A Dog of Flanders
Ouida
MP3 CD
(IDB Productions, Sept. 3, 2016)
A Dog of Flanders is a lovely little story that anyone who enjoys a good tale about friendship and closeness will be able to relate to. Marie Louise de la Remee depicts a tale about a poor young boy and his faithful dog that will capture your heart, while providing a true life lesson on deeper subjects associated with life, happiness, poverty and friendship.Nello and his beloved canine friend, Patrasche, have become extremely popular throughout the world, even though they aren't as recognized in their home town of Antwerp, in Belgium, where the two have a statue that tourists from all over the world come to visit.The story itself is extremely touching, and it will definitely cause some tears to flow, if you aren't used to reading stories depicting tragic plots and sad, yet meaningful events.Nello and Patrasche endure all manner of hardships, bonding while working together to escape poverty and pursue happiness. The difficulty of their adventure is made worse by the fact that they are both orphans, and while Nello's aspirations to becoming a renowned artist seem to be within grasp, there are many challenges the pair has to overcome, before catching a glimpse of happiness.They soon become best friends, sharing their innermost thoughts, and we get a detailed account of Patrasche's idea of what happiness should be, in the background of the difficult life situations, hunger, rejection and poverty that the two have to face together throughout the book.The book has become quite popular, especially in Japan, and a 1997 animated version was developed as well which made the story even more well-known outside Belgium.A realistic, yet hopeful portrayal of life and its many problems and challenges, A Dog of Flanders remains a classic that you will likely fall in love with at once, proving that beauty, learning and even happiness can be found even in the most difficult of situations.