The simple joys of an old happy dog teaches author Dave Barry some new lessons.
As humorist Dave Barry turns 70, he turns to his dog Lucy for an example of how to live a happy life - he talks about his dog's influence on him and the changes he's made in his life as a result of her gentle guidance.
Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog, Dave Barry
Genre: Humor, Nonfiction
Published 2018, 240 pages
“So I was in big trouble when my mother, an otherwise decent human being, decided to serve us brussel sprouts, which – this has been shown in laboratory studies – are actually the severed heads of Martian fetuses.”
Barry writes about being 70 and learning lessons from his aging dog about living in the present, meeting new people, enjoying life. He doesn’t discuss anything new or inventive here, which he admits, but talks about spending more time with his family, making new friends, letting the anger go, things that we've all heard before. But he does it with a great deal of humor.
This is the third book of his I’ve read and I’ve found them all highly amusing. They’re not always laugh-out-loud hilarious, but they make me smile and chuckle. I think I’m a funny person, and I would say that my family and friends would say so too, but I cannot write funny (wish I could!), Barry can. Plus, I love a good dog story!
On an African safari, driving in their open jeep:
"Lying among the larger lions were some young ones, which looked very cute, almost cuddly. “I want to hug one,” exclaimed my daughter-in-law Laura, from the back seat. Bennet (their driver), without turning around, said “We will come back in the morning and fetch your shoes.” He did not appear to be joking."
So, this book is filled with stories of his life with references to his dog Lucy and how her behavior has been influencing his. In addition, just before publication of this book, he added another chapter at the end about his daughter and her terrifying medical issue and how they dealt with it, and the lessons he learned from that situation.
Are you a fan of humor in your books? Do you find it easy to be amused by a writing style? What's a funny book you've read lately?
photo by Terrie Purkey, Geiger, family dog