Pug Hill

Love my Pug

I'm a pug owner and I adore the fact that Alison Pace wrote a book about them. This book was sweet and dramatic and thrilling all at the same time. Pace did a good job of keeping me in suspense from page one to page 312.

Loved it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Beach reading

The first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. I am a pug owner and a book called "Pug Hill" looked like the perfect light read that I was looking for. I enjoyed this book, but wouldn't go so far as to say that it was excellent, but it makes a very good summer or light read. The character is someone that I (an introvert) can somewhat identify with. In summary: If you want a really engrossing read, than I wouldn't read this book, but if you are looking for a cute, quirky, light read...this is the book for you.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Very nice

I just finished Pug HIll and I enjoyed it very much. It's a quick weekend read and the writing style is quirky quiet and introspective. Though it is definitely not a book all about pugs, the love of pugs is on display and it is a charming and touching story that goes into nice detail about the way dogs of all kinds touch our lives.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

i loved it

i loved this book, it is funny, interesting and just awesome. You'll enjoy reading it.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Interesting

This is a book for people who LOVE pugs, like me because I've heard, "this is the ugly dog in the world". If u r one of thos people l, then don't get this book! I don't even know why u would even be looking at this book if u hate pugs! I still love this book, so I suggest getting this book if u like pugs, GOT THAT? :-D jk still get this book

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

At last...

I moved from England 9 years ago and am a avid reader of just about anything. My guilty pleasure being womens fiction. There are many exceptional 'Chick Lit Writers' in England. I had hoped to find the same in the US. During my last 9 years I have read many American womens fiction books and their poor excuse for what is described as a 'Fun, witty and enjoyable book' Until Ms Pace, I have been extremely disappointed. Pug Hill made me laugh out loud and who doesn't love the memories of 'Mixed tapes'? I am not a fan of pugs, however this book is so well written even I found a special place for little Kermitt and friends. As for 'A girls' previous comments about the use of commas, I was quite amused by this. With my 2 english degrees and being English grammatically and in every other way,through and through, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about! This is a great read and I can't wait for the next book by this talented author.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Delightful!

Wonderful, witty and poignant. A thoroughly enjoyable read!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

In Alison Pace¿s charming second novel PUG HILL, Metropolitan Museum of Art conservationist Hope McNeill is an endearingly neurotic basket case. She has a squash- playing boyfriend who she¿s not happy with, a coworker she¿s in 'unrequited' love with, and a fear of public speaking, which suddenly becomes an issue when her parents call and ask her to give a speech for their 40th anniversary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hope is like no other character in women¿s fiction. She loves the Zoloft commercial on TV and find comfort in its animated bouncing egg. Her narration is a constant stream of dead- on observations about dating and human nature that will make every reader smile broadly and nod in agreement at least once every few pages. And her main source of solace in Manhattan is Pug Hill, a grassy hill on Central Park¿s east side around 74th Street, where pugs from all over the city convene. No, Hope doesn¿t have a pug herself, but she finds peace, happiness and relaxation in watching the pugs romp and spin around without a care in the world. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ¿For Holly Golightly, there was always Tiffany¿s,¿ Hope says in the book¿s opening paragraph. ¿No matter what was going wrong in her life, she always had Tiffany¿s. For me, there¿s always Pug Hill.¿ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . But even Pug Hill can¿t provide the solace Hope craves when she breaks up with the squash-playing Evan and decides to finally face her fear of public speaking by signing up for a course called Overcoming Presentation Anxiety, which meets on Thursday nights for the next six weeks. Her classmates are wacky 'and one is even a cute guy!', and with the help of frequent visits to Pug Hill and a few embarrassments in class, Hope begins to discover a faith in herself that she never knew she had. Admirably, Pace doesn¿t make the class a cure-all, and Hope is still mired in many of her old insecurities, but watching her grow is refreshing. Readers will find themselves cheering Hope on as she attempts to work through her doubts and fears. . . . . . . . . . . . . Pace, the author of IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND 'one of my favorite books!', has written an incredibly insightful book that is more about self-confidence, family struggles, dating and the issues that confront us all than it is about Hope herself or the specific obstacles she has to face. She has a uniquely singular writing style, and the inner voice that she gives Hope will resonate with anyone who has ever dealt with any sort of insecurity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The ending, too, is perfectly written, surprising and satisfying. . . . . . . . . . . . . . This book is a must-read. Holly Golightly may have had Tiffany¿s, and Hope McNeill may have had her place in Central Park where the pugs roam. But for me, when I need to feel a little comforted, I¿ll always have Alison Pace¿s PUG HILL.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pug Hill

I picked this book up not only because I'm a dog lover, but because I loved Alison Pace's first book, IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND. I was not disappointed! Same smart, funny writing and a lovable protagonist that I rooted for all the way through. Great read. Can't wait for her next book.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pug Hill

It's funny, charming and -- long after I'd finished reading it -- I still think about the characters/story. I'd love it even if it wasn't set in NYC. Highly reccommend!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Not Worth Your Time

As a pug owner myself I just had to read this book but I found that I was very bored and just wasn't that into it.It wasn't as good as I hoped.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Take a Pass on this One

I do enjoy dogs but am not a die hard dog lover but if I were this book wouldn't have done much for me. The chick lit angle was not achieved that successfully here either because the main character was just not that likeable. It is difficult to enjoy a book if you do not care what happens to the characters in the book.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pug Hill

I wasn't going to post this but then I felt I should so there would be a fair spread of reviews across the board. I want to be honest so that you will know what you are getting and not be fooled into thinking this is something it's not. I agree with what others have said. While it had it's moments, this is not the best example of dog writing I've read before and I don't know how it got so many great reviews. Are these people not dog lovers? The parts that talk about pugs and Pug Hill are few and far between. It would have been better with more dogs and less stupidity about the character's love life. Greatly disappointing.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pug Hill

I'm sure you noticed, most people do, that when reading this book, such a nice book it could have been, every sentence, every single one, is punctuated, punctuated not in the way a book usually is, but differently, with a dozen or more commas, yes, so many commas, so many more than it needs. When reading Pug Hill, attempting to read Pug Hill, I was stuck, as much as it pains me to admit, stuck so many times, stuck on the commas, and not just the commas, no, not just them, but also on the way the author tended, as authors sometimes do, to not to stay on topic. Read the book, I tell you, because this is, I am not kidding, exactly the style, and a weird style it is, that the dreadful, dreadful oh yes it was, Pug Hill is written in.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pug Hill

Great chick lit!! I love chick lit and I love dogs and this book fit the bill! Nice, fast paced story. It's not all about pugs, as I thought it would be from the cover and the title but pugs are involved in the story as well as other dogs and there's a good human story there as well!! It's a nice story, it's not ALL about dogs, but it will make you want to hug your pup when you are done reading it. Enjoy!

Really Enjoyed This

In my humble opinion, some of the feedback here is a little harsh, some a little too serious. In the beginning, I didn't understand the sentance structure which made it difficult to read, and, why, the author, used, so, many,commas!!!! ARGH! I didn't think I could on. But I did and I'm glad. The author did lighten up some on the commas which allowed me to focus once again on the story which I truly enjoyed. I laughed several times at the life observations of the main character that is very much like my own. No, it's not all about pugs (which is what prompted me to pick it up in the first place) but the pugs make nice appearances here and there in an enjoyable story.

Don't Buy It!

This is one of the worst books I've read for some time. The writing and story development are weak at best.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pug Hill - My Pug (Zeus) could write a better book

I was very disappointed by the book. I have never been to pug hill and expected the book would be about this woman who found her way through life based on Pug humor and the Tao of Pug. The book has way too many details and side notes and no real points. There were many starts to good substories that never went anywhere. I felt dragged through this woman's journey. I kept expecting the book to get better. The last 3 pages were the only good part of the book (which luckly was the end.)

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

a sweet story

This book got my attention and kept it the entire way through. I adored it. The novel centers around Hope McNeil, a young single woman in NYC who has a lot of fears in life including public speaking. Throughout the novel, we watch Hope grow as a person and slowly find the courage to face her fears. It's been a long time since I read a book in which I really identified and connected with the main character. Though Hope's life isn't all that similar to mine (except that I too, adore pugs) I still felt a bond with her. Something that should be attributed to Pace's writing and her ability to create a real and reliable narrator. 'Pug Hill' is a simple story of life a story about Hope's flaws and shortcomings, but also about her feelings and triumphs. I couldn't put it down. Two thumbs way up.

Pug Hill review by The Daily Buzz's Lit Chick

In Alison Pace¿s charming second novel PUG HILL, Metropolitan Museum of Art conservationist Hope McNeill is an endearingly neurotic basket case. She has a squash-playing boyfriend who she¿s not happy with, a coworker she¿s in (unrequited) love with, and a fear of public speaking, which suddenly becomes an issue when her parents call and ask her to give a speech for their 40th anniversary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hope is like no other character in women¿s fiction. She loves the Zoloft commercial on TV and find comfort in its animated bouncing egg. Her narration is a constant stream of dead-on observations about dating and human nature that will make every reader smile broadly and nod in agreement at least once every few pages. And her main source of solace in Manhattan is Pug Hill, a grassy hill on Central Park¿s east side around 74th Street, where pugs from all over the city convene. No, Hope doesn¿t have a pug herself, but she finds peace, happiness and relaxation in watching the pugs romp and spin around without a care in the world. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ¿For Holly Golightly, there was always Tiffany¿s,¿ Hope says in the book¿s opening paragraph. ¿No matter what was going wrong in her life, she always had Tiffany¿s. For me, there¿s always Pug Hill.¿ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . But even Pug Hill can¿t provide the solace Hope craves when she breaks up with the squash-playing Evan and decides to finally face her fear of public speaking by signing up for a course called Overcoming Presentation Anxiety, which meets on Thursday nights for the next six weeks. Her classmates are wacky (and one is even a cute guy!), and with the help of frequent visits to Pug Hill and a few embarrassments in class, Hope begins to discover a faith in herself that she never knew she had. Admirably, Pace doesn¿t make the class a cure-all, and Hope is still mired in many of her old insecurities, but watching her grow is refreshing. Readers will find themselves cheering Hope on as she attempts to work through her doubts and fears. . . . . . . . . . . . . Pace, the author of IF ANDY WARHOL HAD A GIRLFRIEND (one of my favorite books!), has written an incredibly insightful book that is more about self-confidence, family struggles, dating and the issues that confront us all than it is about Hope herself or the specific obstacles she has to face. She has a uniquely singular writing style, and the inner voice that she gives Hope will resonate with anyone who has ever dealt with any sort of insecurity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ¿I'd like to think that the book has something to say about facing your fears, learning to believe in yourself, and not giving up even when you'd like to,¿ Pace says. ¿I do think many of us have fears that get in the way of our development. And Hope, for as closed off as she can be, really does go after facing her fears.¿ . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . The ending, too, is perfectly written, surprising and satisfying. . . . . . . . . . . . . . This book is a must-read. Holly Golightly may have had Tiffany¿s, and Hope McNeill may have had her place in Central Park where the pugs roam. But for me, when I need to feel a little comforted, I¿ll always have Alison Pace¿s PUG HILL.