Review: The Hundred and One Dalmatians (novel)

July and Camp NaNo are almost here. Which means this will probably be the last review until after it's over. So I might as well choose a relatively light-hearted novel to review now. (Goodness knows I'll need as much light-heartedness as I can get to survive NaNo!)

The Hundred and One Dalmatians is a 1956 children's novel by Dodie Smith. It's her best-known work, even though most people think of the Disney film(s) rather than the book itself. A truly bizarre sequel, The Starlight Barking, followed in 1967 and was forgotten almost at once -- for very good reason.

In some ways the plot is the same as the more famous Disney adaptation. Cruella de Vil kidnaps fifteen Dalmatian puppies, and their parents set out to rescue them. But there are enough differences to surprise me when I first read it. Pongo's wife is called Missis; Perdita is a different dog entirely. The Radcliffs are called the Dearlys and their first names are never mentioned. There are two nannies instead of one. Cruella is married. The Badduns aren't the ones who kidnap the puppies. And instead of ninety-nine puppies plus two adults, there are ninety-seven puppies and four adults.

Not only is the book as funny as the animated film, it's even darker. Cruella and her henchmen are implied to be actual demons. As well as the "skin puppies for coats" plan, she's drowned over forty of her poor cat's kittens. (The cat gets her revenge in my favourite scene in the whole novel.)

Yes, the book's aimed at children. But I first read it as an adult, and I enjoyed every minute of it. The details about how the dogs communicate, how they see the world, and how they view humans as their pets make them incredibly, well, human while never forgetting they're dogs.

If you haven't read this book yet, you should find a copy as soon as possible. Even if you're no longer a child.

Is it available online?: Not as far as I know.

Rating: 9/10.