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Lily and the Octopus
Escrito por Steven Rowley
Narrado por Michael Urie
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Named to the American Library Association's Reference & User Services (RUSA) Listen List!
Combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rain with the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, Lily and the Octopus is an epic adventure of the heart.
When you sit down with Lily and the Octopus, you will be taken on an unforgettable ride.
The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don't want to spoil it by giving away too many details.
We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can't live without.
For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog.
Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.
Remember the last book you told someone they had to read?
Lily and the Octopus is the next one.
Combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rain with the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, Lily and the Octopus is an epic adventure of the heart.
When you sit down with Lily and the Octopus, you will be taken on an unforgettable ride.
The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don't want to spoil it by giving away too many details.
We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can't live without.
For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog.
Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.
Remember the last book you told someone they had to read?
Lily and the Octopus is the next one.
Acciones del libro
Comenzar a escucharInformación sobre el libro
Lily and the Octopus
Escrito por Steven Rowley
Narrado por Michael Urie
Descripción
Named to the American Library Association's Reference & User Services (RUSA) Listen List!
Combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rain with the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, Lily and the Octopus is an epic adventure of the heart.
When you sit down with Lily and the Octopus, you will be taken on an unforgettable ride.
The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don't want to spoil it by giving away too many details.
We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can't live without.
For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog.
Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.
Remember the last book you told someone they had to read?
Lily and the Octopus is the next one.
Combining the emotional depth of The Art of Racing in the Rain with the magical spirit of The Life of Pi, Lily and the Octopus is an epic adventure of the heart.
When you sit down with Lily and the Octopus, you will be taken on an unforgettable ride.
The magic of this novel is in the read, and we don't want to spoil it by giving away too many details.
We can tell you that this is a story about that special someone: the one you trust, the one you can't live without.
For Ted Flask, that someone special is his aging companion Lily, who happens to be a dog.
Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.
Remember the last book you told someone they had to read?
Lily and the Octopus is the next one.
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This was one of those stories that touched me deeply and had me weeping through parts. Although on the surface it's the story of a man and his aging dog, it's touches on so much of the universal experience of loss and saying goodbye. No spoilers here, so I won't divulge the plot, but just LOVED this story.
Rating: 5This book was strange as in Life of Pi strange but it was fun to read the relationship between Lily and her owner. With some people, their pets are their children. With or dog Lily, she is a second child. Our Lily is 13 and the average lifespan of her breed is 14. We see how she is slowing down, how she can't hear as well as she used to or see as well as she used to. So this book was a little hard for me to read since the dog is named Lily. I know my dog listens to what I tell her, and understands. If you are a dog lover, you will probably enjoy this book.
Rating: 3While this is a very heartfelt story, it seemed a bit too melodramatic. I'm hesitant to write anything more detailed, as I don't want to give away too much of the plot.
Rating: 3On Thursdays, Ted and his dog, Lily, talk about boys they think are cute. They also have movie night and pizza night and play Monopoly together. Ted talks to Lily, and in her own way, Lily talks back.
The first third of Lily and the Octopus details this relationship, and it's quirky, funny, and touching. Unfortunately Lily is 12 and an Octopus is taking over her head.
What follows is a dream-like series of events reminiscent of Life of Pi, and I really lost interest at this point, finding it tedious and too far outside of reality for me personally. If you enjoyed the story of Pi and the tiger you would likely enjoy this as well though.
When the narrative is focused on past and present "real" events, I found it compelling and often forgot that this is a work of fiction, despite the talking dog. I think many of us with dogs are guilty of humanizing them, so this simply doesn't seem so farfetched. I really loved large sections of this book! As a whole, I enjoyed it but struggled at times to maintain the detachment necessary to value it as a work of magical fiction.
I received this title courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher. I was *very* excited to read it and thank them for making it available!
Rating: 3The first third of Lily and the Octopus details this relationship, and it's quirky, funny, and touching. Unfortunately Lily is 12 and an Octopus is taking over her head.
What follows is a dream-like series of events reminiscent of Life of Pi, and I really lost interest at this point, finding it tedious and too far outside of reality for me personally. If you enjoyed the story of Pi and the tiger you would likely enjoy this as well though.
When the narrative is focused on past and present "real" events, I found it compelling and often forgot that this is a work of fiction, despite the talking dog. I think many of us with dogs are guilty of humanizing them, so this simply doesn't seem so farfetched. I really loved large sections of this book! As a whole, I enjoyed it but struggled at times to maintain the detachment necessary to value it as a work of magical fiction.
I received this title courtesy of Netgalley and the publisher. I was *very* excited to read it and thank them for making it available!
Such a wonderful book. The writing is amazing.
Rating: 5I knew at the outset that this book would make me cry. Of course.
Steven Rowley beautifully leads the reader through the layers of grief. Of knowing the loss of a loved one is approaching, and the maze one can run through to avoid, deny, fight, and eventually accept.
This story has things you'd expect, like how Ted and Lily met, her puppyhood, and their lives together. But there is a surprising amount of imagination and whimsy.
A really great read!
Rating: 4Steven Rowley beautifully leads the reader through the layers of grief. Of knowing the loss of a loved one is approaching, and the maze one can run through to avoid, deny, fight, and eventually accept.
This story has things you'd expect, like how Ted and Lily met, her puppyhood, and their lives together. But there is a surprising amount of imagination and whimsy.
A really great read!
Probably cause I am too stupid for this book, but it was confusing in the beginning. It took me a while to figure out the Octopus is a tumor. And I was confused with the main character's gender, so he is a homosexual male. After I straightened out those 2 facts, the book was quite enjoyable. The talking to the animals was weird, but then I talk to my dog too. The ending...ummm.
2.5 out of 5 stars
Rating: 32.5 out of 5 stars
Entertaining. Charming. Easy read.
Rating: 4Much like the pets we love, this book burrows into your being and becomes a part of you.
Rating: 5Love comes in all sizes and shapes, colors and coverings, sex and genetic make-up. Lily is a dachshund. Ed is not. After over a decade of sharing their lives with each other, Lily succumbs to the 7-1 ratio and begins to wane. This devastates Ed, who is in therapy, but for other reasons. This is a story about the bonding between a man and his dog, a quirky relationship of movie nights, chicken with rice, zany conversations, an octopus and a red ball. How we do all that we can, find our strengths, our weaknesses, and ourselves but can never do it all. One can't help loving Lily and one can not help crying when the inevitable happens. It was a good fight, but someone always has to lose. We lose Lily, but her memory remains in victory.
Rating: 4OMG, I loved, loved, loved, this book. Ted is a quirky introverted single who has difficulty opening himself up to people except very close friends. He's in therapy and doesn't really like his therapist. He does, however, love Lily with all his heart. His relationship with Lily goes beyond man and dog. He plays Monopoly with Lily, they have conversations about movie stars and movies. Yes, the conversation is mostly in Ted's mind, but you get the picture. Lily is everything to him. And then he sees the octopus. When the octopus is introduced at the end of the first chapter, the reader is left in no doubt as to what the octopus is. This story of fighting against reality and a cold enemy, of denial, of resignation, of acceptance and most of all, of love is one of the best I've read in a while. You can't but be with Ted on each step of his journey, from the early days when he is first introduced to Lily the puppy, to present day when he's finally ready to talk about the octopus with his therapist and the shocking realization that the octopus had been present in their lives for longer than he'd noticed. It's a beautiful and at times magical book. And it does have a happy ending. :-)
Rating: 5A very touching tribute to the love and strength our pets provide. Tad is a middle-aged man with failed relationships with others, but not with Lily. His life with Lily is perfect, except for one thing -- the octopus, ie cancerous growth -- that sits atop Lily's head and will not go away.Calling the tumor an octopus enables Tad to embody the growth and make it a dramatic fight between the evil that vows to end Lily's life, and the sheer determination of Tad who refuses to let go of his beloved dog.Except for what I consider a weird bit before the end, I rank this is one of the best books of 2016. I sincerely hope it garners the National Book Award Finalist list.Any one who had to say goodbye to a wonderful soul mate, knows the angst profound poignancy.
Rating: 4I should preface my review with my strongly held view that many pet owners coddle, indulge, spoil, anthropomorphize and ruin their pets (frequently as a substitute for human interaction). This novel is about such a pet owner, who discovers his Dachshund Lily is suffering from cancer. He refers to the cancer as an "octopus" due to the shape of the tumor (hence the title) and also anthropomorphizes the tumor. What follows is an account of the owner's fight against the tumor (Lily takes it mostly in stride) -- some of it semi-realistic and some of it an odd, gratuitous, and dreamlike account of a battle at sea among the three main characters (Lily, the narrator, and the octopus), which felt largely like filler material to make this story novel length (it originally started as a short story, according to an article about the author that prompted me to buy it).
Make no mistake: the book has a lot of passion and some humor. The narrator, a gay man who has broken up with his partner; has Mommy issues, a bad therapist, and a dwindling career; and plays monopoly on Friday nights with Lily is occasionally funny in his angst in a hapless sort of way. Lily is excitable and occasionally amusing. But there wasn't a lot of narrative drive here and a great deal of feeling sorry for oneself. Moreover, it felt like a long session listening to an indulgent pet owner drone on about his four-legged friend.
Perhaps it would be more of a hit with those who are indulgent pet owners. For someone seeking drama and human relationships, this will be no substitute.
Rating: 2Make no mistake: the book has a lot of passion and some humor. The narrator, a gay man who has broken up with his partner; has Mommy issues, a bad therapist, and a dwindling career; and plays monopoly on Friday nights with Lily is occasionally funny in his angst in a hapless sort of way. Lily is excitable and occasionally amusing. But there wasn't a lot of narrative drive here and a great deal of feeling sorry for oneself. Moreover, it felt like a long session listening to an indulgent pet owner drone on about his four-legged friend.
Perhaps it would be more of a hit with those who are indulgent pet owners. For someone seeking drama and human relationships, this will be no substitute.
Part Moby Dick, part Racing in the Rain (but only a small part) and part ... is there a genre for the gay equivalent to a Bridget Jones-esque character? The poor schmuck in this book is so smitten with his dog that he goes off the deep end when he discovers it has an inoperable tumour in its brain. You know those books about an old couple where one cares for the dying partner and the book is about their past life together? Like The Notebook but with cancer, not dementia. That is this book, but the healthy partner is Captain Ahab chasing an octopus and the sick partner is a dog. Oh, and the guy has relationship issues. It gets very long in the tooth pretty quickly - maybe the author was waxing over his own dog? Then the whale chasing, I mean octopus chasing, takes the book on a ridiculous twist. Does it end there? No. The book can't end til this guy gets over his devastation and find a new love. So American. Why did people like this book?! If you are not in love with your dog, do not read this one.
Rating: 2If you have ever loved and lost a dear pet then this book is for you. Lily, a dachshund gets an octopus. By octopus I mean cancer. As her human deals with this situation through magical thinking we realize how deeply we care about our furry family.
Rating: 3Lily and the Octopus will resonate with everyone who has loved - and lost - a pet. Lily has been Ted's best friend and confidant since "she chose him" as a puppy. Ted is a damaged soul in several ways, and Lily is his anchor and his safe place. From the onset of the book, we know what is coming; however, the reality is difficult because it brings all of us back to the time and place when we said our final good-bye to a deeply-loved pet. For me, the only moments that were discordant were the dialogues with the octopus.
Rating: 3Steven Rowley's debut novel is funny, heartfelt, and tragic. Lily is Ted Flask's best friend, roommate, and closest confidant. Lily also happens to be a dachshund. "Love for someone, loved by someone. I was limited. And then on the very last night of my twenties, when I held my new puppy in my arms, I broke down in tears. Because I had fallen in love. Not somewhat in love. Not partly in love. Not in a limited amount. I fell fully in love with a creature I had known for all of nine hours." Ted has suffered disappoint in his writing career, struggles with a relationship with his mother, and has ended a long-term romantic relationship. Through it all Lily has been by his side. In fact, she is all he really has. Now as Lily is aging, she is also experiencing a terminal illness, and Ted is trying to come to terms with the loss of his best friend. I was so touched by this story, as the moments they have shared, and the memories they have created are recounted. I found it endearing as Ted ran commentary of Lily's barks. However, in the same vein, I found it an oddity how he also talked to Lily's tumor, and it answered back. At certain intervals I was asking myself, is he mad? Insane? Mentally ill? Perhaps fear and grief do make us mentally ill. In which case, this was an insightful portrayal. Perhaps the saying is true; it is better to have loved and lost, then to never have loved at all. "But most of all, I am thankful for Lily, who, since she entered my life, has taught me everything I know about patience and kindness and meeting adversity with quiet dignity and grace. No one makes me laugh harder, or want to hug them tighter. You have truly lived up to the promise of man's best friend." A superb read.
Rating: 4Emotional in all the best ways, particularly for dog lovers. I was laughing and reading so many passages out loud that my husband finally picked it up and read the whole thing before I read it to him. This was the first book to have me not only in tears, but crying so hard I almost couldn't make it through the end, even though I knew it was coming all along. We have two fur-babies of our own, so this really hit home for me. By far the best book I've read, though when I revisit in a few years, I don't think I could make it through the tough parts again. Definitely recommend.
Rating: 5I can't remember the last book I read that made me laugh out loud so that my family thought I had lost my mind and cry so hard I couldn't see the text. All within the context of a beautiful love story. Steven Rowley tells one of the sweetest stories I have encountered in a while. Lily and the Octopus is well written, easy to read, and impossible to put down. I absolutely LOVED it. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.
Rating: 5Before reading, you will need to have a box of tissues by your side. Once you have them, then go ahead and start to read. This is the story of Steven Rowley and his dog, Lily. Steven and Lily have a very strong, special relationship. When Steven finds out that Lily has a tumor, he finds it difficult to deal with. This book is about Steven dealing with Lily and her tumor. He gives Lily a voice in the book and gives her own opinions.If you have ever loved a pet, you will love this book.***I received this book through Goodreads Members Giveaway. The opinion is solely my own.***
Rating: 5This is a touching story of a man and his dog. Lily and Ted are a bonded pair that have enjoyed a lifetime of friendship. Sadly it's Lily the Dachshund's lifetime, not Ted's. Still, twelve and a half years of sharing lives makes saying goodbye especially hard.The idea of the octopus is genius and gives a fanciful, yet personalized status to a disease that we all hate-Cancer. This story is a tear-jerker, but with a punch of humor that helps it go down a little easier.I highly recommended "Lily and the Octopus" for any dog lover. It is somewhat reminiscent of "The Art of Racing in the Rain", but also a great modern and metaphoric twist on "Moby Dick".My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this very special book.
Rating: 4Lily is a much-loved 12 year old dachshund; Teddy is her lonely, middle-aged owner. One day he looks at her and sees an octopus on her head. This is his word for the growth, probably cancerous, that will take her life. This is a touching story about grief, love, and dog ownership. It made me laugh and cry.
Rating: 4This review is going to be very unpopular. Lily and the Octopus seems to be the 'it' book at the moment, and many readers, bloggers and reviewers I know have fallen in love with this book. I just didn't. I might cop some flack for this but I have to be honest, I hated Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley.The best parts were every segment of dialogue from Lily the dog. Great voice and amusing dialogue.The reason I hated this book was because I couldn't stand Ted, the main character. I thought he was a self-absorbed, narcissistic, self-indulgent, vacuous man and I just couldn't warm to him or his plight.And that was even before I got to the magical realism that didn't quite work and a 30 page dream sequence that had me hoping the finish would arrive soon.I know I'm going to be in the minority of readers here, but sometimes that happens. This book wasn't for me, but I know it has made readers laugh and cry and provided enjoyment for plenty of others.I was going to give this book 2 stars until I checked my own rating scheme. Two stars for me means not a good read, didn't really enjoy this one, whereas one star means terrible read, don't bother. I really wouldn't bother with this one and it was a terrible read for me, so one star it is.* Copy courtesy of Simon & Schuster *
Rating: 1One of the saddest and sweetest books I've ever experienced. Ted has a close relationship with his dog Lily and reacts poorly when he notices a tumor has grown on her head, which he promptly names "the Octopus." So begins Ted's mission to defeat the so-called Octopus, an equally tragic and humorous tale. Unfortunately, despite Ted's characterization of the Octopus as a living creature with its own motivations, most readers will likely recognize the relentless march of cancer as Lily slowly dies and Ted faces a difficult choice. Compassionately told, this is a story for those who love their pets.
Rating: 4Just plain delightful---but it also brought me to tears in a few places with Rowley's ability to completely describe his feelings, Ted's feelings, for Lily --- this four-footed "person" in his life. I kept wondering how much of this was really a memoir. The imagination Rowley produces around this octopus in/on Lily is confusing at first until you become Lily's reader/owner, too, and realize how much you hate this octopus consuming her! And yes, it was definitely a giant leap in a different direction but as I read the boating experience I was amazed with how Rowley can write---yes, totally fictional, but it provided an extremely frightening and vivid picture!!
Rating: 5Lily and the Octopus is Steven Rowley's novel based on the loss of his own dog, Lily. This is one of the few times I agree with the blurb, the magic is in the reading, or in the journey.This book is about love and what we will do for it. It revolves around Lily but includes love of all kinds. Relationships with other humans and the ups and downs that come with them. Love between family members with all of the baggage that usually entails. Of course the love for a pet, especially a dog, which is a constant positive while all of the others fluctuate or even disappear.The fact it is a dog story will be the main draw for most readers, myself included. This will not disappoint in that regard. We see how a beloved dog can serve as therapist, best friend, companion and so much more. Even if some of Ted's interactions with Lily are different from our own interactions with our dogs, the core of those interactions will still translate to what we all do with our dogs.This is a love story, plain and simple. As such, the ups are so amazingly high but the downs can be devastating. To modify a common comment about books involving children: hug your pets (well, maybe not if it is a fish) a little longer tonight and let them know they are loved. Our time together is far too short; they show and give their love every waking moment, we need to do our best to deserve and return that love to them.Reviewed from a copy made available through Goodreads First Reads.
Rating: 5Great joy and great sadness in the recounting of the life of a beloved dog. We understand all too well, whether our beloved is pet or human.ARC courtesy of The Reading Room.
Rating: 5
So good! My heart is full of this sweet tale of a man and his best girl.
Rating: 5I loved how Lilly was described in the book. The author was very fast the fall and describing their relationship. It was a fun book to read.
Rating: 4
What a sweet and heart breaking book! Anyone who has ever loved a dog or a cat will be captivated from the first chapter. And even though it breaks your heart, there is sweet hope. Listen! You will love it.
Rating: 5