Pat 4.5 - 5
When a dog is a main character in book it's a safe bet it will be dead by the last page. Kellie suggested this when I told her I was looking for something funny. I probably wouldn't have chosen it had I known Lily was a dog but I was running out of time and desperate. The author's voice grated on me for at least the first half. I bristled while reading. But when he began to reflect on things like death, dogs, and the meaning of life he had some relevant things to say besides what constitutes proper martini garnish service though I must admit, extra green olives added without having to ask would be something. I would have rated higher sans the ocean trip. It was too over the top for me and was never properly explained. Obviously fantasy, but what, a drug-induced trip? It unsettled the story just as it was smoothing out. Knowing her fate from page one, I didn't allow myself to become too invested in Lily, so avoided much of the emotional impact.
Becky 6.5 Prediction 6
Thought to herself, 'A dog with an octopus on its head? What the hell?' Did not enjoy the octopus parts. 'My dog has an octopus,' irritated her. Playing Monopoly, eating pizza, watching movies all with the dog? - c'mon. A roller coaster with all his emotions. Becky was reminded of Love Creeps being a bit surreal and bizarre. When the author talked about things besides the octopus and Lily he was witty. He nailed the emotional investment people have with their pets and their pet names. The book began to grow on her. The scene with the tattoo artist was a great philosophical conversation on death. Death the Big Adventure. Death the moment of Birth. That part seemed very real. Liked his references to Jenny, his therapist. Author did such a good job with the actual dog parts. She was sobbing during Lily's euthanasia and choked up reading Auden's poem Funeral Blues. Liked the humor and emotional parts of this book.
Letitia 7 - 7.5 Prediction 6
I found this a refreshing read about love, loss, relationships, and never giving up the fight to protect what you love. Maybe being the owner of a 12.5 year old dog who recently had bronchitis made me more susceptible to the sadness of watching a loved pet slowly fade as they age. In the first few pages when the octopus was introduced, I said, "WHAT?" and explained to my 18 year old daughter about this fanciful beginning and she immediately told me that the octopus was death.
I think this book was a real change from anything I have read, EVER and in turn had me in fits of laughter, or choking up with tears. I laughed out loud frequently, especially in the dialogues between Ted and the dog, as well as the scenes with Ted and his therapist, Jenny, and Ted with his friend Trent. I absolutely LOVED the way the author conveyed Lily's voice with all the one word SENTENCES! AND! EXCLAMATIONS! Anything Lily said in her dog voice seemed spot on to what I'd imagine a dog saying about an ice cream cone, a red ball, eye rain, etc. I always admire an author who can combine humor along with pathos and keep me entertained every step of the way. Even the dialogue with the malevolent octopus was clever and Ted's attempts to combat the octopus with a cleaver, plastic sharks, or an ocean voyage were so zany and fanciful as to be entertaining. At first I was taken aback by the sea voyage, and wondering if that was real or fantasy, but I did catch on when the friendly boater metamorphosed into the octopus.
I found this a refreshing read about love, loss, relationships, and never giving up the fight to protect what you love. Maybe being the owner of a 12.5 year old dog who recently had bronchitis made me more susceptible to the sadness of watching a loved pet slowly fade as they age. In the first few pages when the octopus was introduced, I said, "WHAT?" and explained to my 18 year old daughter about this fanciful beginning and she immediately told me that the octopus was death.
I think this book was a real change from anything I have read, EVER and in turn had me in fits of laughter, or choking up with tears. I laughed out loud frequently, especially in the dialogues between Ted and the dog, as well as the scenes with Ted and his therapist, Jenny, and Ted with his friend Trent. I absolutely LOVED the way the author conveyed Lily's voice with all the one word SENTENCES! AND! EXCLAMATIONS! Anything Lily said in her dog voice seemed spot on to what I'd imagine a dog saying about an ice cream cone, a red ball, eye rain, etc. I always admire an author who can combine humor along with pathos and keep me entertained every step of the way. Even the dialogue with the malevolent octopus was clever and Ted's attempts to combat the octopus with a cleaver, plastic sharks, or an ocean voyage were so zany and fanciful as to be entertaining. At first I was taken aback by the sea voyage, and wondering if that was real or fantasy, but I did catch on when the friendly boater metamorphosed into the octopus.
I produced a lot of 'eye rain' after Ted faces reality in the chapters after the sea voyage. He wonders if the pizza nights, Monopoly, and discussions about boy crushes were ever real, and that was so sad. Ted analyzes the meaning of death throughout the book, and the vulnerability of life itself.
Page 344 . . . how we manage to live despite the knowledge that we are all going to die. What is the point of it all? Why bother getting up in the morning when faced with such futility? Or is it the promise of death that inspires life? That we must grab what we can while there is still time.
I enjoyed the scene where he meets Byron and though it makes me tear up, where he interjects Lily's voice encouraging him to LIVE! YOUR! FULL! LIFE! He states Lily's lesson to be present in the moment and give spontaneous affection. Don't hold grudges or live in the past. Enjoy the HERE! AND! NOW!
I enjoyed the scene where he meets Byron and though it makes me tear up, where he interjects Lily's voice encouraging him to LIVE! YOUR! FULL! LIFE! He states Lily's lesson to be present in the moment and give spontaneous affection. Don't hold grudges or live in the past. Enjoy the HERE! AND! NOW!
Good book pick, Pat!!!
Sandy 7 Prediction 2
On the first page, fourth sentence in there was a current reference that will be outdated in a year. Thought her head was going to explode with the octopus part but then realized, tumor? Okay. It's difficult to lose a pet. When to put them down? Large parts of book were so annoying especially when he was talking to the octopus. But she understood him talking to the dog. He was so lonely and self absorbed. Thought he shouldn't use Lily to ignore his own happiness. Lily showed him how to be happy. Looked up Rosarch of inkblot fame and found he was indeed Brad Pitt hot.
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| Henry Rorschach circa 1910 |
Liked the quote, "Yours is by far the harder lot but mine is happening to me" Goodreads has collections of the best lines. Wondered why Ted and his sister were so awful to their mother. Choked up toward the end when he was left with Lily's Paw Paw blanket and the thought, 'Tomorrow will be the first day Lily never saw.' Was grateful for the short chapters which kept it from being too annoying.
Carolyn 4 Prediction 5
Having had a dumb dog growing up, Carolyn is not a dog person. But looking at the cover she thought this would be a cute story that she was going to love. Three pages in . . . Oh My Gosh. Has been thinking she needs to be more extreme with her ratings. Lily's talking. Well, she would talk that way, but it bugged her. While reading the ocean saga wondered how on earth he was going to come back to reality and hoped it wasn't, 'It was all a dream.' This drives her crazy, especially when her students do it. Augh! Didn't like it when the octopus was talking. Good book about loss, and not just Lily's, but Jeffery's loss of relationships. Thinks this was based on author's real life. Liked his friend Trent who was a true friend. Was bothered by the whole toy shark set up. Thought it realistic the amount of emotional investment he had in Lily. Owners will do anything for their pets which she understands. Was struck by the part where he was sorry he ever got angry for Lily being unable to pee while lying in her urine. “What was so horrible about it? Why had I always been so angry? What was my need to always be right? To win every argument with her? To out-stubborn a dog? And just like that, all the anger is gone. Released like the emptying of a bladder into soft cotton sheets as we lie in the wetness.” It was very emotional and sad when Lily is ready to be put down. It's so hard. You're always wondering if it's the right thing. Carolyn's favorite chapter was the last when he is looking forward to a new relationship with Lily's blessing.
Maggie 7.5 Prediction 4
Rated this fairly high because it's so totally different from anything we've read before. Found it funny, poignant, and loved his voice which was authentic and raw with emotion. Loved that he named what was going to kill him. The part at sea was so ridiculous. Was it a chaotic dream? A story? He went over the top to make a story out of the fact that his dog died and somehow made it very funny. If you've lost a pet you know how he felt. Thought this was a good choice. Found it totally different and refreshing. Sad, tragic and yet so humorous.
Rated this fairly high because it's so totally different from anything we've read before. Found it funny, poignant, and loved his voice which was authentic and raw with emotion. Loved that he named what was going to kill him. The part at sea was so ridiculous. Was it a chaotic dream? A story? He went over the top to make a story out of the fact that his dog died and somehow made it very funny. If you've lost a pet you know how he felt. Thought this was a good choice. Found it totally different and refreshing. Sad, tragic and yet so humorous.
Miles 5.5 Prediction 5
Is not enamored with his ten year old dog which they were duped into buying from the humane society. The dog loves his wife but growls at and has attacked him despite the fact that he feeds it and takes it for walks. Hence, Miles is not necessarily in a touchy feely mood about dogs. That said, Miles thinks the author nailed everything about dogs. He found his voice clear, honest and also thinks the author was this character whom he didn't really like. Ted often sniveled and whined and Miles didn't care to listen to him for long. The ocean voyage reminded him of Life of Pi and he figured that was fantasy. The part where Lily was put down was perfect and handled very well. At first Miles thought that the subject matter wasn't weighty enough for a novel, but then figured what has more weight than love and honesty which is what this was all about. This was the author's ode to his dog made into fiction by adding some themes and humor.
K'Lynn 6.5 Prediction 6.5
Yes, I knew it would end badly, because dogs don't live as long as we do, and because we give our hearts to our pets, and they return that love a thousand times without asking for anything in return. And Ted, the human, had issues, like a psychotherapist named Jenny who was incompetent, and a broken relationship with a boyfriend, and a mother who didn't love him enough (according to him). But he had a really great best friend, and a really great sister, and Lily, the dachshund. He also had a great sense of humor, and a unique way of looking at the world, when he wasn't trying to hide from it.
I read this book even knowing I would cry at the end, for the same reason we have dogs in the first place: Because the journey is worth the pain at the finish line.
I actually read this book last summer. So it was fun to pick it up again and re-read it. It was an easy read. Took me a weekend.
You can't say I wasn't warned. First of all, dog stories tend to have sad endings. Then on the first page you learn that Lily, the dachshund is 12 years old, 84 in people years. Again, not promising. Then Ted, the human, notices the octopus (tumor) on her head. So we have a 300 page novel about a 12 year old dog with cancer, how did I think it was going to end? Especially when I cried the first time on page 26?Yes, I knew it would end badly, because dogs don't live as long as we do, and because we give our hearts to our pets, and they return that love a thousand times without asking for anything in return. And Ted, the human, had issues, like a psychotherapist named Jenny who was incompetent, and a broken relationship with a boyfriend, and a mother who didn't love him enough (according to him). But he had a really great best friend, and a really great sister, and Lily, the dachshund. He also had a great sense of humor, and a unique way of looking at the world, when he wasn't trying to hide from it.
I read this book even knowing I would cry at the end, for the same reason we have dogs in the first place: Because the journey is worth the pain at the finish line.
Total prediction off by 11.5 points, divided by 7 people equals a prediction difference of 1.6 points per person.
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