Walking the Dog — David Hughes

 

Approaching 50, and warned by his doctor that he's drinking too much and needs to take more exercise, David Hughes is given a dog for his birthday -- Dexter, a wire-haired fox terrier. Hughes' daily walks with Dexter form the spine of this extraordinary work. We eavesdrop on their encounters with fellow dog-walkers ("Hello Hector," "Hello Chester" . . . ) and on Hughes' thoughts as he plods along carrying the dogwalker's ubiquitous plastic bag. He begins to remember moments from his past, dark memories of murder and violence. He explores his own fantasies and obsessions. From the gentle comedy of the early pages, the work is transformed into something deeper and more disturbing. A landmark book in the field of graphic literature -- the drawing is sublime, the imagination extraordinary, the ambition unequalled.