From Macavity to Samuel Johnson’s Hodge, Buck to Rochester’s Pilot, what is classic literature without its pets? One of the most affecting scenes in The Odyssey, that foundation stone of western literature, occurs when Argos, Odysseus’ aged dog, dies at the moment of reunion with his long lost owner. Not even the knowledge of his afterlife as a shopping catalogue can relieve the pathos of the moment. In this episode, Sophie and Jonty make amends for slaughtering Boxer the carthorse in their episode on Animal Farm with a celebration of their favourite pets in literature. We make the case that the early 18th Century was the Golden Age for Pet Lit, that Dickens was so masterful at characterisation even the animals in his books are unforgettable, that Jane Austen was - on the basis of her books - no animal lover, while the Bronte sisters very much were. Finally, Jonty accidentally uncovers Sophie’s deep, repressed love for Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books. Like a match to gunpowder, just mentioning the books sends Sophie into a long homily to Timmy the dog. Note: No animals were harmed in the production of this episode. BOOKS DISCUSSED My Dog Tulip (1956) by JR Ackerley Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (1939) by TS EliotThe Life of Samuel Johnson (1791) by James Boswell Rape of the Lock (1717) by Alexander Pope Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat (1747) Thomas Gray Jubilate Agno (1759-63) by Christopher Smart The Nun’s Priest Tale (1390s) by Geoffrey ChaucerOliver Twist (1838) by Charles Dickens David Copperfield (1850) by Charles Dickens Gulliver’s Travels (1726) by Jonathan Swift Jane Eyre (1847) by Charlotte Bronte The Odyssey Sense and Sensibility (1811) by Jane Austen Mansfield Park (1814) by Jane Austen Five Go To Smuggler’s Top (1945) by Enid Blyton Gilead (2004) by Marilynne Robinson Rivals (1988) by Jilly Cooper The Call of the Wild (1903) by Jack London Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958) by Truman Capote-- To join the Secret Life of Books Club visit: www.secretlifeofbooks.org-- Please support us on Patreon to keep the lights on in the SLoB studio and get bonus content: patreon.com/secretlifeofbookspodcast-- Follow us on our socials:youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretlifeofbookspodcast/shortsinsta: https://www.instagram.com/secretlifeofbookspodcast/bluesky: @slobpodcast.bsky.social Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.