Book Review: The Eyes & The Impossible

[osprey_archer]

I see all in this park because I am the Eyes and have been entrusted with seeing and reporting all. Ask the turtles about me. Ask the squirrels. Don’t ask the ducks. The ducks know nothing.

I run like a rocket. I run like a laser. You have never seen speed like mine. When I run I pull at the earth and make it turn. Have you seen me? You have not seen me. Not possible. You are mistaken. No one has seen me running because when I run human eyes are blind to me. I run like light. Have you seen the movement of light? Have you?

For the past few years I’ve been less than impressed by the Newbery winners, so imagine my surprise when I cracked open David Eggers' The Eyes & The Impossible and discovered that it’s good. Really good! “I meant to read just one chapter and instead read half the book before my stomach forced me to get up to scrounge a late dinner” good.

It’s the story of a dog named Johannes, who lives free in a park. He is the Eyes, the one who keeps tabs on all that is happening in his domain, and reports upon it to the Bison who live in a cage but are nonetheless loosely speaking in charge of the animals in the park. Helping Johannes are his assistant eyes, a gull, a pelican, a squirrel, and a raccoon, and they have their duties down to a science when suddenly their pleasant routine is interrupted by a new building in the park.

The humans are building an art museum. This wouldn’t be a problem, except they’ve put a few sturdy sample artworks outside, and Johannes, as it turns out, is mesmerized by the art. Which is a problem when you’re a dog whose safety from humans arises from the ability to run like a rocket whenever someone gets too close…

Really a delightful book. The story is good, but it’s the voice that really makes it, Johannes telling his story and the story of his friends and the life of the park.

Comments

[msilverstar]

I like Dave Eggars in general, and am really glad this book is so good!

[osprey_archer]

I haven't read any of his other books. Maybe I should remedy this?

[asakiyume]

I think I may have heard about this book: the setup sounds like something I've read about before. But it's the quote that sells me on it--truly beautiful.

[osprey_archer]

Yes, I knew I had to have a quote from the book. It has a distinctive and lovely voice.