Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 16-20 of 74
 Sad news June 17, 2002
Alexa (Lexington, MA USA)
I am sorry to say that Caroline Knapp died a couple of weeks ago at the age of 42. She obviously touched many people's hearts and will be missed.
A work of beauty and much surprise. July 23, 2001
Erin O'Brien (Toronto, Ontario Canada)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
Carolyn Knapp's beautifully written treatment of an interspecies relationship theorizes the many fragmentary observations that any dog-owner will make. Her love of her own dog Lucille is just as complex as it is deep. Knapp's meditions on the curious fact of living intimately with an animal give voice and explicit meaning to the legendary companionship of dogs. She writes of tenderness, humour, anxiety, disappointment experienced with her own beloved Lucille, and explains how people become more humane, approachable and even healthier in the company of a pet. Dogs as silent enigmas, virtual children, joksters, solitious friends and, sometimes, vexatious pests are discussed at length, providing a kind of theoretical basis for uniting all manner of experiences of this complex and rewarding bond.
 Exploring a relationship... July 18, 2001
k-r-h (Apex, NC United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
A thoroughly enjoyable read... The book was a bit more introspective than I was expecting. The author spices the chapters with tidbits of her observations on others' relationships with their dogs. However, the focus is her relationship with her dog and how that affected her life post-sobriety and the death of her parents. While I purchased the book hoping for a more analytical approach, I still found it a beautiful testament to the ever-amazing power of that known as the "human-animal bond."
Dog Lover says "must read but be careful" July 10, 2001
Larissa (New York)
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I thoroughly enjoyed the book as soon as I started to bite into it. My husband and I own a 9 month old Jack Russell terrier named Memphis (had her since she was about 10 weeks old), and while we both take care of her, she and I share a much closer bond. So I related to Caroline's story and enjoyed the similarities and examples that she dove into being a dog lover now that she has her own, rather than just "growing up with them all through childhood".So I highly recommend this book..even if it does get too sappy and she is a bit redundant towards the end. She goes into detail like no other author about her relationship with her dog. Yes, she did have relationship problems, and a drinking problem, and most of us will not be able to relate to that, but that's what makes her story unique. It's really not a bad one. She gives plenty of training examples with the causes and effects based on her meetings with other dog owners. It's an interesting world when you own a dog, and I believe the author of this book relayed that well. I believe while the book does drag on certain topics, only a true dog lover would enjoy and appreciate the wisdom this author has to offer.
It drew me in... June 23, 2001
D. J. Zemenick (Pensacola Beach, FL United States)
From the beginning I was drawn not only by the subject matter (as an unapologetic dog lover), but by the way Ms. Knapp expressed herself. It is a beautiful love story that captures the unconditional love our animals give us and the void they fill for so many people. After all, "love is love." You will chuckle, you'll see yourself and your friends in some of the stories, and you'll develop an empathy for the struggles this woman has gone through. I think this is a book my friends will be receiving for many holidays and birthdays to come.
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