Dog Years

By: Mark Doty

Narrated by: Mark Doty

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

When Mark Doty went looking to adopt a small dog, a cuddly creature who might comfort his terminally ill partner, Wally Roberts, he was surprised to find himself returning home from an animal shelter with a full-grown golden retriever, a dog whose "absolute openness of regard", and paw gently offered through the bars of a cage, proved irresistible to him. Beau, as the retriever was called, was so malnourished and in need of care that he was initially mistaken for a different breed, and Doty soon found himself attending to the constant needs of a dog starved for attention and a man confined to his bed. But the new member of the household, which also included Arden, Doty's black retriever, managed to provide a measure of comfort to everyone; as Wally neared death, Beau rushed headlong into his new life.

Dog Years is the story of Doty's life with Arden and Beau, two retrievers who, each in his own way, leave a profound mark on him: Arden, who likes sleeping outdoors, even in the rain, who is observant and contemplative, who is friendly and eager to please; Beau, blithe, snatching the glove from his master's hand and running away with it, a mischievous gleam in his eye, always full of daring and bounding toward his next source of amusement.

As his time with the dogs reaches its end, Doty must face the difficult realization that to deal with death is to accept it as the utter loss of an irreplaceable value. To grieve is to understand that, while we may carry on, while we may find new loved ones, the loss we have experienced is the disappearance of a unique individual who will never return, and this tragic disruption will become a permanent part of us.

©2007 Mark Doty (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Elegant and elegiac." ( Booklist)

I cried my face off

This is a beautifully written book about love and loss and the peculiarities of human emotion. This was the first work that I have read by Mark Doty, and I am not at all surprised to learn that he is a poet; Doty reads the prose as if they were verse and the steady, rhythmic quality of his reading serves to create an intimate space into which the reader is invited to sit and grieve with him.

I feel the need to add that, while Mark Doty is a gay man, and he reflects on both the loss of his partner to AIDS as well as the rebuilding of his life with a new love, the themes in this book are universal and the recounting of personal trauma enriches the text, rather than diluting the author's message. The focus of the book is Doty's relationships with his pets, and how they affect and are reflected in his human relationships. Anyone who has mourned the loss of a loved one, canine or otherwise, will not only connect with Doty but find themselves experiencing their relationships, with their pets and loved ones, with a fuller awareness.

KDB

If one loves dogs, they will love this book!! Excellently written and narrated! Get it!

Less about dogs, more about the author.

I enjoyed when he wrote about the dogs. But I didn't get this book to know more about the author.

Mark Doty & Dogs

This book was such a surprise. One of our most notable U.S.poets is also an incredible memoirist.
I wept and laughed through Dog Years --and am now listening to it for a second time. It is not your ordinary "dog book." It is much more about the bigger issues of mortality, humanity, humility and love. A truly inspiring, amusing, heartwrenching piece of literature. Thank you, Mr.Doty.

Laughter and tears

I laughed many times listening to the story, and I cried too. It was told so well. I have had similar experiences with two similar dogs and with a spouse who left too soon. This story and the good narration helped me to remember a little better, and to grieve, and to celebrate the memories at the same time. Soon, I will look forward to getting to know and love a new dog.

Life, Death, and Love Embraced

Mark Doty has an incredibly tender heart. As his parents once said after he was inconsolable after the death of his puppy, "Mark shouldn't have a dog."
Mark grew up, and in "Dog Years" we find that not only has Mark opened his heart to dogs again, but he's opened it to life, however painful it may be.
This is a deconstruction of poetry, of life, of death, of love. Doty's life with his partner is gone into, especially Wally's decline and ultimate death. It's not a heartbreaking slog, but is beautiful and tender, so very respectful. And the relationship with Arden and Bo is wonderful. I've had the gift of many animals in my life, and have been blessed enough to do hospice with them in their last months/days, and "Dog Years" reminded me of how even death can be filled with gratitude, with so much love, with life itself.

Wonderful!!!

I have a beautiful Golden and I laughed and cried as I recognized her traits so wonderfully described by Mark Doty. This is not just another dog book and it is NOT a book about being gay. It's a book about love, life and mortality. The second the recording finished, I started listening again. I got even more from it the second time around. This is a remarkable book beautifully read by the author.

Sweet, funny, and deeply moving

Doty reads his prose like his poetry, with halting careful phrases and attention to tone and detail. His canine memoir is perfect in itself, filled with sweet anecdotes and profound reflections on life, love, happiness and death. The lessons he reaps from the dogs and people in his life are as rewarding to the reader and listener as they are poignant and real to the author. A beautiful, touching memoir.

Letting go

A few weeks ago I had to put down my 13 yr old rescue .Her name is Sunshine and she brought more sun and joy into my life than I ever could have imagined. She has been with me since I retired. We have roamed the woods and the beaches. She is well known in town as she went with me almost everywhere. It is it a too quiet house and right now my life aches without her.I am sure I will get another dog someday but not today. Letting her go is the last act of love I can do for her but it is not easy. Thank you for such a simpatico book. It helps

awful

What a terrible book. I couldn't eve finish it!