Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley – Audio

Book Blurb:

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.

My Review: 3 stars

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Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley is a story about a man’s love for his dog, the beloved Lily, that is dying of cancer. Yes, it’s sad, but it also celebrates life and the amazing bond between dog and human. I chose this book because I adored The Guncle and wanted to read his older work. 

First off, I had no idea this story was about a dog, even though there is a cartoon dog on the cover. Not sure how I missed that, but I suppose the title having octopus in it, threw me in another direction. The first two-thirds of this book were great! I felt Rowley’s signature humor and his delightful prose come straight through the audio narrator. That ended with an abrupt stop when the two board a boat and the mysticism/magical realism which I usually am a fan of, hit a wall. It was trippy and just didn’t work for me, at all. I still gave this book three stars because of the first two-thirds and some of you may enjoy the magical ride. 

Quotes I liked:

A heart is judged not by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others.”

“Dogs are always good and full of selfless love. They are undiluted vessels of joy who never, ever deserve anything bad that happens to them.”

“To focus, I think of how dogs are witnesses. How they are present for our most private moments, how they are there when we think of ourselves as alone. They witness our quarrels, our tears, our struggles, our fears, and all of our secret behaviors that we have to hide from our fellow humans. They witness without judgment.”