One reviewer remarked he found "nothing much to learn from" this book. I disagree. It is a meditation on the meaning of lives, on what is to be learned from the aged dogs whose lives reorganize our values and teach us love and humility in the face of mortality. This is not a book about "cute puppies." They come with different lessons. This is a thoughtful, insightful book in which photography and prose join seamlessly for a single, powerful effect. Nor is it a book that will be unopened after the first read. It's a book that grows more meaningful with every reading, the way art should.
"Cute" doesn't last long in life or memory. But these haunting, beautiful photographs of aging and aged dogs with their 200-or-fewer-word stories is poetry that stays and plays in the mind. Not a dirge, but an ode to joy and the meaning of love.
Take Heineken, age 11 (neé Coors), a pound terrier who flunked Fundamentals of Mailman Relations, Bath-Taking Etiquette, Fundamentals of Not Digging in the Garden, and finally, Obedience School. His mistress, whose social aspirations had led her to rename him, was a slow learner, but she eventually "learned to co-exist with a good-natured dog with a mind of his own." Humility is a virtue terriers teach better and more more happily than any human being could ever teach it.
Then there's Boca, age 10, the ugliest dog I think I've ever seen. She once was a rhinoceras. Then her owner spent two years and $10,000 to have the cancer removed and Boca cured. Her owner thinks she is beautiful.
And Skippy is 17, the same age as his family's youngest human child. Skippy has given up the long walks he always took with his owner. These days he stays close to the grandmother, who is 80 and has a touch of Alzheimer's. At the table the mother keeps forgetting that she's not supposed to feed the dog, and the dog keeps forgetting he's not supposed to beg for food. "It works out fine," his owner says.
It's hard to choose, but I think my favorite photograph is of Kobi, age 13, whose aged face is enigmatic and like John Keats' storied urn, teases us out of thought. Kobi is the dog who graces the cover of this fine little book.
This is not just another dog book. It would make a fine gift to any dog owner, including oneself. And I think it would make a thoughtful consolation gift for one grieving the loss of an old dog. I gave it to myself and am now going to send it to a man whose first child, a proud southern woman named Martha, died this week. Martha was more hound than anything else, and she taught him and his wife the things they needed to know in order to raise human children.
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Reviews with images
(5+ Stars) With Age Comes Inner Beauty
The Pulitzer Prize winning author Gene Weingarten and photographer Michael Williamson have combined their talents to produce a book which all dog lovers should treasure. This tribute to old dogs begins with an introductory essay by Weingarten which is a reflection about life, aging and death which is illustrated by wonderful reflections about Harry S. Truman, not the president but Weingarten's recently deceased 13 year old yellow Lab. It then consists of pictures of dogs, all of them at least 10 years old, in poses which reveal their character and love of life. And, on each facing page is the dog's name, age and a brief introduction to them which encapsulates their most salient facts. Fittingly,the opening one is of Honey, the sweetheart of a pit bull who brightened Harry's last days and whose eyes still sparkle mischievously as she smiles into the camera.Some stories are fun, as a sample these include Ch. Pagan Place Von Dusenberg and the story of how he came to be called Bumper. His littermates included brothers Rolls Royce and DeLorean and sister Jeep. Did you guess that his breeder was the wife of an automotive executive? Some are probably reminiscent of those which could be shared by many of the readers of this book - abandoned dogs brought home and adopted, dogs who love to play games and, of course, the chowhounds of whatever breed. Several are incredibly poignant, especially the one about Hank, which I reread several times as it brought tears to my eyes but who is now safe in a home where he is loved.You can also meet Belle (age 14), the mother of Junior (age 11) the Mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky. You can learn how Junior got elected mayor, and also meet Sam, his old friend (age 16) and former bear hunter. A fine looking friends and family trio of dogs.But every story in this book is ultimately a story of joy - the joy created by the bond which a loyal dog and its owners forge over the years and the memories which will always remain as a result. As I occasionally pick up this book and skim the pictures and read the stories again, I am continually impressed with how the author and photographer have captured the spirit of these dogs.For readers who love old dogs and enjoy meeting them, I also recommend OLD FRIENDS - GREAT DOGS ON THE GOOD LIFE by Mark J. Asher. This is more of a picture book, with very brief commentary about each dog's secret of longevity. While it is somewhat shorter and with less descriptive material, the photography is as evocative and revealing of the inner character of these dogs.Tucker Andersen 6/19/2010
Top reviews from other countries
Huyana
Dieses Buch sollte jeder Hundefreund haben
Reviewed in Germany on August 8, 2019
frosty b
Who doesn't love an old quirky dog?!
Reviewed in Canada on October 24, 2015PSMode
Everyone who loves dogs should have a copy.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2015