Critic Reviews
Mixed
Based on 3 reviews on
Ted--a gay, single, struggling writer is stuck: unable to open himself up to intimacy except through the steadfast companionship of Lily, his elderly dachshund. When Lily's health is compromised, Ted vows to save her by any means necessary. By turns hilarious and poignant, an adventure with spins into magic realism and beautifully evoked truths of loss and longing, Lily and the Octopus reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.
Introducing a dazzling and completely original new voice in fiction and an unforgettable hound that will break your heart--and put it back together again. Remember the last book you told someone they had to read? Lily and the Octopus is the next one. "Startlingly imaginative...this love story is sure to assert its place in the canine lit pack...Be prepared for outright laughs and searing or silly moments of canine and human recognition. And grab a tissue: "THERE! WILL! BE! EYE! RAIN!" (New York Newsday).
Steven Rowley is an author.
It was a seven year journey TO THE DAY from the publication of Lily and the Octopus on June 7, 2016 to my debut on the @nytimes Bestseller List with The Celebrants on June 7, 2023. Dream big. Work hard. Stay focused. Amazing things can happen. https://t.co/lhpPMHp27d
We publish great books. Here are some tweets about them.
“Much like the love of our dogs, this fable about a lost dog and his epic journey to find home is a gift to us all.” ―@mrstevenrowley, author of Lily and the Octopus 🌟 Learn more about THE BOY AND THE DOG by Seishu Hase, on sale today: https://t.co/ypaNs1dx6F https://t.co/LyKwtrDy9f
Irish Canadian gay Buddhist journalist. He/him. JEDI consultant for @BreakfastCultu1 and anxious optimist. Slowwwly moving to @scottdagostino@mastodon.lol
A friend recommended LILY AND THE OCTOPUS, @MrStevenRowley’s novel about a middle-aged gay man facing the end of his beloved dog’s life. “WHY would I read that? I LIVED it!” 😕 But I’m now halfway through and it is of course funny, sad, clever and kind ❤️ https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Lily-and-the-Octopus/Steven-Rowley/9781501126239