Book Review: Fluke by James Herbert (1977)

Horror is as varied as it is interesting. James Herbert was one of my favourite writers over a decade ago (Rats, The Dark, Shrine, The Fog) but Fluke isn't one of them. It's written by a master of horror, and that's what I expected when I first picked the book up, but it wasn't what I got.

Instead, what I did get, was an eloquently plotted book about a man who dies and is re-incarnated as a dog. The first three or four chapters contains no verbal interaction which was interesting, because I was so engrossed in the story, I never realised until the second time I read it!

It's difficult to write this review without spoilers. I want to tell you everything. It's one of my favourite reads, and for good reason. It was later turned into a movie in 1995 (see IMDB here). I haven't had the opportunity to watch it but I still trawl the video shops looking for it.

The basic storyline is that the reincarnated dog (Fluke by name, fluke by nature) gradually starts to remember his previous life as a man, fragmentary memories trying to push themselves to the surface from being repressed. There's an instinct deep inside that he can't get; a diamond of knowledge that Fluke, no matter how hard he tries, can't reach. His instincts tells him that it is important to know what it is.

It sounds like a simple storyline, but the feelings that Fluke has of his milieu is insightful. There are scenes where Fluke, instead of trying to dig up antiquated feelings of his past, stop and thinks about what's happening a that moment: about the things he sees and smells, and feels, and the relationships he has encountered, both animal and people. I felt these to be breakthroughs in the novel as the man-turned-dog starts to come to terms with who he is, and the end of the novel indeed gives us that impression.

Some of the characters are very memorable, my favourite being Rumbo, the junkyard dog who takes Fluke under his paw, so to speak, showing him the ropes of the doggy-dog world. I found a number of underlying themes and feelings in this novel, from friendship to self-acceptance to name just two. The maturity of storytelling makes Fluke one of my favourite novels. It is rich in content and character, has a unique resonance, and of course, the bold perspective of being a dog.

Overall, Fluke was a surprising read by a horror writer, read by a horror reader. It injects a scope and gravity that despite not being in control, we should strive for what we want to achieve, regardless of what God did or did not give us. You'll be hard pressed to find similar novels with as much character development, and if like me you enjoy good prose and solid reads, this is a book you'll be keeping for a very long time.

RATING: 5 OUT OF 5

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