Book: Lily and the Octopus

Lily and the Octopus
Steven Rowley
Amazon.com Product Link

A national bestseller 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 the dog book you must read this summer” (The Washington Post).

Ted—a gay, single, struggling writer is stuck: unable to open himself up to intimacy except through the steadfast companionship of Lily, his elderly dachshund. When Lily’s health is compromised, Ted vows to save her by any means necessary. By turns hilarious and poignant, an adventure with spins into magic realism and beautifully evoked truths of loss and longing, 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.

Introducing a dazzling and completely original new voice in fiction and an unforgettable hound that will break your heart—and put it back together again. Remember the last book you told someone they had to read? Lily and the Octopus is the next one. “Startlingly imaginative...this love story is sure to assert its place in the canine lit pack...Be prepared for outright laughs and searing or silly moments of canine and human recognition. And grab a tissue: “THERE! WILL! BE! EYE! RAIN!” (New York Newsday).

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Quick easy read. I basically read this in one sitting, so the whole thing is fresh in my mind.

The Kindle book itself I bought back in 2016, possibly I was in a splurge mood or it was free at that time. Or I bought it solely because of the dachshund on the cover, for I have a dachshund (mix) too!

First things off: the dog dies. You kind of just know it right from the beginning. The weird thing is, Ted (main character, Lily’s hooman) gives voice to the tumour (the octopus). Lily, of course, gets her own voice too but I think it’s just in Ted’s head. Kind of like Calvin and Hobbes? Hobbes only talks when Calvin is alone?

It’s likely how Ted copes with the news and how he handles it. Gets a tattoo, goes to the fish market to buy an octopus to chop it up. The weird bit was when he starts feeding Lily the raw octopus bits and then sets out to sea and the whole fight in the sea. I dunno. That was weird.

In the retelling of an earlier incident, Ted mentioned Quality of Life. Lily has a red ball she loves to play with and chase around. If she can’t play then why heal her (it was of spinal issue, ruptured or slipped disc). This is what I always think about when I have a sick dog and not sure how to proceed...

My tears came in the end, the actual act of sleeping Lily in. I remember the first dog I had to make this decision. The Vet basically gave me the same script: There are 2 shots. The first will make her sleep. The second will stop her heart. You can stay for the duration. It’s just sad.

After the end, we see Ted living on, but you never do move on from the World’s Best Dog. The book closes sweetly with Ted possibly finding a new partner, telling him all about Lily.

Oh and in case it's something you would want to know, this is a LGBT-ish book, Ted is gay. LGBT-ish as in, it doesn't scream or point fingers saying "This is an LGBT book!" It's just Ted had a long-term boyfriend (broke up) and then dates men.

“Everyone thinks they have the best dog, and none of them are wrong.”