RALPH & MURRAY

by Rick Glaze ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 10, 2024

A pet dog and cat share their views on small-town life in this novella.

Ralph is an indefatigably curious pound puppy who joined his adoptive family when he was 6 months old. Murray is a savvy tortoiseshell cat who lives next door and just happens to be Ralph’s best friend. They live in 1950s Murfreesboro, a “quaint little hamlet…where there was never a need to lock your doors.” Written from Ralph’s perspective, the story shows the two animals poring over the minutiae of everyday life by reading each other’s thoughts. Ralph is a self-appointed head of security, watching over his family’s two young boys, Tommy and Ricky. He is eager to vet characters like Zeke, a storytelling vagrant the boys befriend while building a secret fort. Meanwhile, Murray is proud of virtually eradicating the mouse population on his side of the fence, but he still has time to learn new dance crazes, like the Twist. When Ralph and Murray get together, the scope of their conversations proves entertainingly limitless, from discussing Uncle Buck, who lives in an urn on the mantle, to the reasons humans have coins. The first-person (or perhaps first-canine) narrative does fine work of getting into a dog’s mindset. Canine owners will smile knowingly at Ralph’s behavior: “I broke up the boredom by shuttling back and forth between the two bedrooms. Snuggling into Tom’s bedspread, I watched him stare at books.” Glaze is a skillfully descriptive writer who effortlessly brings the world surrounding the animals to life: “Wintertime was fading, and a warm afternoon sun was beginning to coax the jonquils out of the ground along the fence line.” Ralph and Murray possess shrewd natures, which, when discussing matters such as using alligators for “shoes and belts,” allow them to pose questions that will make readers reflect on controversial human practices: “Is that mean, treating animals like that?” On other occasions, the pair’s innocence is endearingly hilarious: “ ‘Do you know what an Everglade is?’ I said.” “It’s air spray, right?” The author’s furry characters are thoroughly convincing and will immediately draw readers into a world where divebombing blue jays are among the biggest problems. The result is deliciously cozy escapism that simultaneously poses subtle yet pertinent questions about how readers live their lives.

A funny, smartly observant, and philosophical animal tale; a heartwarming read.

Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2024

ISBN: 978-1737295136

Page Count: 110

Publisher: ScreenShot Publishers

Review Posted Online: Aug. 22, 2023

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

LITERARY FICTION | GENERAL FICTION