Member Reviews
I loved this book. It had everything you need in a brilliant read. It was imaginative, heartbreaking and beautifully written. This story about a 217 year old dog searching for his master is made plausible by Damian Dibben’s clever writing. Recommended.
A whimsical piece of historical fiction-meets-magical realism. At times Dibben is too clever for his story's good, as with the less obvious reason the book has the title it has - no spoilers, but he withholds too much from the reader to give us the chance to fully empathise with the main characters. But the premise is sound and you may find yourself less irritated by this slight coyness and more enchanted by the magic of this book.
I loved Tomorrow and how even after 217 years he still maintains a puppyish sense of joy alongside his mature understanding of how evil man can be. He sees the destruction men wreck through wars but he also appreciates the beauty man is capable of through music and art.
Tomorrow is searching for his master after they were separated in Venice and Tomorrow never gives hope that they will reunited once more. I enjoyed the journey and would certainly look out for further work from this author.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of books from an animal's perspective such as Black Beauty.
Thank you to Netgalley, Damien Dibben and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read this eARC for my honest review.
Tomorrow tells the story of a 217-year-old dog and his search for his lost master. As he journeys through Europe, he befriends both animals and humans, falls in love (only once), marvels at the human ability to make music, despairs at their capacity for war and gains insight into both the strength and frailties of the human spirit.
This is such an enjoyable and absorbing read.
Thank you to Penguin U.K./Michael Joseph for making available a digital edition of Damian Dibben’s ‘Tomorrow’ in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
The only other novel I have read with a canine protagonist and narrator is [book:Flush|18844] by Virginia Woolf. I enjoyed that and I'm a sucker for a historical novel, so I was intrigued to see how Tomorrow would fair.
I really enjoyed the writing - it was engaging and peppered with historical tit-bits. I really wanted to continue reading but I found the talking dogs more suited to YA or children's fiction. It really grated on me. Tomorrow just isn't for me. If Damian Dibben were to write more adult fiction (minus the talking animals), I'd be very interested just for his writing style alone.
Tomorrow is narrated by a dog named Tomorrow.
It is a tale of a dog who loses his master and his journey to find him, oh and the dog and master are immortal.
The book is beautifully written and has the potential to be a fantastic audiobook.
I was really engrossed in the first half of the book. The novelty of the narrator being a dog and you being able to see the world through a dogs eye is fantastic - if you don't take it too seriously.
If you are a historic fiction buff you probably won't enjoy it, it jumps about cathedral to cathedral over a 200 year span with giving much information, but as a fiction novel with a point of difference, it is good.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy.of this book via NetGalley and the author prior to release date.
I loved this book, which surprised me as I'm not usually a fan of magical realism in books. It was beautifully written, although the version I read from NetGalley seemed not to be adapted for kindle, so there were very odd linebreaks.
That the narrator was a dog was surprising, and nearly as convincing as "Whitefang", although Champion was very well educated for a dog! I guess he's lived a long time.
There were really touching moments, which directly relate to the main characters being dogs, not humans. This allowed and exploration of faithfulness, attraction, the sense of pack as well as inverting the usual. It's owners that lose their dogs to death's claw, not normally the other way around. Original and enjoyable.
This book was so emotional for me. I am a keen animal lover, and I feel a deep empathy for them - any kind of cruelty or unfair treatment makes me simultaneously angry and broken hearted.
In this book we follow a dog, who is seemingly immortal, trying to find his master. Throughout the centuries, master and dog have been together as the master found work at the various royal palaces of the world as a doctor and man of chemistry, seemingly followed by a nefarious man called Vilder. We see flashbacks in the 1600s and the 'present' day during the Napoleonic wars in the early 1800s.
The writing was beautiful and flowed so well, I spent a lot of time highlighting passages that spoke to me. I truly loved this so much, and I know it will stay with me forever.
There was a great message running throughout - these men are immortal, they are removed from the world around them; Master laments the fact that he is unable to have a wife or children because he would outlive them or he would have to 'curse' them to with ever lasting life. I felt that it was a way of saying though we crave a cure for death, we should concern ourselves with actually living and taking in the beauty around us.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, or likes books from an animal's perspective such as Warhorse or Black Beauty, and I would say it's best to go into this semi-blind, with only a vague outline of the plot.
Trigger warnings for animal cruelty, death of a loved one, animal death on the page, gore, bodily fluids, blood, amputation, war crimes, torture, and animal baiting and fighting.
Thank you to Penguin U.K./Michael Joseph for making available a digital edition of Damian Dibben’s ‘Tomorrow’ in exchange for an honest review. It was originally published in May 2018 with its paperback edition released in May 2019.
I was very impressed with this extraordinary work of historical fiction and so elected to purchase its Kindle/Audible combination. The audiobook was narrated by George Blagden.
I began ‘Tomorrow’ with very little knowledge of its story apart from it having elements of magical realism. I was surprised to find that it was narrated by an immortal dog! I have never encountered a premise like this and quickly found myself caught up in its story.
Our narrator’s master, Valentyne, despite his activities in producing a tincture that can extend life indefinitely, is only once referred to as an alchemyst in the reference to Ben Jonson writing a play about him. As things turned out Valentyne was upset once he discovered Jonson was portraying his alchemist as a conman.
The narrative moves between the early 19th century (1815) and flashbacks to events in the long lives of its main characters. Its doggie narrator was born 217 years before this and some 127 years previously he had lost his master. We learn the circumstances of how they became separated in Venice and of this loyal companion’s devotion to initially wait for him and later to search across Europe for his master.
One delightful supporting character is Sporco, a mischievous Venetian street dog that accompanies our narrator from Venice to the battlefield of Waterloo. He is very much a normal dog and makes an interesting contrast to the restrained, sage voice of our canine narrator.
‘Tomorrow’ was well researched in terms of historical detail spanning a number of centuries. Damian Dibben also very effectively portrays a sense of his long-lived characters dealing with the passage of the years and leaving behind loved ones who were subjected to the normal ravages of time.
The novel also contains useful timelines of major historical events, Reading Group questions and a Q and A with the author. The U.K. cover art deserves special mention for its creativity.
This was such a warm, uplifting novel. Seeing history and especially war through the eyes of a dog was very moving. ‘Tomorrow’ was a novel that made me contemplate life and death, that made me laugh and cry. All round an excellent book.
I honestly don’t quite know what to say about this one - it is without any doubt entirely original, unusual and beautifully written.
I always hate it when the dog dies, so it is a bonus that in this story the dog (well, at least the main character) doesn’t in fact die. His observations about history and mankind might not always be very ‘doggy’ but hey, this is not a documentary - this dog is immortal, and he is wise beyond the usual limits of his species. I’m down with that.
The book is also unbelievably heart-breaking in parts and I was brought to tears more than once.
The ending left me a little deflated but maybe the author has a view to write a sequel someday.
In any case I kept thinking this should make a beautiful audio book and having now listened to the audible sample I wish I’d gone down that route. If I can face to put myself through the sad parts again I might get the audio version next - it’s the kind of story that does well being read out loud.
This was such an original book with a gorgeous cover!
It's told from the perspective of an immortal dog and his master, It's a historical fantasy that I enjoyed a lot. I think the writer did a pretty good job, narrating from the perspective of a dog. It was quite emotional with the content of eternal devotion and love. I really enjoyed it.
I'll look out for the writer's works in future.
Thanks a lot Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was so looking forward to reading this book - and what a disappointment it was!
You probably know what the story is about: "Champion" is a dog about 200 years old and he is immortal. Champion was separated from his master in Venice over a century ago and has spent that time waiting for him as he was told to do. He met different people and creatures here and there but, ultimately, his life is spent sniffing the air for his master or remembering the past (and, occasionally, contemplating suicide... yes, this is a dog thinking about hanging himself!).
The book does a lot of name-dropping ("Oh, remember that time we met da Vinci?"), jumps from one century to the next, brushes on numerous subjects, introduces too many characters and easily abandons them.
Sadly, apart from sniffing and snouting here and there, the dog's point of view was not at all original - it was a person's point of view - comments, contemplations and observations were that of a human and, I think, the unique voice was lost. Diluted. Not that original. And not that profound.
And, last but not least, there was no real drama, no real story, no great revelation in the end. All in all, a bit BLAH.
And I am sorry but: the theory that dogs see in black and white is the currently accepted one (so I cringed every time Champion commented on the blue sky or orange bag). And I will never ever believe that a dog would contemplate suicide. No matter how smart.
If you had the chance to live forever, would you take it?
When I saw the cover of this book, I knew I had to read it. I love dogs and travelling and this book had them both.
The narrator is a 217-year-old dog that his owner Valentyne refers to as Champion. Valentyne has discovered the secret to eternal life and he has given that gift to himself and Champion…or is it a gift? My favorite line from the book is from a character who eschews eternal life by saying, “We only enjoy all this because we know it will pass.”
The book moves between the present day (in the book present day is the early 1800’s) and times past; this can be disorienting until you get into the flow of the story. Champion takes you through 200 years of history including wars, the great courts of Europe, Venice, and beyond.
I love that Champion is the narrator of the story and that the author kept Champion a ‘real’ dog. Champion does not talk, levitate, or do anything magical. Champion is simply a dog with eternal life.
This book is very different from what I usually read, but I enjoyed it immensely as something fresh and new. This book is not for everyone, but if you love fantasy (or travel and dogs like me) or are looking for something fresh and new, then this book is for you. The book ends on such a hopeful note that it left me with a warm feeling and the desire to give this book 4/5 stars.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley and PenguinUK for access to the electronic copy of this book for review purposes.
This review was posted on Goodreads on April 24, 2019, and on instagram @lowkey.bookish on April 23, 2019.
There is no other story like that of Tomorrow. It is spellbindingly unique in it's century-spanning tale; that of a 217 year old dog and his lost master. It exposes the inextricable bond between two hearts woven through the historical drama and events such as the London Frost Fair of the 17th century, the strange court of King Charles I, the wars of the Spanish succession, Versailles, the golden age of Amsterdam and to 19th century Venice.
Tomorrow journeys through Europe crossing borders not only literally but metaphorically; befriending animals and humans, falling in love and delighting in music. Tomorrow is overwhelmed and confused by the human capacity or war but also for love. As a reader I was completely enchanted by this story, with rich description and magical imagery.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for my free ARC.
What would eternal life really be like? What price would you pay? Meticulously researched historical detail brings five centuries to life from an unusual perspective - no spoilers- although there were times when I wasn't convinced this voice entirely worked for me. apart from these few jarring moments the perspective was a clever narrative device allowing access to a wide range of places and experiences. There is a mystery to unravel and ultimately a story of the nature of friendship, loyalty and betrayal.. overall I enjoyed the journey and would certainly look out for further work from this author.
Tomorrow is an enthralling historical fantasy about an immortal dog and his master. It is a story of love and eternal devotion, told from the viewpoint of the dog.
A 217 year old dog? Searching for his master? Fantasy and historical fiction elements? Yes please, this sounds perfect - it was a wonderfully heartwarming tale as the dog searched for its master, whilst spanning a key 100 years of European history in the process. Very original and a cosy Autumnal read.
After reading the description I couldn’t let this one pass me by, and overall, I’m glad I didn’t. With fantastical elements, Tomorrow is filled with unexpectedly poignant moments, aided by Dibben’s obvious skill as a writer.
Granted, I did feel the main plot took a while to reach the apex, and does go how one would expect. However, the little moments and the journey getting there are well worth the admission.
This was an ARC in exchange for an honest review. With thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph
If I had to think of one word for this book I think I'd have to opt for odd. It tells the story of a dogs search for his master (although companion might be more apt ). Not so odd you may think but the dog and his missing master are both immortal and the search continues over many years. It's told from the perspectaive of the dog, who at the stage of the search we join him on is over 200 years old. His jorney takes us through points in history such as London Frost Fair, the court of King Charles I, The Battle of Waterloo and the War if Spanish sucession , and locations as such as Versailles, the golden age of Amsterdam & 19th century Venice.
I found this quite hard to get into and it wasn't really until a certain event in the novel that I realised how much I had engaged with this novel. What I found especially affecting was the the dogs narration, and how they understand us but humans don't have the same understanding. Occasionally I forgot it was a dog telling the story so a sentence about dried poop or sniffing bums really made me double take!
It's definitely a slow burner, and whilst I could not describe it as a page turner it was an enjoyable read.
This is an absolutely lovely story of a dog who has been searching for his lost master for over a 100 years. This book explores much of European history of the last 100 years as seen from the dog's point of view. . He is a wonderful character and I thoroughly enjoyed being in his world.