Jerry Jay Carroll Resident Scholar Profiles
TOP SCHOLAR: David Fletcher
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| Review Summary |
Top Dog takes place on an Earth-like world full of strange sinister creatures. The narrator and main character is a large dog. The dog used to be W.B. "Bogie" Ingersol, corporate raider, hostile takeover specialist, Wall Street hot shot, and jerk. Accidentally, Bogie is transported from Earth to a parallel universe by an evil wizard, Zalzathar. It is believed Bogie holds the key to victory for the "dark side" in the battle for final victory.
He briefly teams up with a fox named Quick, as they meet a dying human whose pouch they take. He converses with rats, cats, snakes, stag, badgers, bears, horses, other dogs but not with humans as he must find out why he is now a huge canine in this medieval world. He encounters evil, horrific creatures like the Uulebeet, trolls, Pig Faces, Gutters, the Mogwert, a odd centaur-like creature half good and half evil named Boog-Weir, a sadistic wizard named Brofelio, and the "Dark One".
He is befriended by Helmish, a quirky but kindly inventor. He is a "two Legs" or human who names Ingersol, "Big" in difference to his enormous size. They journey to the city of Gowyith to alert the authorities that trouble is brewing and a war may be upon them. The good guys include Helither, a good wizard; fairies; and the Woodsmen, a dwarf-like race that eventually evolve into trees. Big is forced to choose a side in the upcoming battle. He has always been morally ambivalent and remains so now. His only guarantee of being returned to his life on Earth is to work for the bad guys. He crosses into both camps with difficulty and is sent to Balwar as a test of loyalty. He barely escapes and falls into the hands of another bad wizard before returning to Gowyith for the final show down.
Throughout the novel Bogey Ingersol has flashbacks to his life of wealth and privilege in NY. He realizes that he is truly unhappy and shares many of his outspoken, politically incorrect opinions on women, minorities, the poor, modern art, etc. Can he live long enough to get back to his uncaring wife Felicity and the potential prison term he faces from a recent trial or does he even wish to return?
David Fletcher, Resident Scholar
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 30%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 20%
Tone of book
- cynical or dry-wit
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?
- part earth & part fantasy world
Inner Struggle
Yes
Plotlet:
- learn to be more sensitive
Lifeform altered?
Yes
Kind of alteration:
- Magically turned into another being
Is this an adult or child's book?
- Adult or Young Adult Book
Animal Story
Yes
Kind of animal
- dog
Main Character
Identity:
- animal
Profession/status:
- business executive
Age:
- 40's-50's
Has magical/special powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character:
- can talk to animals
Eccentric:
Yes
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
How sensitive is this character?
- hard edged
Sense of humor
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
Main Adversary
Identity:
- magical being
Profession/status:
- mage/magician
Has magical powers?
Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist:
- can talk to animals
- fire/thunder/weather cntrl
- teleportation
- Invisibility
- can read emotions
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- a lot
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
Physique
- very athletic
Setting
Terrain
- Mountains
- Forests
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body:
- humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Planet outside solar system?
Yes
Style
Person?
- rotating 1st
Accounts of torture and death?
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
How much dialogue?
- roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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