Although the title of Heidi Sopinka’s THE DICTIONARY OF ANIMAL LANGUAGES and its (loose?) basis on the life of artist Leonora Carrington are intriguing, this does not read well. That is, this is a confusing book.

First of all, this would have been easier to read if Sopinka had used quotation marks. What is it with some authors nowadays and their elimination of quotation marks? They are an aid to the reader so she knows when thought ends and voice begins, so she understands the author’s intended meaning. When quotation marks are missing, the author has done a disservice to her reader.

Also, this book has many sentence fragments, further instances of disservice to the reader. Again, subject and predicate, along with punctuation marks (besides the period), aid understanding. Although Sopinka doesn’t need to go back to school for a basic English grammar class--many of her paragraphs and sentences are constructed correctly--she seems to think the sentence fragment is a writing device that conveys meaning. I didn’t get much of it, so the device failed.

Sopinka’s use of present tense, even in flashbacks, is also confusing.

THE DICTIONARY OF ANIMAL LANGUAGES begins with Ivory Frame, 92-years-old, talking with Skeet. Although Sopinka does not say who he is, it seems that he is an old friend. I have read elsewhere exactly who he is, but Sopinka doesn’t say so. However, her use of present tense here is appropriate.

Then flash back to past tense, then to present, then we are suddenly in another flashback where Sopinka still uses present tense, so the reader doesn’t know she’s in the past. Maybe she rereads the last few paragraphs to find an indication of when Frame left the conversation with Skeet and landed in Paris. It seems this is a much younger Frame, so this must be a flashback.

Then the same thing happens in reverse. Now the reader is in the real present. Frame wants to tell Skeet about a letter she received informing her that she has a granddaughter. So that will probably make the reader further intrigued so she will want to read more.

Or perhaps all the confusion, all the work the reader will have to trade for enjoyment, will deter her.

I won this book through librarything.com.