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49th out of 109 books
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142 voters
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My Dog Tulip
Now a Major Motion Picture
The distinguished British man of letters J. R. Ackerley hardlythought of himself as a dog lover when, well into middleage, he came into possession of a German shepherd. Tohis surprise, she turned out to be the love of his life, the“ideal friend” he had been searching for in vain for years. My Dog Tulip is a bittersweet retrospective account of the
...morePaperback, 208 pages
Published
August 24th 2010
by New York Review Books
(first published 1956)
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For the most part of his adult life Joe Randolph Ackerley longed for what he called an "ideal friend"—or, rather, the Ideal Friend. An openly gay British writer and editor, he counted a number of fellow persons of letters, homosexuals, and men who were both among his friends. But none of them, to his dismay, seemed to fit the adjective. Not even E. M. Forster, his most distinguished colleague, or Christopher Isherwood, then an up-and-coming author he championed, did. If someone did des...more
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The 1956 classic of animal literature avoids the treackly oversentimentality of so many inferior works. Instead, Ackerley (man-of-letters, WWI prisoner of war, and editor of the BBC's influential The Listener) gives us such passages as,
"She attends socially to a wide range of objects. The commonest group are the droppings, both liquid and solid, of other animals. Fresh horse dung has a special attraction for her and is always liberally sprayed. Then she sprinkles any food th...more
"She attends socially to a wide range of objects. The commonest group are the droppings, both liquid and solid, of other animals. Fresh horse dung has a special attraction for her and is always liberally sprayed. Then she sprinkles any food th...more
I really wanted to like this book more, especially because it's written by a first-time dog parent, which Brian and I hope to be later this year. In that sense, Ackerley's portrayal of his missteps and triumphs in raising his first dog, a German Shepherd named Tulip, are endearing. From finding a driver amenable to letting Tulip ride on the bus, to finding the right vet for her, these are stories to which any new pet parent can relate.
However, because Tulip lived in the 40s and may...more
However, because Tulip lived in the 40s and may...more
There were a small handful of reasons why I was going to read My Dog Tulip eventually.
1) It was one of the first books published by NYRB and in my psychotic, obsessive way – I found the list of the first 250 books they published, broke them into groups of 20 and am going through each group selecting a few at random. This happened to be the very first I selected because…
2) It was recently adapted into an animated movie (trailer below), featuring the voice of Christopher Plumme...more
1) It was one of the first books published by NYRB and in my psychotic, obsessive way – I found the list of the first 250 books they published, broke them into groups of 20 and am going through each group selecting a few at random. This happened to be the very first I selected because…
2) It was recently adapted into an animated movie (trailer below), featuring the voice of Christopher Plumme...more
I love dogs, probably as much as a human being is able to. This book was recommended by the NY Times so I picked it up thinking it would be a nice tribute to dog ownership. WTF is this garbage! I was pretty disappointed to find that most of the book is devoted to intricately describing his attempts to force the dog to breed. There are a few passages that I found especially repulsive, describing her genitalia and going on and on about her wondrous animal sexuality. BLECHHHH. I came away thinking ...more
I think any writer who is in love with his dog wants to put into words how beautiful the animal is, and do justice to every expression and behavior.
I was completely charmed by Ackerley's account of his dog Tulip. Some critics on Amazon were repulsed by his romanticized description of Tulip's genitalia, for example. It didn't strike me as pornographic, but rather poetic.
I have a female German shepherd who is spayed, so in my mind, she will always be a puppy. But Tulip beco...more
I was completely charmed by Ackerley's account of his dog Tulip. Some critics on Amazon were repulsed by his romanticized description of Tulip's genitalia, for example. It didn't strike me as pornographic, but rather poetic.
I have a female German shepherd who is spayed, so in my mind, she will always be a puppy. But Tulip beco...more
A love song to a German Shepherd, this is Ackerley's biography of (as the title announces) his dog Tulip and all her trials and tribulations with walking the city streets and trying to mate with a suitable partner. Wittily, even archly written, the biography is still never anything less than fully sincere in the author's expressions of devotion to and appreciation of the dog. When you come to the end of the book, you realize that you spend most of the time reading about how a German Shepherd r...more
I heard about this book on the NYRB site. And since I am a sucker for books about dogs I thought I just had to buy this. I am sure glad I did. Not only is Mr. Ackerley a brilliant writer, he really really loves his dog. And when a good writer writes about something/someone he really loves... it's magically moving. In the first half of the book it was as though I was reading Wodehouse write about dogs. It's funny, and true. Then the book took a serious turn.
This book isn't for all dog lover...more
This book isn't for all dog lover...more
This is my kind of romance novel.
The chapters describing Ackerley’s dog’s poop and his lack of disposing of said poop were the best part of the book. I guess that’s a mixed compliment given my general disregard for the book as a whole, however, I did genuinely find this part interesting mainly b/c of how it was a reflection of the time period and just how different things were in society then.
Now for the rest of the book: I really really disliked it. How on earth does anyone consider this to be a classic of dog lover lit...more
Now for the rest of the book: I really really disliked it. How on earth does anyone consider this to be a classic of dog lover lit...more
Hmmm. What to say. Okay, this review is going to be full of spoilers. (1.) I think I made a mistake in reading the introduction first. I couldn't get it out of my head that Elizabeth Marshall Thomas said Ackerley's dog was a poorly behaved pain in the ass, so much of Ackerley's subsequent doting struck me as totally unreliable, and, (2.) worse, the type of doting that is barely short of abusive, as (3.) most modern animal philosophers, though I realize they come after Ackerley, have come to ...more
J R Ackerley was a tweedy old poof who counted E M Forster amongst his friends . If this book is anything to go by he was a monumental perv as well .
His alsatian sounds a real pain and a projection of Ackerley's own nasty character . He is far too interested in his dog's breeding and toiletry habits for comfort and I had the book put down after a few chapters . My copy is emblazoned with the laughable claim " Now a major motion picture " . I am glad i didn't see it .
His alsatian sounds a real pain and a projection of Ackerley's own nasty character . He is far too interested in his dog's breeding and toiletry habits for comfort and I had the book put down after a few chapters . My copy is emblazoned with the laughable claim " Now a major motion picture " . I am glad i didn't see it .
mampdx
added it
A humorous and charming story about the relationship between dog and man, and Ackerley's ongoing efforts to bring happiness to his beloved Alsatian. One does cringe, though, at his misguided determination that Tulip experience motherhood, bringing unwanted (and mostly ill-fated) puppies into the world. And (pardon the sexism) trust a man of that era to refuse to pick up after his pet's poop!
I have thought I was an animal person, and that I liked dogs, but apparently not as much to read an entire book on a dog-dad's devotion to get his "perfect" German Shepherd mated. I suppose any dog/child/cat/fish/orchid is perfect in the mom/dad's eyes. I was just not ready to listen to an entire book's worth of it.
Perhaps the animated version would have been much more charming.
Perhaps the animated version would have been much more charming.
Betty
added it
I don't know how to define sublime writing, but I know it when I see it! All that and a dog too. I'd give you a sample quote but it is the way one perfect sentence follows another that is leaving me breathless. I want to read the entire ...thing out loud to a willing victim. Heck, an unwilling victim. I haven't even had breakfast and I'm already half-way through.
The book jacket says this is a heartwarming story of a man and his dog, but I would describe it as a graphic tale of a dog and her hoo-ha. Unless you really, really, really like dogs or like the idea of learning how to pimp out your dog when she's in heat, I'd probably stay away from this book. Unless you are into dog vulvas, in which case you might enjoy it.
Very cute, decidedly English take on the difficulties of living with a large female (unspayed) dog in the big city. Ackerley clearly loves his dog and tries very hard to understand herand defend her from people who object to where she squats, or to breeders who "help" dogs to breed. "Was my virgin Tulip RAPED?" he wonders at one point.
A beautiful meditation on Ackerley's devotion to his German shepherd and hers to him. Wonderfully written, moving, at times quite funny. One gets the impression that Ackerley studied his dog's every move, every expression. Kudos to New York Review of Books Classics for bringing this book back into print. An animated film version of the book is forthcoming.
One third excretion, two thirds copulation, My Dog Tulip is the story of a man utterly devoted to his bitch. I appreciated the way Ackerley describes his devotion to Tulip, his desire for her to fully experience life. However much he loved her, however, in the end, I was unable to connect with the extended discourse on her "seasons".
Louise Brown
rated it
Recommends it for:
curious caninophiles, whimsical lovers
Recommended to Louise by:
Clive
A peculiar and at times almost fervent love story of a chap and his alsatian. Focussing on the stuff of life (births, deaths, bodily functions - all of the dog, mind) it makes for a curiously intense read - I really did laugh and cry.
In terms of style, I loved this book for containing the words murine and whelp but not for the antiquated views on the "working classes" Ackerley frequently disparaged; I perservered, forgiving him given time and place of writing (fifties Lond...more
In terms of style, I loved this book for containing the words murine and whelp but not for the antiquated views on the "working classes" Ackerley frequently disparaged; I perservered, forgiving him given time and place of writing (fifties Lond...more
The reviews and introduction to this short book were exemplary. In actuality I found the book somewhat tedious and slightly bizarre. The British have every different notions regarding dogs and their care than Americans do. Clearly they have suffered for the lack of Bob Barker. Embarrassingly, I have forced this book on several friends prior to reading - forgive me.
I'd be surprised if any non-dog lover would enjoy this book, or if any dog-lover wouldn't!
Simultaneously told with the detachment of a writer and the profound attachment of a dog companion (we don't use the word owner), it sits somewhere between a memoir and a love letter.
What made it particularly striking is the anachronistic focus on aspects unlikely to be encountered in a modern book on dogs. There are several chapters dedicated to defecation and even more on copulati...more
Simultaneously told with the detachment of a writer and the profound attachment of a dog companion (we don't use the word owner), it sits somewhere between a memoir and a love letter.
What made it particularly striking is the anachronistic focus on aspects unlikely to be encountered in a modern book on dogs. There are several chapters dedicated to defecation and even more on copulati...more
Might be only for dog lovers, but that is me! Lots of info on the biology of dogs: reproduction, elimination, etc. He's a wonderful writer. Tulip was a special dog. The animated movie is opening in a theater near you as I write this! Can't wait.
Thank goodness times have changed. I had to constantly remind myself of that. I believe the author genuinely loved his dog but by today's standards of pet care his ways of demonstrating that affection are beyond bizarre.
This is definitely not the stereotypically corny dog-lover's book. A very thoughtful, dryly humorous, and old-fashioned look at owning (and loving) that one special dog.
My only critique would be the rather extensive amount of time the book spends on Tulip's fertility cycle....
My only critique would be the rather extensive amount of time the book spends on Tulip's fertility cycle....
"One of the greatest books ever written by anybody in the world." - Truman Capote
Listen to My Dog Tulip on your smartphone.
Listen to My Dog Tulip on your smartphone.
While Ackerley broods largely on Tulip’s reproductive functioning, it’s because he wants to give her a full and happy life, and we tend to think that our animal friends want the same things that we want. So perhaps in a way we get to learn a lot about Ackery, a charming Brit who came into a difficult breed of pup, and what takes much of his thought. The one to root for is Miss Canvey who rescues us all from shotty pup-parenting with her loving common sense.
Also important about this b...more
Also important about this b...more
Liked it, but not as much as I expected to. Certainly a paean to a dog--here, Tulip--with a perspective not typically held, or at least shared. Ackerley relishes Tulip's nature with a peculiar reverence.
A really good read about a man and his dog, a man who never wanted a dog, but nevertheless, a man who allowed his dog to become his whole world, or at least it seems to me. Ackerley went to extremes even for a radical dog lover, but don't we all. If you like books about people and their loyal companions then this is a good one. Short, you can read it in a couple of evenings. Very enjoyable.
I do not approve of Ackerley's methods, not one little bit. Granted, this was the 1940s, and attitudes and practices were different than they are now. But mating his dog for no other reason than that he wanted her to experience motherhood - really, that's just irresponsible.
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