Good Dog. Stay.

To the Anonymous Poster of 2/18/09 Calling the Author's Dog "Ugly"

While I have not read this book as of yet (it was recommended from an animal rescue group I participate it and that's how I ended up at B&N), it disturbs me greatly that someone would actually post a review saying the book was "mostly pictures...and pictures of very ugly dogs".

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. To criticize someones literary material is one thing (lack of plot, not engaging, slow moving, boring characters, etc) but to criticize how their dog looks? That lacks class. It takes a special person to want to actually read a book devoted to the life of an animal, and since "Anonymous" read it, one would assume they like animals. Any true animal lover would not make negative or derogatory comments about the looks of someone's deceased dog! Think of how the author must feel reading that comment?

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

HUGH RIP-OFF: DO NOT PURCHASE

I purchased this "book" and when I found it was 22 pages (minus credits, acknowledgments) I went back to find more information on the product details. Funny how they didn't specify the page numbers. This is a very short essay that should be free in the newspaper and I feel that it was a fraud to list it as a book. Don't purchase!!!!!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

NOT a "book" -- don't get suckered

Don't be fooled by the fact that B&N has this listed as a "book." It is not. It is 21 pages long -- at least of 7 of which are photos of various dogs -- and B&N charges you $9 plus for it! At best it is a NY Times op-ed piece. I was treated very poorly by the 800-number guy I spoke to about it and was basically told: tough break. I'm done with this company. Anybody want to buy a Nook?

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Not worth the money

This book was a huge disappointment. The only thing worthwhile where the photos of the dogs. There was no storyline, it was just lacking in every way. I've never read anything my Anna Quindlen before, and now, probably won't bother to again. I've ready many books about animals, and this is the only one I've ever regretted buying.

2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

Big, big, big disappointment

There are much better animal books than this one. Try Merle's Door, The Voice of Bugle Ann, Marley and Me, Chosen By A Horse or Golden Days instead.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Waste of time and money

I love a good dog book but this one was such a let down. It was filled with too many dog pictures (though fun to look at) and quadruple spaced! It took me 28 minutes to read it from cover to cover. It was really just a long eulogy and not at all deep.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Disapponiting Half Hour

This book is indeed a VERY quick read. I finished it in about 1/2 hour and found that the best couple of quotes were the ones printed on the jacket cover. There is not much pithy, witty, or deeply meaningful material in this superficial story of how Anna acquired or lost her dogs. I was hoping for a book I could share with others who had lost their beloved four legged friend and give them some comfort...but it falls severly short.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Short but good.

It was very short but it was good.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is the biggest waste of good money. I was so looking forwar

This is the biggest waste of good money. I was so looking forward to reading this. This book is 50 cents a page, Give me break. BN customer service was difficult to manage and rude . But they wished me a good day!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

wonderful story

I truly enjoyed this book! If you have raised a couple kids and a few dogs this book will speak to your heart! It's so interesting the way our lives are measured and told. This one is through the life a beloved family pet, the same way so many of us are!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good Dog. Stay.

Mostly pictures. And pictures of very ugly dogs at that! Just take 10 minutes to look at it in the store and spend your money on something else.

1 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Good But Not Worth The Price

I enjoy Anna Quindlen¿s writing and have read several of her books including Blessings and Black and Blue. Each story took me on a journey to a wonderful place, where characters came to life and events were vividly described. So I was pleasantly surprised to see that she had written a story about her dog Beau. The topic was quite different from the others she has chosen to write about. It was obvious from first glance that the book was really more of an essay rather than a story. To say that it was light reading would be an understatement. I read this 'book' slowly and it still only took me 20 minutes to complete. There are lots of pictures of adorable dogs, as many pictures, I think, as there are pages of text. Although I enjoyed the photography, I would have preferred more writing and less pictures. These photos seemed to be there for filler, especially since none of the dogs were identified. The essay itself was a pleasant read, although it got off to a rough start. It seemed as though Quindlen was unable to pinpoint what she wanted to say, and the story wandered, a jumble of disjointed thoughts and experiences with her dog Beau. At the halfway mark, Quindlen settled down and wrote about what her dog gave to her, her family, and how his wonderful outlook on life was something to be cherished. For that, Good Dog, Stay is worth reading. One final comment, something that really bothered me: Quindlen frequently mentioned how Beau would run loose around their country home, getting lost, or finding neighbors' trash cans and destroying their contents, as though this habit was something to be encouraged in her dog. It seemed like something she seemed proud to share with the reader. I kept wondering what her neighbors thought about the mess Quindlen¿s dog created, and how they must have hated having a loose dog in the neighborhood. Twice she told of how Beau disliked horses, and also how he liked to 'try to drive a horse from his stretch of the road.' Quindlen may think this is cute, but very few horses enjoy being chased by dogs. It is extremely dangerous and I personally know somebody who wound up in a hospital because the dog's owner thought this trait in their dog was cute. Please, Ms. Quindlen, be a responsible dog owner and keep your future dogs on leashes! Quill say: A good book as long as you don¿t mind paying $14.95 for a 96 page book with a lot of pictures.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Like her other writing, just concerned with all the bad reviews

Like her other writing, just concerned with all the bad reviews about this book. I like dog books. Can't decide if I should spend the money.
Encourage others we may not have liked this book to read her fiction. She is an excellent writer.

GOOD BOOK!!!!

This is a great book about a dog's life. There is good parts and there is also bad parts. I reccomend this book to anyone who loves dogs. Also, to anyone who wants to hear a story from a dog's point of view.

A 'real' dog story

This is a 45 minute short story about Anna¿s dog, Beau. I am not a fan of animal stories as they usually either end up getting hurt or dying. The same is true in this one. It is the life story of Beau and as all life stories, the end is death. That brings tears to me which is why I don¿t like these types of stories. I believe Anna wrote this as a way to heal from her lost of Beau more than trying to tell a readable story. This is not to say the story doesn¿t make sense. It does. I just hear in Anna¿s own words how much she and her family cared for Beau and how much his loss meant to them. As with all stories, there are the good times and the ¿bad dog¿ times, laughs and tears and general day-to-day life. If you want to hear about a good dog¿s life, this CD will provide that.

quick read

Read this book at the book store. It took maybe 30 minutes to read from cover to cover.I was disappointed that there wasn't much about the dogs life and I felt like,as a previous reviewer had mentioned , in that it was a euology. Don't get me wrong, it makes you want to hug and kiss your dog, which I did, and appreciate the human / dog relationship. I guess I was looking more for a story along the lines of Marley & Me.

Heartwarming

I read this book in about 45 minutes just before work one morning. I won't be the same for the rest of the day.I then read the reviews and was totally perplexed by the negative ones. I can understand if it was the writing itself that troubled you, but that is not the case here. Anyone who has a relationship with one or more dogs(I have 2 bassets and a beagle)and didn't find this simply the most touching, heathwarming and deeply affecting missive, then they don't have a relationship with one or more dogs. They simply own dogs and they are sad people who are missing so much, and, quite frankly, the dogs they own would probably be better off with someone who truly loves them.

Wonderful little book

The author is a gifted writer and she touched my heart with this fine little book. Let me add, for full disclosure, that I have a black Lab, blind like the one in the book, who is approaching 14 years old, so I've been thinking about how her life might end. Is this book deep and analytical? No. But it's a light and quick book to read, beautifully written.

Easy Read

I did not mine reading this book however I thought it would be more interesting. I did not get the feeling that it was written by a dog lover. Anyone who is willing to write a book about loving dogs should be willing to say their dogs are like their children!

Fantastic

This is the perfect book - about life, a beloved dog and what can be learned every day by those who love us as no one else can - our dogs. The pictures brought many smiles to my face and the ending, many tears. In fact, I am crying as I type this. It's about life.