Normally, if a book makes me sad, I chuck
it immediately. But this book is so brilliant,
I broke my own rule.
Julie Burchill
I
love this book. It's fabulous and moving
and funny and strange. It will go down among
the great animal books.
Jeanette Winterson
This
debut novel is a winner from page one .
. . A subtle, dog's-eye view of the frailty
of human relationships, it is perceptive,
enchanting and destined to be this summer's
must-read.
Mail on Sunday
Hard
on the heels of The Curious Incident Of
The Dog In The Night-Time, this clever,
funny and oddly dark novel is clearly destined
to become a cult hit. I only wish my dog
had thought of it first. Carla
McKay, Daily Mail
The
Last Family in England is so multi-faceted
it could be re-read time and again . . .
This is a remarkable book and a brilliantly
entertaining read. Emmanuelle
Smith, Big Issue
A
comic tour de force . . . Haig has pulled
off the difficult feat of sustaining a joke
right the way through . . . On another level
it's a desperately sad view from underneath
as a family falls apart.
Fiona Hook, The Times
An
incisive insight into contemporary life,
somewhere between Watership Down and Animal
Farm, that will make you think hard, as
well as laugh.
Angela Levin, Weekend Magazine (Daily Mail)
Matt Haig is obviously a novelist of great
promise. Paul
Pickering, Daily Express
Haig
pulls it off stylishly and unsentimentally.
The Observer
This enchanting debut novel
is quite unlike any book you'll have encountered
before. The result is a treat - both moving
and unexpectedly thought-provoking. Hephzibah
Anderson, Daily Mail
One
of the best books I have ever read . . .
I'm sure that Disney will want to make the
movie. Mark
McCrory, Belfast Telegraph
Matt Haig is a rising young star in the
literary galaxy.
Yorkshire Post
A snappily written, intelligent,
warm-feeling of a first novel that makes
you believe absolutely in the idea that
our dogs have their own agenda. These dogs
talk among themselves, have raging desires,
peculiar habits, swear a lot and want to
get high - and probably deserve their own
reality TV show. The Last Family in England
is the doggie life manual that every Labrador
should own.
Mark Palmer, Dogs Today
Abandon
hope all ye who were raised on 101 Dalmations
for this canine dystopia is as black as
its Labrador narrator . . . Don't look for
a happy ending, but be entertained along
the way. Rachel
Hore, The Guardian
The
Last Family in England is an enjoyable modern-day
fable. Matt Haig writes with a true dog-lover's
understanding of our best friends, effortlessly
capturing the essential characteristics
of different breeds. Humanising animals
in literature can quite often result in
sickly-sweet sentimentality, but Haig avoids
this by injecting doses of cynicism and
black humour. . . touching, funny and unique.
Kirsty Knaggs, The List
There's
much to enjoy in The Last Family in England:
read it curled up in front of the fire beside
your own mutt, and bring tissues.
Sonya Hartnett, The Age
Irresistible.
Anne Weale, The Bookseller
Our
gallant canine hero struggles through a
quagmire of obligation and ethics, striving
to protect the family at all costs . . .
and the author romps through a carefully
plotted maze of tragi-comedy.
Philippa Jamieson, New Zealand Herald
Extremely
funny . . . One of the most enjoyable books
you could read this year. . . Who would
enjoy this book? First of all, of course,
dog lovers, who have probably always known
that our four-footed friends are thinking,
feeling, communicating beings. Secondly,
anyone who enjoys the kind of book that
hooks you so much you start reading at eight
in the evening and finish the next morning
at two (as I did with this). Thirdly, anyone
who has ever seen, heard, ignored, played
with or tripped over a dog. Now is that
everyone? Martin
Higgs, Waterstone's Literary Editor, Waterstone's
Books Quarterly
. . . explores the hidden dangers of family
life from the perspective of the only family
member who gets to see everything - the
knee-high, four-legged observer in the corner
of the room. Through Prince's eyes (and
nose) readers come to realise the secrets
which hold families together and which,
once dug up, can lead to their destruction.
Matt Haig shows us the idiosyncrasies of
our world by viewing humans through the
eyes of a dog.
Angela Barnes, Yorkshire Evening Post
. . . Dog lovers will be engrossed with
Haig's interpretation of every little nuance
their pet makes and he writes in such a
direct way that when he makes you laugh,
you have to put the book down and recompose
yourself. . . Highly engrossing, hilarious
yet heart-breaking. Philip
Jones, Ink
In
this novel with a difference, Prince, a
young black Labrador is the narrator. The
Hunter's family pet feels saddled with their
troubles. It may sound a bit daft, but the
view of humans through the eyes of a dog
is intriguing. Marie
Keating, OK!
The
Last Family in England is a novel that's
about a very normal family's various problems
- seen through the eyes of their pet labrador
.
. . he deftly balances it out with a dark,
edgy tone. For Haig to choose this topic
instead of writing some Trainspotting-esque
romp ends up feeling strangely like an act
of rebellion . . . Forget about drink, drugs
and the excesses of youth, middle-class
English families are the new rock and roll.
Dom Dwight, The Leeds Guide
Matt
Haig's novel, The Last Family in England,
is a fable for our time, which deals with
the politics of family values. What makes
this story of modern life different to so
many others is that its narrator is a family
Labrador called Prince. Prince learns from
his elders but is deceived by those dogs
closest to him as he tries to keep his family
safe. A thoroughly enjoyable work of fiction.
David
Bradley, City
Quirkily
waggy tale . . . If Matt Haig ever visits
you make sure he doesn't jump on the couch.
Ed Perkins, Bournemouth Daily Echo
You
take a risk, as a debut novelist, if you
set out to rewrite Henry IV Part I and give
all your characters Shakespearean names.
The risk of hubris is hardly diminished
if your narrator, Prince, is a black Labrador
waiting at the vet's to be put down (death
row for dogs). Falstaff is a Springer Spaniel
and Lear a Rottweiler. Still, young Matt
Haig overcomes the obvious problems admirably
well and the result is a plausible sounding
dog's nose view of human family and frailty.
The structural difficulty is that in the
end you cannot help wondering how Prince
delivered the manuscript, given the outcome
at the vet's, but by that point in the novel
your disbelief will have been well and truly
suspended. Maris
Ross, Publishing News
The
clearly very talented Matt Haig's debut
novel joins a fast growing pile of works
by fresh faced authors who are making this
a great age for those who enjoy a good read
. . . This is a highly original and often
funny work and like a good dog, won't let
you down. Lads
Mag
I
am lost for words. This is a quite extraordinary
book. I have never read anything like it.
It was impossible to put down. Prince is
such a charming and believable character
- I was completely hooked. I would recommend
it as a must for everybody interested in
dogs and their behaviour, but you will need
tissues at times. Also don't start it if
you have a busy day. I had to know what
was going to happen next. Never what I thought.
Joyce
Stranger, Dog Training Weekly
Links to online articles about The Dead
Fathers Club are here.