I'm kind of a sucker for dog stories that rein in the sappiness a bit but still yank the heartstrings. I listened to MARLEY & ME (ABRIDGED CD AUDIOBOOK) during a road trip but was frustrated most of the time with how irresponsible the humans were in the story, although I did cry pitifully in the car for miles while the last part unfolded. There is only one way that these stories end, and Dean Koontz really hits hard when it's his turn. Do not read the last two chapters in public, as if you have a heart, then you will full-on sob and get tears on your pages, and people will stare at you if you're not alone.
Other than the inevitable catharsis of the end of the book, though, the story to get there is pretty good. Koontz presents himself as a humble and devoted parent of his first dog, and he draws the reader in for quiet moments with the family, as Trixie displays an intelligence and presence that make her far more interesting than any fictional character I ever read in a Koontz novel (back when I was a teenager and they interested me). This book is a beautiful eulogy for a remarkable dog, and it speaks more universally to why people (should) love dogs, and I want to buy a copy for just about everyone I know with a family that includes at least one canine member.
On a side note, I tend to dislike celebrities when I read their autobiographies that make reference to their own fame - honestly, I was a Jimmy Buffett fan until I read A Pirate Looks at Fifty and saw that he had drunk his own kool-aid - but Koontz pulls it off well. From time to time, people in this book will tell him they like his writing, but only when it has an impact on Trixie's story. Koontz is not the focus here, he's writing about his girl, and he succeeds while remaining likeable.Get more detail about A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog.
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