Dog on Fire

"A lyrical Midwestern gothic."—Publishers Weekly
"If the novel's focus on the warping effects of grief, with only glancing speculation about what precisely is being grieved, makes it typical of contemporary fiction, Ms. Svoboda distinguishes herself with the peculiarity of her prose, which takes a darting, indirect approach that almost attains the abstraction of a tone poem."—Wall Street Journal
"At turns hilariously absurd and gut-wrenchingly heartfelt, Terese Svoboda's Dog on Fire, published by the University of Nebraska Press, defies genre. Svoboda juggles comedy, mystery, tragedy, horror—and masters them all."—Brennie Shoup, Superstition Review
"Svoboda's writing is beautiful, rich, and poetic. This surprising novel is an intriguing and thought-provoking read."—Milana Marsenich, Roundup Magazine
"The mystery at the heart of Dog on Fire is compelling, but the real pleasure of the reading experience is Svoboda's punctuated lyricism, sentences and paragraphs that engulf the reader like the dust storm with which the novel begins."—Clifford Garstang, Southern Review of Books
"Svoboda's most recent novel finds the pulse between the every day and the absurd. A richly imaged novel from a writer at the top of her form."—Wendy J. Fox, Electric Lit
“With its fierce wit and insight, Dog on Fire is thrillingly alive to this bewildering moment. This novel about family, grief, and all the ways we remain mysteries to one another is both memorable and brilliant. I’m grateful for Terese Svoboda’s searing vision and for her singular, inventive prose, which always makes me see the world in an entirely new way.”—René Steinke, author of Friendswood
“Tense, poignant, urgent, and at times scathing, with Dog on Fire Svoboda has performed the astonishing dual feat of writing what could be called a contemporary Dust Bowl Gothic novel and creating a pitch-perfect work depicting the feelings of rage, grief, and isolation that come with losing a loved one. Without a doubt, Dog on Fire is Svoboda at her finest.”—Rone Shavers, author of Silverfish
“Dog on Fire is a blisteringly perceptive novel about grief, secrets, and the intractability of love. The mysteries surrounding one man’s death, narrated alternately by his sister and his lover, yield no easy answers in this haunting and darkly witty reckoning.”—Dawn Raffel, author of Boundless as the Sky
“Terese Svoboda has written a continually wonderful novel about grief, family, and the mysterious particularity of each human creature, and the natural secrets we insist on carrying. A terrific book.”—Joan Silber, author of Secrets of Happiness and Improvement