Lily and the Octopus
By: Steven Rowley / Narrated By: Michael Urie
Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
3rd time was the charm for this little sweetie of a book!
Seriously. This was the third time I made a go of listening to Lily and the Octopus cuz the first two times I felt I’d heard just about enough of Ted, our hero, coping with pretty much everything by swilling vodka and popping Valium. I’ve been blessed enough to be able to do hospice care for many, MANY a beloved furry Accomplice, and the first time I tried listening to this book, I’d been remembering my sweet boy, Edgar Allan. The second attempt? I was remembering my sainted Pooh-Bear, Baby. But listening to Ted’s coping skills left me me veritably chucking my phone at the wall in disgust.
Because the story opens with Ted discovering an Octopus on Lily, his 12-year old dachshund’s head. The Octopus talks, and it says all sorts of ominous things, and Ted really can’t cope with this new occurrence in his life. (By the way, Octopus is a tumor)
Enter quite a bit of alcohol and plenty of scrounging for pills.
BUT! I had to remind myself how I haaaaate reading reviews where somebody trashes an audiobook and then mildly comments: I only got a 1/4 way through. So, THIS time, I pushed past the alcohol and such and listened to the rest of the story… And it turned out to be quite good…!
There’s the sense of whimsy that the talking Octopus, a character in his own right, brings (And keep in mind when you’re reading this review that Michael Urie is narrating all characters, all situations with great fun), and there’s the wonder and spastic joy of a little talking Lily. There are Ted’s many friends who are always there with a ready hug (Yes, they have beer and Valium too…); there’s Ted’s supportive and loving sister. And there’s a miserable Ted who’s been burned by love, a faithless boyfriend, but now he’s so lonely he could die.
Add to the mix an adventure on the high seas, and you’ve got a real good story developing. However, throw in Lily’s progressing illness, and you’ve got many opportunities to find a lump in your throat.
Because Lily speaks (And tell me if you don’t think her run-in with Tofurky isn’t the sweetest thing!), we come to care for her as much as Ted does. Sooooo, things feel quite tragic as Ted does valiant and increasingly desperate battle with the Octopus.
Though, naturally, things can be quite sad, things can be quite hopeful at the same time. The way Steven Rowley crafted this, Ted does indeed have a solid character arc, and through his many attempts to save Lily and get her back to normal, he grows and learns things about himself. That right there makes the book worth the listening time.
Though this is certainly not a heavy-duty listen, it’s a charming one.
AND! I didn’t throw my phone at the wall!!!!!
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