PattyMacDotComma's Reviews > Lily and the Octopus
Lily and the Octopus
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by
PattyMacDotComma's review
bookshelves: arc-netgalley-done, fantasy-folk-myth-super-magic, bio-memoir, kindle, aa
Mar 25, 2016
bookshelves: arc-netgalley-done, fantasy-folk-myth-super-magic, bio-memoir, kindle, aa
4★
BEGIN! THE! STORY! OF! ME!
The “me” of this command is Lily, a small, elderly (87 in people years, we’re told) Dachsund, Ted’s relentlessly loving, entertaining companion. Ted’s love for Lily is just as relentless. Even if it hurts. Even when it hurts.
Lily was the runt of her litter, and she chose Ted. He says he couldn’t tell all the brothers and sisters apart “tumbling over one another like noodles in a pot of boiling water. . . a pile of paws and tails.” But Lily, the runt, ambled over, chewed his shoelace and untied it. He picks her up and with her tucked up under his chin, her tail wagged “like the pendulum of the smallest, most fragile grandfather clock.”
Ted reckons the breeder was pleased because it left what looked like a perfect litter for the next customers. But Ted knows he took home the pick. She is “fiercely loved.”
He’s a gay guy with parents, a close sister, and gay friends, loving, loyal friends who all accept Lily as part of the family. He and Lily have a regular schedule of pizza nights and Monopoly nights and lots of conversations. When she’s excited, she goes into SINGLE! EXCLAMATIONS! like the first sentence here.
I’ve had a lot of dogs in my life, including many working dogs who lived outside. But I also had a long-haired Dachsund who, like Lily, slept under the covers so it seemed she would suffocate. I don’t know how they breathe under there, but I guess any smells would be an attraction rather than a deterrence.
We meet Ted’s family, friends, and ex who all watch him sink into alcohol, pain-killers and Valium as he copes with the realisation that his girl is ageing fast and what’s more, he’s found a scary growth on her head that is the octopus of the story.
Although the story is Lily’s, it is also Ted’s. We get to enjoy all the fun, silly things they’ve done, culminating in a hair-raising seagoing adventure reminiscent of Life of Pi. I loved Life of Pi. It’s fun to be carried away on these unbelievable escapades.
Rowley writes well and his characters are believable. The author tells us at the end that this began from a short story, and while a short story wouldn’t have been enough, this felt too long. I reckon a tight couple of hundred pages would have done justice to Lily, but I’m sure others will love it as it is.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster (Australia) for the preview copy from which I've quoted.
BEGIN! THE! STORY! OF! ME!
The “me” of this command is Lily, a small, elderly (87 in people years, we’re told) Dachsund, Ted’s relentlessly loving, entertaining companion. Ted’s love for Lily is just as relentless. Even if it hurts. Even when it hurts.
Lily was the runt of her litter, and she chose Ted. He says he couldn’t tell all the brothers and sisters apart “tumbling over one another like noodles in a pot of boiling water. . . a pile of paws and tails.” But Lily, the runt, ambled over, chewed his shoelace and untied it. He picks her up and with her tucked up under his chin, her tail wagged “like the pendulum of the smallest, most fragile grandfather clock.”
Ted reckons the breeder was pleased because it left what looked like a perfect litter for the next customers. But Ted knows he took home the pick. She is “fiercely loved.”
He’s a gay guy with parents, a close sister, and gay friends, loving, loyal friends who all accept Lily as part of the family. He and Lily have a regular schedule of pizza nights and Monopoly nights and lots of conversations. When she’s excited, she goes into SINGLE! EXCLAMATIONS! like the first sentence here.
I’ve had a lot of dogs in my life, including many working dogs who lived outside. But I also had a long-haired Dachsund who, like Lily, slept under the covers so it seemed she would suffocate. I don’t know how they breathe under there, but I guess any smells would be an attraction rather than a deterrence.
We meet Ted’s family, friends, and ex who all watch him sink into alcohol, pain-killers and Valium as he copes with the realisation that his girl is ageing fast and what’s more, he’s found a scary growth on her head that is the octopus of the story.
Although the story is Lily’s, it is also Ted’s. We get to enjoy all the fun, silly things they’ve done, culminating in a hair-raising seagoing adventure reminiscent of Life of Pi. I loved Life of Pi. It’s fun to be carried away on these unbelievable escapades.
Rowley writes well and his characters are believable. The author tells us at the end that this began from a short story, and while a short story wouldn’t have been enough, this felt too long. I reckon a tight couple of hundred pages would have done justice to Lily, but I’m sure others will love it as it is.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster (Australia) for the preview copy from which I've quoted.
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Reading Progress
March 25, 2016
– Shelved
May 28, 2016
–
Started Reading
May 29, 2016
–
Finished Reading
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Diane S ☔
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May 29, 2016 12:37PM
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Look forward to seeing what you think, Diane. It is a bit of a heart-string tugger, and I'm mostly pretty hard-hearted.
As I said, I'm pretty hard-hearted and I was warned by previous reviews. I think you might prefer to read something cheerier for now anyway. But the magical realism is intriguing.
Yep, and that's pretty much how the story goes . . .like that. It's an odd little book, for sure, but touching. And it's not all about the dog.
Thanks PX. I wuz brung up rite! I'm fairly new at the ARC reviews, but gee - credit where credit is due. I also wish people did it for my own selfish sake so if it's still available on NetGalley or wherever, I might be able to request a copy myself if it sounds good.
Thanks for the kind words - I love your reviews and conversations.
Or as we say around here, you have broughtupsy.
Or as we say around here, you have broughtupsy."
Nice sounding word. Never heard it before, but a quick google suggests it indicates good manners. Not sure how it will fly in Oz - might have to try it on someone, but stand back in case I'm misunderstood!
Ah, more like when someone does something unacceptable, we might say, "What's the matter with you - were you brought up in a barn?"
Oh, me, too, ☼♄Jülie! It's so much fun to play with and play on words. Broughtupsy is a terrific word, but it would sound odd coming from me, I'm sure.
You would say it like this. Sniff, turn to the person next to you and say with a knowing look, "No broughtupsy." To the person you might say, "were you brought up in a barn?"
Heaps of Aussie ones, and as a transplanted American (many decades ago), I had fun learning them.
Rural and country expressions have a certain rough, wonderful similarity across cultures, I think. I wonder if now we'll start seeing more universal slang and lose the charming little pockets.
I'd have to think about it because the phrases sound normal to me. I think the nicknaming of everything, especially the use of the diminutives, I guess you'd call it, is very Aussie. I don't think an American man would ever refer to football as footy. Or Brisbane as Brissy. (said Brizzy). "I'm off to Brissy to see the footy." Or "we're just going to the park to kick the footy around".
Men's nicknames sound childish to the unintiated. Andrew becomes Drewy. Shane Warne is Warney, and is only ever referred to as that.
And of course a lot are probably English, especially Cockney, in origin. The rhyming slang is dying out, but I still hear it now and then. "How's the Old Cheese?" (the cheese and kisses = The Mrs).
Ah words!
How funny, Cathrine! They obviously have some kind of snorkel adaptation or something, eh?
"Broughtupsy" is a new word to me, too, Deborah. Petra mentioned it in comment #9, and I imagine it's from the Caribbean.