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A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie
Unavailable
A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie
Unavailable
A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie
Audiobook6 hours

A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie

Written by Dean Koontz

Narrated by Christopher Lane

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

In a profound, funny, and beautifully rendered portrait of a beloved companion, bestselling novelist Dean Koontz remembers the golden retriever who changed his life. A retired service dog, Trixie was three when Dean and his wife, Gerda, welcomed her into their home. She was superbly trained, but her greatest gifts couldn't be taught: her keen intelligence, her innate joy, and an uncanny knack for living in the moment. Whether chasing a tennis ball or protecting those she loved, Trixie gave all she had to everything she did, inspiring Dean and Gerda to trust their instincts and recapture a sense of wonder that will remain with them always. Trixie lived fewer than twelve years; in this wide world, she was a little thing. But in every way that mattered, she lived a big life.

"A humorous, poignant portrait of [a] remarkable dog." -Kirkus Reviews

"One dog book that everyone…will deeply enjoy." -Booklist (starred review)

"A delightful read…an unusually effective brief for the joy that dogs bring us." -The American Spectator

"A tender, insightful, loving homage…an inspirational book of love, hope and humor." -Bookreporter.com

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJan 1, 2012
ISBN9781455841127
Unavailable
A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie
Author

Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz is the author of more than a dozen New York Times No. 1 bestsellers. His books have sold over 450 million copies worldwide, and his work is published in 38 languages. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania and lives with his wife Gerda and their dog Anna in southern California.

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Reviews for A Big Little Life

Rating: 4.149390384756098 out of 5 stars
4/5

164 ratings26 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 I've never read a Koontz novel but I enjoyed this book about his golden retriever, Trixie. He's a skillful writer and he did a great job of capturing the charm, whimsy and intelligence of my favorite breed (although most dog lovers could relate).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was a touching book about a special dog and the man who loved her. After reading it, all I wanted to do (after I wiped away the tears) was go and give my beautiful labrador an extra big hug.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A touching tribute to a famous author's Golden Retriever. A good read for dog lovers and Koontz fans alike.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've been a Koontz fan for years, so his writing style is familiar to me. Others may find his voice in this book grating or rambling or too self-deprecating. That said, having had goldens in my life, I laughed and cried over the Koontz household's life with Trixie.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Love my Golden Holly Jolly, a therapy dog. Involved in a R.E.A.D. program too. Einstein and Trixie were the dogs who made me decide on a Golden after I lost my wonderful 16 year-old American Eskimo Sadie Milady.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A sweet, sometimes corny, heartbreaking and heartwarming account of how a dog can impact ones life.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Loved it from beginning to end!
    Being a person who didn’t have a dog until my early 40s I identified with all the wonderment of loving and being loved by my furry babies.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If you have ever shared your life with a dog, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. The narrator did an excellent job.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Really liked the story, haven't read any of his other books.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I enjoyed all the parts about Trixie, but too many times Koontz expounds on quasi-philosophical ideas somewhat related to dogs/owning a dog. I can understand getting philosophical a couple times, but when it happens almost every chapter, and seems to be saying the same thing over and over again but with different rambling paragraphs... too much.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Author Dean Koontz and his wife, Gerda, were married a number of years and had no children before they decided to adopt a dog. They brought home a golden retriever who was unable to complete her time as an assist dog due to surgery. In addition to this book being Trixie’s story, there is also philosophy about dogs and humans, and things Dean and Gerda learned from Trixie; there is also inspiration/spirituality in the book.What a wonderful dog Trixie must have been. She brought so much love and joy to the Koontz’s lives. Koontz is mostly known for his horror novels, but he brings humour to Trixie’s story, as well. There was more of the book that wasn’t focused on Trixie than I expected – it wasn’t very long and much of the Trixie bits were anecdotes of bigger things that happened throughout her life and things that particularly affected Dean and Gerda. I still really enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Because I really missed our beloved dog, Buddie, who recently passed away, I decided to read ‘A Big Little Life’ to appreciate the remarkable relationship that author, Dean Koontz, had with his own canine pet. Koontz’s dog, Trixie, was such an endearing and intuitive pet, and his stories about Trixie’s remarkable abilities left me reminiscing about our own Buddie, and realizing what an extraordinary companion we possessed as well. Like Koontz, I felt so fortunate to have experienced this fleeting, but deeply meaningful time with our loving pet. Not only is this a memoir about Koontz’s relationship with Trixie, but it is also a philosophical piece about how Trixie had helped Koontz and his wife to rediscover the wonder and beauty of life. He said, (Trixie) “awakened in me an awareness of the mystery that is woven into the warp and weft of everything we perceive with our five senses but can know only with our hearts.” I, too, felt that Buddie had presented us with unwavering love and loyalty, and that he took the greatest joy in life’s simple pleasures, such as a rub on the belly or jumping in midair to retrieve his treasured ball. And like Trixie, Buddie seemed omniscient, not only in his carefree attitude of living fully in each moment, but also in facing pain and death with stoicism and courage. I must warn you, that as a dog lover, I shed a tear or two in reading this book, but they were definitely tears of joy and gratitude for having spent a few precious moments in the company of an amazing dog.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    When I first bought “A Big Little Life” I told myself this would be my own little treasure, not to be reviewed, just to be enjoyed. Now, months after reading it some of the items have moved me so much that I still think about them and decided they need to be shared.
    Bestselling author Dean Koontz and his wife Gerda had a very happy life that revolved around the business of Dean’s books. They were content with what they had, yet they longed for something more. Dean and Gerda actively supported Canine Companions for Independence, and loved visiting the service dogs that were trained through that organization. They were repeatedly asked to adopt dogs that had been retired from service, but kept declining due to their time-consuming commitments with Dean’s writing career.
    Finally, they decided the time was right, and they were placed with Trixie, a three-year-old golden retriever who taught them to cut back on their workload and enjoy life fully.
    One of the tales that stands out is how Trixie would come to Dean’s writing desk each day at 5:00 and stand between him and his computer. He was used to working until 7:00 or later, so to quit work at 5:00 was unheard of. Somehow Trixie knew that 5:00 should be quitting time, and she was going to make Dean get away from work and have some fun no matter if he got mad about it or not. She did this for weeks before Dean caught on to her and went ahead and took her bait to play with her instead of working for a few more hours.
    Another story I loved was one day Gerda was taking Trixie on their daily walks through the nearby tennis courts, Trixie looked for tennis balls to carry in her mouth to no avail. Disappointed as she was, Gerda and Trixie started descending the steps past the tennis courts when Trixie stopped short and refused to go any further. After much coaxing, Gerda could not get her to move and kept asking Trixie what was wrong. Trixie proceeded to pump her neck and open her mouth and actually speak what sounded like the word “ball.” Gerda was so surprised, that she dropped the leash, and Trixie ran up a few steps, nosed under a bush and came out with a tennis ball in her mouth.
    When Gerda got home she told Dean the story, and he disbelieved. Months later, with this story long gone from Dean’s memory, he was walking Trixie past the tennis courts and a very similar thing happened. Trixie the dog could speak, and what she could say was “ball.”
    Trixie also was an author. Of course, Dean co-wrote Trixie’s books, and they came with a zest and humor that was present in Trixie’s daily life. I own a couple of Trixie’s books (as well as many of Dean’s); they are full of color pictures of Trixie and showcase her happiest moments and some of the random things that go through her head, as translated by Dean.
    Trixie tragically passed away in 2007, and this is Dean’s homage to the dog who changed his life. It’s not a crazy story about a crazy dog; it’s just a plain and simple story about how a companion animal can teach so much to a human if the human is open to learning.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I have a dog who is part of my family. He is one of my "kids". I am his "mom".

    Dean Koontz shares this paragraph in the first chapter of his book: "In each little life, we can see great truth and beauty, and in each little life we glimpse the way of all things in the universe. If we allow ourselves to be enchanted by the beauty of the ordinary, we begin to see that all things are extraordinary. If we allow ourselves to be humbled by what we do not and cannot know, in our humility we are exalted. If we allow ourselves to recognize the mystery and the wonder of existence, our fogged minds clear. Thinking clearly, we follow wonder to awe, and in a state of awe, we are as close to true wisdom as we will ever be". His dog Trixie inspired this line of thinking, as does my puppy Benny.

    I loved this book not only for the stories of wonder and joy about the dog, but also the wonder and joy her dad enjoys because of her.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 stars... a neighbor friend loaned it to me; we both have golden retrievers. It's a pretty well written memoir of Koontz's first dog, Trixie, a golden retriever. Koontz and his wife acquired her when they were in their fifties or so, and when Trixie was about three and due to elbow trouble couldn't continue as a therapy dog. Trixie is totally darling and is a very well trained dog genius. The usual heart warming dog stories abound, plus a glimpse at fiction author Koontz's life. He seems like an engaging and self deprecating nice guy. He does kind of anthropomorphize Trixie more than I like (respect the dog's dogness, dude) and thinks she might be an angel, but other than that it's a nice dog memoir. I like his shout-outs to the therapy dog organization, to which he made some large donations.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a very enjoyable and predictably heart-wrenching account of the life of the author's first dog. For me it was a nice glimpse into the "real" Dean Koontz, whose novels I enjoy. He comes across as very down-to-earth, loving, and spiritual, with a dry sense of humor and an appreciation for the little things in life. He constantly praises dogs for their joy and living in the present, and he defends what some call the "anthropomorphism" that humans apply to their canine friends, giving evidence that for him proves that dogs have emotions, memories, and souls. Some of my favorite passages:...dogs eat with gusto, play with exuberance, work happily when given the opportunity, surrender themselves to the wonder and the mystery of their world, and love extravagantly. Envy infects the human heart; if we envy, next we covet, and what we covet becomes the object of our all-consuming avarice. If we live without envy, with the humility and joyful gratitude of dogs--nachos! ball! cuddle time!--we will be ready even for Death when he comes for us, content that we have made good use of the gift of life....For a dog, the world is an ever-expanding carnival of mysteries. Every new experience enchants, and every morning is full of promise.As children, we share that attitude, but we evict it when we become adults, as if the knowledge that comes with experience needs to occupy that particular chamber of the mind, as if wonder must make way for wisdom. But wisdom without wonder is not true wisdom at all, but only a set of practical skills mrried to tactical shrewdness of one degree or another....We took comfort in the knowledge that God is never cruel, there is a reason for all things. We must know the pain of loss because if we never knew it, we would have no compassion for others, and we would become monsters of self-regard, creatures of unalloyed self-interest. The terrible pain of loss teaches humility to our prideful kind, has the power to soften uncaring hearts, to make a better person of a good one.Koontz credits his dog Trixie with restoring his faith and wonder, and even with inspiring him to take creative risks that turned out well. He is an effective advocate, as well, of the Canine Companions for Independence; he believes in the power of one small act of kindness to spread and grow to help many people.I recommend this book to anyone who is a dog lover, or an animal lover in general. It is well-written and entertaining, and somewhat thought provoking.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Perhaps I'm just growing weary of adorable pet tales, but this book just didn't work for me. The material was so mundane that I gave up at the half-way point. Dean Koontz is an exceptional writer, but I think he needs to stick to churning out heart-pounding suspense sagas.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The bonds of love are great. Dean Koontz walks through the love affair he had for the dog he thought of as his daughter that exactly defines ths relationship that my husband and I have with our little girl (who looks identical to the pictures of Trixie). Although Dakota is not quite as gifted as Trixie, over the 9 plus years we've had her, she has been nothing short of a joy and defines our family. The only complaint about this book is that there were a few too many references to other books the author was or had been working on that felt a little out of place and forced (probably at the request of the publisher). If you are a dog lover, I recommend not reading the book in a public place (like I recently did on a flight to California). I knew the dog was going to die - it is a memoir - but you still can't help but cry at the sudden and unexpected loss of a dear friend.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is a great book about a retired service dog. I had a service dog about this same time, and it seems they both had the same mother from Canine Companions for Independence, so I was really interested in this.The dog, Trixie, was adopted by the author, Dean Koontz, and his wife. The book is full of humor, and of course, the ending was sad. It really made me cry, but the book is worth the tears. The dog was very intelligent, and had great intuition, with the training of a service dog. If you are an animal lover, this book will really interest you!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This book is just what I needed to read after recently losing my own Golden retriever. Koontz gets the bond we feel with our pets. He brings to life the character and personality of his Golden which is a tribute to the breed. I laughed along with Trixie's stories and cried too. I wish I could write a book about the Golden's I've owned that would be as good as this book.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A great little book for dog lovers. Trixie breathes new life into the home of Gerda and Dean Koontz. The author depicts himslef and his wife as rigid and a little persnickety about their home, etc. trixie allows them to lighten up a bit. If you've ever loved and lost a dog , particularly a Golden you'll relate to this story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "I write fiction for a living. I could spin a score of intriguing scenarios out of the one spooky moment with Trixie, but none would be as strange as the truth, if it could be known in this instance. Truth is always stranger than fiction. We craft fiction to match our sense of how things out to be, but truth cannot be crafted. Truth is, and truth has a way of astonishing us to our knees, reminding us that the universe does not exist to fulfill our expectations."
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    I was so excited to see that Dean Koontz had written this book. For years, I'd wondered the meaning of the inclusion of so many dogs in his novels. This was truly a delight to learn not only about Trixie, but also a little more of the author himself. I occasionally found myself having trouble staying focused on the pages I was reading. Overall, the book was a good read...mostly split up into little snippets of Trixie's life with the Koontz.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Firstly, I am a Dean Koontz fan. I am frequently frustrated by his wordiness. His tendency to exaggerate to make his point. My eyes generally get a great workout from rolling frequently. In spite of this, I love his books dearly. All of them. Something I learned from this book was that all of my very favorite of his novels were written post-Trixie. Silly maybe, but this instantly made me love her.Yes, its sappy. Yes, it is most definately a love letter to his dog. Koontz is a writer. He writes. He sells millions of books. In my opinion he has every right in the world to gush for as many pages as he wishes about whatever is important to him. He absoultely could publish his weekly grocery list and I'm sure no one would be entirely surprised when it sold a million copies. His success has come from consistently amazing writing and years of hard work. He deserves it.I actually listened to the audio version of this novel, and I'm glad I did. Read by the author, it was believable. I think I might've cringed at every over-exaggeration (there were many) but I found myself mostly smiling (dare I say laughing?)...and then, inevitably, crying like a little girl. When will I learn to stop with the dog stories?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A heartwarming tribute to Trixie who graces Dean with her presence in so many of his bio pice. Inspirational, moving, and a must read for anyone who has owned and loved a dog.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Dog lover will not want to miss A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog. Trixie, a Golden Retriever retired from the Southwest Chapter of Canine Companions for Independence in California, finds a home with author Dean R. Koontz and his wife Gerda at their home in Newport Beach, California. This was the Koontz's first dog, though Koontz had often included dogs as characters in his novels. The author relates how Trixie, an unusually intellegent dog, brought healing and a renewed sense of wonder to Koontz through her gentleness, affection and attitude of joy and delight in life. A funny and heart-warming read.