very idea will most likely breed thoughts of insufferable whimsy, like those paintings of mutts playing poker, or of more or less effective satire, in the vein of Animal Farm . It's a grand thing, then, that this spry novel by Canadian André Alexis spends its 160 pages repeatedly defying expectations . .. I'm far from being a dog person, but as a book person I loved this smart, exuberant fantasy from start to finish." - Jonathan Gibbs, The Guardian
"Alexis manages to encapsulate an astonishing range of metaphysical questions in a simple tale about dogs that came to know too much. The result is a delightful juxtaposition of the human and canine conditions, and a narrative that, like just one of the dogs, delights in the twists and turns of the gods' linguistic gift." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"[Alexis] devises an inventive romp through the nature of humanity in this beautiful, entertaining read . . . A clever exploration of our essence, communication, and how our societies are organized." - Kirkus Reviews