Reviews

My Dog Tulip by J.R. Ackerley

sterlinglacroix's review

1.0

I wish I could give this book 0/5 stars. Based on the title and description I was expecting a charming story about man's best friend, but instead I got something much different.

My Dog Tulip is 190 pages of stomach churning and revolting descriptions of this man's dog. The second chapter is called "Liquids and Solids" and is 30 pages of in depth descriptions of the dog's piss and shit habits. Detailed descriptions of how she squats, when, and where. The different types and times.

After the piss and shit chapter, the owner decides he wants to breed his dog. And there follows many chapters chock full of intimate descriptions of a dog in heat. I'm not opposed to learning about the scientific nature of these processes, but this writer instead chooses to take a very sexual and off putting tone. It's very unsettling. I'm certain this man committed unspeakable acts with his poor innocent dog.

msbethreads's review against another edition

3.0

It was okay. I found it a quiet book and the first have was quite good. He discusses all the ways having a dog he loved changed him and how they adapted to each other. After that, he focuses on the problems of getting her to breed and have puppies. I didn't mind that at all except ... he never had another subject. Was a bit obsessive and uninteresting .... I'd have preferred he talked about dealing w/ her aging and how dealt with her death or imminent death. Instead, that was just an afterthought. All done in a few sentences.

Probably won't recommend to anyone that isn't an avid reader and dog lover.

paul281f's review

dark informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

aliciaaaah's review

3.0

Welp! I listened to the audiobook. I thought this was going to be a nice and funny little book about a guy and his dog to listen to while preparing Thanksgiving dinner and for the first 30 minutes or so it was just as I thought it would be, but then there was a long bit about dogs going to the bathroom. Ha ha ok. Fine! Then? The whole remaining 4 hours about dog sex. Very detailed description of dog vulvas! Pretty sure a guy jacked off a dog to “prepare him for breeding”? And the audiobook narrator is the most proper British gent you can imagine. There’s also some weird dog-centric classism? I don’t know, man. Still, all that said: pretty good book!

opheliasdaisies's review

Just not my thing. I guess I'm not enough of a dog person to find it relevant.

fayesparallelstories's review against another edition

1.0

I really like dogs but My Dog Tulip portrays a somewhat disturbing devotion to fulfilling a bitch's "sexual needs" as well as strange snobbery to dogs and humans alike. Usually convincing me of a story that centers around a dog is pretty easy- this one failed.

servemethesky's review against another edition

1.0

Get your dogs spayed/neutered. Don't write books about dog sex.

If I never read another sentence about a man rubbing vaseline on his dog's vagina, I will be a very happy person.

margaret721's review against another edition

funny informative lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

3.5

carolynmorgan's review

2.0

Not at all what I was expecting. The end kind of saved it for me, otherwise this was not for me. All about trying to get the dog to mate. I thought it was going to be much more about the relationship between man and animal. It was, but the dog mating was way too much for me.

bookaddictrn's review

Dnf—stopped shortly after the graphic description of Tulip being in heat. I love dogs—probably WAY too much—but I am completely uninterested in canine sexuality. Expected more of a sweet, heartwarming, human/dog furry, snuggly, fluffy tale.