Helpful Score: 7
I loved this book and didn't want it to end. It is a delightful story about a single woman who finds a stray and takes him home with the intention of finding a home for him. In the process she falls in love with this whimsical boxer and ends up keeping him. A wonderful story about companionship and love. I highly recommend this book.
Helpful Score: 4
This book by Louise Bernikow expresses quite well the love between a person and their dog. I ordered this book because of the cover photo. It reminded me of the boxer that was a member of our family for 10 years. The heartwarming story that Bernikow tells of her relationship with her boxer will appeal to anyone, dog person or not.
Helpful Score: 3
I love animals and especially dogs. This is the cutest story about a dog found with antics galore. I found myself smiling as anyone who has ever had a dog can relate to this loveable dog that gets brought home. True story.
Helpful Score: 3
An abandoned dog. A woman who lives in an apartment in New York. One needs a home; the other needs a companion. They become friends, share everyday living in the city together. She learns that the boxer is her true friend; the one who remains loyal. They do things boxer-style in the city. A fun, quick read for the animal lover.
Helpful Score: 2
I really enjoyed this book. If you are a dog lover, you'll like it too. A very warm story.
Helpful Score: 2
Cute story about how a pet can change one's life.
Helpful Score: 2
Wonderful dog story. Full of compassion and humor. A must for those that love dogs, espically the great Boxer!
Helpful Score: 2
I don't know, something about this book just didn't sit right with me. I think for two reasons. One, she never really seemed to choose to be or not to be a dog person. Being a dog person, it is hard to see such vehemence about endearing dog things. Two, I didn't see the point of her using such masculine language. Granted, it wasn't all the time, but I just lose interest when a female(or males for that matter) use words such as "piss". I think totally unnecessary.
I didn't HATE the book, it just isn't something I would choose to read again. In fact, it took me longer than usual to finish the book. Not my cup of tea, but that is just my personal preference. I tend to be more conservative than most.
I didn't HATE the book, it just isn't something I would choose to read again. In fact, it took me longer than usual to finish the book. Not my cup of tea, but that is just my personal preference. I tend to be more conservative than most.
Helpful Score: 1
From the back cover: "Relatively indifferent to the natural world and happily independent, writer Louise Bernikow knew nothing about caring for pets. But one day while running along Manhattan's Hudson River, she came across an abandoned boxer and did what her mother always warned her against: she brought the strange male home. In this offbeat and comical story of their first year together he introduces her to the world of dog runs and to a local dive where the bartender pulls pints from the tap and dog biscuits from the drawer. She introduces him to the eccentric neighbors and to life as a media hound. When they meet a handsome man and his equally handsome dachsund, life takes an unexpected turn for both of them. A remarkable tale about companionship, wonderfully written and captivating to the last."
Nice book about a woman who finds a boxer in the park and becomes one of "those dog people".
Book was to to easy to for see what would happen next.
Not a lot of a story to hold ones interest.
Not a lot of a story to hold ones interest.
This was a cute book. If you are a dog lover, you will be highly entertained as the decidedly non-dog person author becomes a dog person because of her accidental meeting with Libro. Some of the book was predictable, but not totally so. It was a quick read and endearing, though not particularly memorable. If you want something light and entertaining for the beach or a trip, this is the ticket.
Most people find that there are defining moments in life: a child's birth, getting married, even chance encounters can all divide an individual's experiences into "before" and "after." For Bernikow, a journalist and lecturer on women's history, life is divided neatly into "before fate dropped a dog into my world" and "after my first pet store visit." While running in Central Park one afternoon, this dedicated pet-hater came upon a crowd gathered around a police car. She wandered over, saw an abused pooch in the back seat and didn't exactly fall in love, although she soon found herself with leash in hand and an admiring ring of spectators. After a few days with the brown boxer she named Libro (Spanish for "book"), she discovered that they were mismatched but splendid pals, so she set off to chat with fellow dog lovers in the park's fenced-in dog-run area. In its lesser moments, the book can be schmaltzy and forced, as when Bernikow speaks of fate and epiphanies, attributing supernatural powers and uncanny intuition to her dog friend. Fortunately, these passages are tempered by Bernikow's description of trotting Libro around New York, meeting people who normally wouldn't bother to talk with her. In these vignettes, she allows her sense of absurdity to shine through, and the work takes on a cosmopolitan tone: "Many people said they'd grown up with boxers or their grandmothers had boxers, which made me feel rather retro, the kid still in stretch pants on the ski slope while everyone else wore microfiber." Her delightful riff on her dog's life will be snapped up like a delicious treat. Agent, Lisa Bankoff, ICM.
s'alright, but nothing to write home about... (pun intended)
