At forty-seven, Gil is the world’s oldest twenty-two-year-old man, living in relative contentment with his four dogs, including the alpha, Ji...
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Mar 06, 2009
Claire
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Dec 04, 2010
Shelley
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Gil is a man who would hardly be called a saint in anyone's book but the road to hell is paved with good intentions right?
This bachelor owner of 4 dogs is aloof when it comes to women but dedicated to his dogs, so much that he can here them talk. But when Gil let's Jimmy (his main pooch) talk him into reuniting him with his birth mother doggy (who is owned by Gil's ex-wife, Eden, Gil's life is on a course for disaster. He ditches is real girlfriend, is roped into getting involved with More...
This bachelor owner of 4 dogs is aloof when it comes to women but dedicated to his dogs, so much that he can here them talk. But when Gil let's Jimmy (his main pooch) talk him into reuniting him with his birth mother doggy (who is owned by Gil's ex-wife, Eden, Gil's life is on a course for disaster. He ditches is real girlfriend, is roped into getting involved with More...
Apr 20, 2009
Jenny
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This book had higher reviews on amazon than it should have! It started off extremely amusing when Jimmy began talking to the neighborhood dogs. There was so much potential for canine chaos. But instead, this book became much more about Gil, when it gives the impression that it's going to be just about dogs. Also, the "voices" of the dogs weren't very creative. While I agree that little dogs like Dink probably DO say "I love you I love you I love you," it made her, Fruity
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Jul 05, 2010
Michael
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I picked this up to read because I enjoyed "The Art of Racing in the Rain" so much. This was not as good but still fairly entertaining. The story involves a handyman, Gil who has four dogs with who he engages in conversations. I got the feeling the conversations were perceived rather than vocalized. Gil is able to read his dogs feelings by their expressions and his intuition. His alpha dog, Jimmy, is pretty wise to human behavior and is teaching the other dogs tricks to get their way ,
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Dec 02, 2011
Nicole
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Four charming canine characters and a less charming 47-year-old adolescent named Gil form the family unit of this often very funny novel. One day, itinerant handyman Gil discovers his beloved flat-coated retriever Jimmy conducting a workshop of sorts for the neighborhood pooches--and he's understanding every word said. (A running, but not over-played joke is that Gil's girlfriend Sara is a professional animal communicator, very sincere, who always gets things wrong--the dogs complain she doesn't
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Feb 02, 2009
Lori
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If you can suspend your disbelief and accept that Gil can hear dogs talking, you'll enjoy this book.
One day, he hears his dog, Jimmy, giving a class to his three other dogs and dogs from the neighborhood about how to get their people to do what they want, including a session on "edible or inedible."
Jimmy soon discovers, to his horror, that he's not Gil's biological son, and asks to be introduced to his birth mother and siblings, who unfortunately live with Gil More...
One day, he hears his dog, Jimmy, giving a class to his three other dogs and dogs from the neighborhood about how to get their people to do what they want, including a session on "edible or inedible."
Jimmy soon discovers, to his horror, that he's not Gil's biological son, and asks to be introduced to his birth mother and siblings, who unfortunately live with Gil More...
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Apr 04, 2011
Stephanie
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I think the LA Times review comment of "Whimsical" fits the book well. The story just didn't grab me like the author's other books have though and that is probably because I didn't really find the main character, Gil, likable or of interest to me. The dog aspect of the story was interesting to me though and it is the reason why I finished the book. I think the author really is intune with the same dog world I invision from time to time and does a wonderful job of making talking/thinkin
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May 05, 2010
Christine
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The author's previous book was better (Turning in Circles Before Lying Down), but this had some amusing moments. Merrill Markoe is, after all, the former comedy writer for David Letterman responsible for Stupid Pet Tricks (and also his ex-long-time-girlfriend). I found the characters were not relatable at all, lacking in any sort of moral compass - all very flawed, weak personalities. Markoe's first foray into writing a male main character was sadly not her best effort. The identity crisis o
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Sep 19, 2009
Louise
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Jun 09, 2010
Victoria
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Well, this was cute... but not as cute as Walking in Circles Before Lying Down, but I suppose there are only so many things that you can pass on as cute and interesting tid-bits from dogs. Although, honestly, it was the narrator that spoiled the book for me. He wasn't very sympathetic... and neither was the main dog, Jimmy. I don't know... it was just sort of a disappointment after looking forward to reading it. I really loved WICBLD. Maybe if the narrator had been a woman... though, I did like
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Dec 05, 2009
Nita
rated it:
No spoilers.
I loved this book. Okay, not quite enough to give it five stars, but it was just plain fun. The main human character, a handyman/housesitter, is forced from his home when the owners come back for an extended stay. The main dog character is a motivational speaker who teaches his dog-friends how to manipulate their human owners. But he mistakenly thinks he is part human. When he finds out that the main human character is not his father, he goes on a quest to find his birth More...
I loved this book. Okay, not quite enough to give it five stars, but it was just plain fun. The main human character, a handyman/housesitter, is forced from his home when the owners come back for an extended stay. The main dog character is a motivational speaker who teaches his dog-friends how to manipulate their human owners. But he mistakenly thinks he is part human. When he finds out that the main human character is not his father, he goes on a quest to find his birth More...
Jun 09, 2010
Tracy
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Wow! This book is so not what I was expecting, but I am still enjoying it. It is a good, easy read; I am still not sure if I liked this book. The book is actually about Gil (A self-confessed 21-year-old trapped in a 42-year-olds body)and how he goes about screwing up his life. He talks to his dog to get advice since his dogs truly are his only creatures left on earth that can actually tolerate him.
I loved the interraction between Gil and his dogs. The author really does hit the nail More...
I loved the interraction between Gil and his dogs. The author really does hit the nail More...
Feb 16, 2009
Shelly
rated it:
Not bad, enjoyably absurd, I wouldn't highly recommend it, but if you're looking for something to read while you're waiting for your next book to come in at the library, it's okay. I didn't get attached to any of the characters (except for one little weiner dog, Dink, but she has a bit part) and I'm not fond of thinking my dogs are actually more sophisticated than they appear....and certainly not that they are talking behind my back! Merrill Markoe has another book with talking dogs that is su
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Dec 02, 2011
Jan
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I have friends who tell me they like to read "trashy novels." I wasn't sure what they meant - until now! This is truly a "trashy novel," with few, if any, redeeming values. (I mean, even the dogs are disloyal!) So listening to it became a guilty pleasure. One positive outcome: the characters in this novel were uniformly so awful that they aroused my curiosity about other anti-social characters in literature. I'm now listening to "A Confederacy of Dunces" whic
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Apr 13, 2009
Cjusti
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I am not real sure what this book was really trying to say. The main character was so very disjointed in his life and you just wanted to shoot him and put him out of his misery. I did enjoy, however, his conversations with his four dogs. Some of the dogs actions, as described by the dogs themself, explained some of the behaviors all of us has seen in our own critters and our reaction to those certain behaviors.
I did not especially care for the book, but continued to listen to it More...
I did not especially care for the book, but continued to listen to it More...
Dec 28, 2008
Becky
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You talk to your dog. You know you do, so you might as well admit it. And it's not all goo goo ga ga baby talk either. No, you engage in conversations composed of complete sentences and abstract thought.
Gil Winowiscz, the forty seven year old hero of Nose Down, Eyes Up talks to his four dogs (Jimmy, Cheney, Fruity, and Dink) as he putters through his days as caretaker and handyman on an estate in Malibu. Then one day he realizes that they talk to him, too. And that he can understand More...
Gil Winowiscz, the forty seven year old hero of Nose Down, Eyes Up talks to his four dogs (Jimmy, Cheney, Fruity, and Dink) as he putters through his days as caretaker and handyman on an estate in Malibu. Then one day he realizes that they talk to him, too. And that he can understand More...
Mar 25, 2009
Coco
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I thought I would love this book, but I didn't even kind of like it. Being a major animal lover, I kind of guessed this one would be a natural for me. The writing felt forced, however, and the characters trite. I've read books to my elementary school son that had more weight. Even the dogs made me gag and I'm a sucker for a good canine character. Hint: if you want a good dog story, read "No More Dead Dogs," which is a kids' book, but seems much more mature by comparison. It's al
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Aug 12, 2010
Gigi
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This is the second Merrill Markoe book I read and I have to say it was markedly similar to Walking in Circles... Even though one was told from a female perspective and one from a male perspective, there were so many similarities between the characters and the plots, I felt like the two stories could have bisected at some point. If I had to pick one, I think I liked this one better because I really liked the dogs and what they had to say.
Jul 09, 2010
Linda
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I didn't really enjoy this book, but it had nothing to do with the writing. Her style is actually quite good, and you can tell she is an animal lover who has observed dogs closely. I didn't like the main human character, Gil, who was a total (can't bring myself to type the word) like so many men I've known in my life. I didn't like being reminded of the total losers I've had the misfortune to know.
Mar 07, 2009
Melissa
rated it:
A very silly book that has a man conversing with his four dogs. The dogs' thoughts are funny and that is the only redeeming part of the book. The character is a total loser. He can't look at a woman without wanting to jump on her bones. He is in his late forties and "makes a living" housesitting and doing odd jobs. He has issues with his mother and his brother. Grow up and get a life!
Jul 22, 2010
Mindex
rated it:
After reading The Art of Racing in the Rain, I was hoping for another book with a similar perspective. This wasn't the case with Nose Down, Eyes Up. However, when I started reading this book, on an airplane, I had to stop because I was afraid of the looks I would get from laughing out loud. The author certainly has a talent for describing dog's behavior from a different point of view.
All in all a worth while read.
All in all a worth while read.
Feb 05, 2009
Merrill Markoe has an uncanny way of nailing the depth of her characters' soul and motivations in easy to read and hilarious prose. I am sure she channeled my ex-boyfriend in this book. I had to put it down umpteem times to absorb her rendering of his personality between laughs, guffaws and giggles. If you are also a dog lover, she is your woman.
Apr 28, 2011
Kate
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Again, Markoe delivers hysterical dog dogma, but it could not compete with the most sickeningly vapid and pathetic male lead I have ever imagined. This book made me cringe. I suppose it's a testament to her writing abilities that she could craft a character I was able to loathe so passionately, but I don't personally award stars for that.
Jan 28, 2009
Darshan Elena
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Loved Markoe's first novel about talking pooches. This one, I loved a little less so. I found Gil, the story's central human, to be far from charming, and Jimmy, the story's central dog, to be irritating. But Dink? How I love Dink. Outside? No, inside. But the car is parked outside. But we are inside the car. Adorable.
Mar 18, 2009
Jean
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Parts of this book are very funny and parts are pretty silly. The good part is the guy's talking dogs. The silly parts concern the dogs' middle aged loser owner.
"Nose down. Eyes up", refers to one of the ploys the alpha dog uses to get what he wants - in other words, how to look mournful.
The author, by the way, is a woman.
"Nose down. Eyes up", refers to one of the ploys the alpha dog uses to get what he wants - in other words, how to look mournful.
The author, by the way, is a woman.
Jul 04, 2010
Owen
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I'm on a dog-centric tear with my reading right now. Markoe's new book is better than Walking In Circles Before Lying Down, but not a must read. It's a semi-entertaining lark with some cute dogs in it and kind of a loser protagonist. A fast read for the beach or anytime where you don't want to have to think too hard.
Mar 12, 2011
Jody
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This book caught my eye in a bookstore because of the dog on the cover. Then I noticed it was written by Merril Markoe, who used to be David Letterman's girlfriend, and a writer on his show. Based on that, I bought the book and it sat on a shelf for a year or more. I liked it! I'm not sure why, it was just very endearing and interestingly written.
Dec 20, 2011
Patricia
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I loved the first two chapters - laughed out loud numerous times at the talking dogs and their wisdom about how to manipulate humans. If only the entire book had been about the dogs, rather than the protagonist's messy personal life (which was sort of funny), I would have enjoyed this book a lot more.
Sep 07, 2010
Jeff
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Enjoyable fluff. In the noire genre but doesn't take itself too seriously. The fun is the premise that the dogs conspire to manipulate their owners . . . and what the dogs have to say. The human characters are typical Merrill Markoe: neurotic, semi-dysfunctional, and mostly likable.
Apr 13, 2009
AuthorsOnTourLive!
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We met Merrill Markoe when she visited the Tattered Cover Bookstore in Denver. You can listen to her talk about "Nose Down, Eyes Up" here: http://www.authorsontourlive.com/?p=230
About this podcast:
Merrill Markoe, the Emmy Award-winning writer and creator of Stupid Pet Tricks, reads from and discusses "Nose Down, Eyes Up," her second fun-loving doggie novel, following "Walking in Circles Before Lying Down." In this hilarious new story, Markoe offers More...
About this podcast:
Merrill Markoe, the Emmy Award-winning writer and creator of Stupid Pet Tricks, reads from and discusses "Nose Down, Eyes Up," her second fun-loving doggie novel, following "Walking in Circles Before Lying Down." In this hilarious new story, Markoe offers More...
