Hounded
The Lowdown on Life from Three Dachshunds
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5.0 • 3 Ratings
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- $7.99
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
Living with three strong-willed, highly individual Dachshunds can be equal parts entertaining, frustrating and rewarding. Just ask Matt Ziselman.
Armed with a fresh, creative voice that is unabashedly cranky one moment and profoundly poignant the next, Ziselman mixes hilarious canine stories, with heartfelt reminiscences from his own life, the results of which is a memoir of illuminating life lessons, courtesy of the three thoroughly Teutonic Dachshunds that he shares his life (and couch) with: Baxter, Maya and Molly. Seemingly mundane moments, like Baxter's incessant, neuroses inducing staring, Maya's inexplicable refusal to walk through the front door and Molly's obsessive compulsive love for a torn and tattered blanket become, through Ziselman's insightful eyes, a treasure trove of observations that any dog-lover will appreciate. In a market where Americans spend more than $40 billion a year on their pets, this work of razor-sharp wit and quiet tenderness will reach out and grab readers everywhere by the heartstrings and-quite possibly-their leashes.
HOUNDED wraps universal insights in hot-dog-shaped packages, providing true dog lovers with many knowing nods, honest belly laughs and an accurate, warts-and-all reflection of the fascination, wonder and love that they have for their dogs.
And that Matt Ziselman obviously has for his.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This banal series of biographical essays purport to be life lessons the author gleaned from his three dogs. If the morals themselves came within a mile of profundity, readers would be more forgiving of Ziselman's logical leaps and lame bromides, such as "Little things don't mean a lot: They mean everything." Former advertising creative director Ziselman postulates that the only reason one of his dachshunds is happy all the time is that she actually is aware of her own mortality (and knows every moment is precious). Life cycle events are treated with Seinfeld-lite snark ("I think that whole beauty of childbirth' thing doesn't really kick-in until a snuggly soft blanket is caressing the baby and the daddy is being equally caressed by 20 mg of Valium") that will distance many readers rather than inviting empathy. Sophomoric humor ("now's as good time as any to tell you that there's going to be a fair amount of this cheap word play, like that shit you not' line going on for the next few pages") will also not be to all tastes. And self-adulation, as in a section where writers at a workshop tell him that he "can write ass off," doesn't help.
Customer Reviews
Hounded: The Lowdown on Life from Three Dachshunds by Matt Ziselman
This book was a gem!! Not only did I get to read all about the delicious antics of my favorite breed, but I learned many life lessons through the lives of these dachshunds. Mr. Ziselman is an extraordinary writer interspersing his own life story with those of his dogs. At once comical, and extremely reflective, the life of the author unfolds and gives the reader a true sense of the man. The hounds only add humor and love to this beautiful memoir. The book was a gift because what ensued in the pages surprised, and was like peeling off layers of wrapping paper. Mr. Ziselman does what a writer does best -- describes what we all think in a clear and thoughtful way. His life, sometimes tragic, is juxtaposed with those adorable low down hounds. A true treasure, dachshund owner or not. Read it!! Gilda Brovender.