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2 oeuvres 158 utilisateurs 9 critiques

Œuvres de Andrew Cotter

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I'm not really a dog person, but I do like Scotland and witty writers, and this book definitely has those things going for it. If you are a dog person, you'll adore it. But even if not, it's pretty entertaining.
Written during/after COVID lockdown, it feels current and relatable. And, unlike many animal books, it doesn't have a sad ending. Yay!
Good as an audiobook.

Content note: very occasional use of a strong swear word or two.
 
Signalé
Alishadt | 7 autres critiques | Feb 25, 2023 |
In 2020 when the world went into lockdown, freelance sports commentator Andrew Cotter found himself out of work; after all if there are no sporting events going on, there’s nothing he could commentate on. So, stuck at home and feeling bored he filmed his two Labradors Olive and Mabel eating breakfast, and recorded a sports style commentary about it. When he released it on Twitter, hoping that it might inspire a few laughs, he was stunned by the response he received. So he did another – and another…and a phenomenon was born.

In this book, Cotter talks about how he and his partner Caroline brought Olive and Mabel into their family, and describes life with two beautiful dogs. Very little of the book is about the funny videos; most of it discusses life in general with the dogs, and focuses particularly on the Scottish mountain walks/hikes that they do together.

This was my first book of 2023, and it was a cracker! I read well over 200 pages in two sittings, and would have finished it in those two sittings if I didn’t have to go back to work! I have two Labradors myself, so was very able to recognise a lot of the comical situations he describes, and I think any dog lover would feel the same.

What I wasn’t expecting, and came as a pleasant surprise, was quite how funny this book is. I laughed out loud several times during the reading. Andrew Cotter has a very funny turn of phrase and the way that he described the dogs’ expressions and thoughts was genuinely very amusing. Also, his absolute adoration of Olive and Mabel came through very clearly, and I think anyone who has ever loved a dog would be able to relate to this.

Overall, this was a brilliant way to kick off my 2023 reading and I would recommend this book to everyone, but especially dog owners and/or lovers.
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Signalé
Ruth72 | 7 autres critiques | Jan 6, 2023 |
Olive and Mabel are two Very Good Labrador retrievers who live in Chelsea, England, with their human, sports commentator Andrew Cotter. They became famous on the internet during the pandemic when Cotter, at a loss for work with the sports world on hiatus, filmed a few short, humorous videos with his dogs. The viral sensation led to a first book, Olive, Mabel & Me, which I read and reviewed last year. That book focused on the mechanics of how one becomes and reacts to becoming Twitter- and YouTube-famous with some ruminations on why people love dogs and tales of taking the girls hiking in the Scottish mountains. It was, as a said in that review, "gentle, often humorous and occasionally profound story of a man and his dogs."

This one isn't radically different, except perhaps the profundity is dialed up a bit and the narrative (as it unfolds during the pandemic's easing) focuses more on the in-person reactions he gets when he's out and about with Olive & Mabel (fawning isn't too strong a word), and the pressure he sometimes felt to continually provide additional "content" (which he generally ignored unless a naturally good idea occurred to him).

Cotter comes across as a thoughtful, kind man who really is gaga about dogs in all the best ways, and I enjoyed hearing more about the bizarre situations he found himself in and his reluctant but touching reflections on the inevitable parting we must take from dogs who don't live nearly long enough for our needs. If you somehow missed the viral video sensation, you might enjoy the dog talk in one or both of the books, but probably needn't feel compelled to "collect the set."
… (plus d'informations)
 
Signalé
rosalita | Jul 14, 2022 |
A beautifully-crafted, warm, highly-amusing but gentle tale of canine companionship, enjoyment of the great outdoors, and the unforseen, far-reaching consequences of a simple post on social media.
In reading the book having heard Andrew's voice many times, it was treat to be able to read his words and hear his voice narrating the book in my mind.
 
Signalé
IaninSheffield | 7 autres critiques | Jan 25, 2022 |

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Statistiques

Œuvres
2
Membres
158
Popularité
#133,026
Évaluation
4.2
Critiques
9
ISBN
25

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