Blurb

Ray Midge is waiting for his credit card bill to arrive. His wife, Norma, has run off with her ex-husband, taking Ray’s cards, shotgun and car. But from the receipts, Ray can track where they’ve gone. He takes off after them, as does an irritatingly tenacious bail bondsman, both following the romantic couple’s spending as far as Mexico. There Ray meets Dr Reo Symes, the seemingly down-on-his-luck and rather eccentric owner of a beaten up and broken down bus, who needs a ride to Belize. The further they drive, in a car held together by coat-hangers and excesses of oil, the wilder their journey gets. But they’re not going to give up easily.

Review

The Dog of the South is some 40 odd years old now. And it is highly regarded by a lot of talented writers, comedians and movie makers. The Bill Haders and Coen Brothers of the world. I would say I enjoyed it, but didn’t love it. Portis’ Dog of the South is somewhat of a comedy novel, with hapless characters at the lead, including Ray Midge. Midge as a lead does not really invite much sympathy due to his patheticness. and is surrounded by mostly eccentric characters along for the observational nature of life, or so we are suppose to believe. If you want quirky and deadpan, then this book is right up your alley. I’m just a couple of blocks over, apparently.