A Dog's Purpose

When A Dog’s Purpose was first published in 2010, it was a hit, spending 49 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list. Critics were mostly positive about the novel, with some praising author Bruce W. Cameron for his ability to capture the personality of a dog in prose. The novel also received praise from professionals who work closely with animals, such as Temple Grandin, known for her work with cattle, and Marty Becker, morning show veterinarian consultant. The novel was also recommended to readers of the Christian Science Monitor as a wholesome family story. However, along with praise, there was also criticism of Cameron’s approach to storytelling with a dog as the main character. One such example of this is a Washington Post article published on June 23, 2010, that claims Cameron “exploits dogs’ selflessness for his own mawkish ends” (Zipp, Yvonne. “Five New Books About Dogs,” The Washington Post, 2010). Despite this criticism, the novel continues to enjoy success. In fact, as of 2023, A Dog’s Purpose has a 4.35-star rating on the book cataloging website GoodReads. It was also followed by the second novel in the trilogy in 2012, A Dog’s Journey, and the third novel in 2019, A Dog’s Promise.