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emleemay's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very cute story about a man and his beloved dachshund. You probably already know what happens, as is the nature of these kinds of books, but it was far less cheesy than it might have been.
Rather than spending too long on emotional manipulation, the book focuses on Ted Flask - a lonely, middle-aged gay man who loves no one as much as his dog. It's this part of the story that really makes it a tearjerker. The - for want of a better word - pathetic nature of Ted's love is heart-wrenching, more so than the familiar narrative.
We come to learn how Lily was the runt of the litter and she chose him when he went to have his pick of the pups. Lily also "talks" throughout the novel, though it's not clear if this is magical realism or supposed to be all in Ted's mind; I guess it doesn't really matter either way. I must admit that Lily's "voice" got a little annoying after a while with all the CAPS and exclamation points, but maybe that's just me.
I also didn't love Ted's constant repetition about the octopus and how he "looks it in the eye" and actually talks to it (it's not a spoiler to say what the octopus is, but just in case, I have tagged it:). I found it kind of... silly after a while. In an otherwise sensitive and emotionally smart novel, it felt a little jarring.
At its heart, this book is about a relationship, a friendship filled with love. It does not matter that Lily is a dog - she is also a huge part of Ted's life, and his level of feeling for her is palpable. The part where kind of broke me :'(
I need to go give my own furbaby some love. Look at that bitchy little face ♥
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Rather than spending too long on emotional manipulation, the book focuses on Ted Flask - a lonely, middle-aged gay man who loves no one as much as his dog. It's this part of the story that really makes it a tearjerker. The - for want of a better word - pathetic nature of Ted's love is heart-wrenching, more so than the familiar narrative.
We come to learn how Lily was the runt of the litter and she chose him when he went to have his pick of the pups. Lily also "talks" throughout the novel, though it's not clear if this is magical realism or supposed to be all in Ted's mind; I guess it doesn't really matter either way. I must admit that Lily's "voice" got a little annoying after a while with all the CAPS and exclamation points, but maybe that's just me.
I also didn't love Ted's constant repetition about the octopus and how he "looks it in the eye" and actually talks to it (it's not a spoiler to say what the octopus is, but just in case, I have tagged it:
Spoiler
it's a tumorAt its heart, this book is about a relationship, a friendship filled with love. It does not matter that Lily is a dog - she is also a huge part of Ted's life, and his level of feeling for her is palpable. The part where
Spoiler
she has a seizure and urinates on him but he just keeps holding her through itI need to go give my own furbaby some love. Look at that bitchy little face ♥
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quartzmaya's review against another edition
5.0
“I don’t understand how my life got so empty, or why the octopus came, or why everyone eventually goes away.”
“The distribution of loss is inequitable. That's just the way it is. That's just the way the world works. There's no one handing it out. There's no one making sure everyone gets a fair share.”
I did not simply like this book; it deeply resonated with me. Rowley wrote this about his own real experiences with his dachshund and the deep, real emotion (both high and low) is conveyed so thoroughly it felt like I was peeking at someone's diary. I knew within the first chapter that it was going to make me cry, and even though every turn of the page made the lump in my throat rise I could not put it down.
"Is this masochism?" I asked myself with every fresh chapter. Reading this story in one sitting definitely ripped open some wounds as I reflected on my own joys and regrets as a pet owner.
Yet despite overall being a book about loss, and despite definitely making me cry... it was not at all a "sad dog story". Overall I felt like it was a story about love and commitment that expresses why people find so much value in taking on the responsibility of the care and feeding of another creature even (and maybe especially?) when they struggle with the care and feeding of themselves.
“The distribution of loss is inequitable. That's just the way it is. That's just the way the world works. There's no one handing it out. There's no one making sure everyone gets a fair share.”
I did not simply like this book; it deeply resonated with me. Rowley wrote this about his own real experiences with his dachshund and the deep, real emotion (both high and low) is conveyed so thoroughly it felt like I was peeking at someone's diary. I knew within the first chapter that it was going to make me cry, and even though every turn of the page made the lump in my throat rise I could not put it down.
"Is this masochism?" I asked myself with every fresh chapter. Reading this story in one sitting definitely ripped open some wounds as I reflected on my own joys and regrets as a pet owner.
Yet despite overall being a book about loss, and despite definitely making me cry... it was not at all a "sad dog story". Overall I felt like it was a story about love and commitment that expresses why people find so much value in taking on the responsibility of the care and feeding of another creature even (and maybe especially?) when they struggle with the care and feeding of themselves.
alykane6's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
piajensen13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I sobbed while holding my dog tight.
Content Warnings
This is a book about loss and love.
lena_emma02's review against another edition
5.0
I knew I was gonna cry reading this one, but omg - Ted and Lily’s story was so devastatingly precious, and Rowley really is a master of prose and storytelling. As a pet owner myself (even though I’m a cat person, don’t hate me), I could really relate to all of his fears and anxieties about the octopus, and the ending just hit me all that much harder.
Probably one of my top three reads of the year, if not #1. Highly recommend!!
Probably one of my top three reads of the year, if not #1. Highly recommend!!
elizareadsbooks1's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
My absolute favoritee
mqo001's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
citygraveyard's review against another edition
Didn't care for yet another perspective of a bitter, cynical older gay man. Our community deserves better, and reading it makes me miserable.