"The Dog" is the first accurate satirical tale of Dubai that I've had the pleasure to read. Having lived there, I have high standards and O'Neil exceeds them. I would love to know his process as I know of him only as a teacher at Bard and never having had lived there. How could he possibly have gotten so much right without living it? Incredible. This is a must read for any and all of my friends/associates who live in (though it has got to be banned there), or have lived in, DXB.
I knew of O'Neil from his earlier work, specifically "Netherland", which is a haunting portrait of a character becoming unglued set against NYC 9/11/01 and how he puts himself and his family back together again. In this tale, O'Neil shows himself to be a master of the class, allowing you to feel total empathy with someone at someplace that almost none of us will ever have been.
The NYRB loves him and writes up his new releases as they come out, and with such adoration from the great minds, it is only a matter of time before he receives awards as well as plaudits if he hasn't already done so.
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