Todos los perros de mi vida

by Elizabeth von Arnim, Elena Garcia-Retamero (contributor), José Luis Piquero (translator)

«Para empezar, me gustaría decir que, aunque los padres, los maridos, los hijos, los amantes y los amigos están muy bien, no son perros. En el transcurso de mi vida he sido todo ello— excepto que en lugar de marido he sido esposa—, y sé de lo que hablo, conozco muy bien los altibajos, esos altibajos diarios, que a veces se dan casi a cada hora en los que son más sensibles, y que parecen acompañar inevitablemente a los amores humanos.

Los perros están libres de esas fluctuaciones. Cuando aman, aman con todas sus fuerzas, sin vacilaciones, hasta su último aliento.

Así es como quiero ser amada.

Por ello, voy a escribir sobre perros».

La autobiografía de una escritora tan cautivadora, sagaz y avanzada a su tiempo como Elizabeth von Arnim recorre sus recuerdos a través de los perros que la acompañaron desde Pomerania a Inglaterra en sus amores, desilusiones, matrimonios, cambios, amistades y duelos en el viaje de la vida.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Memoir, Classics, Dogs, Biography, British Literature

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1936

About the author

Elizabeth von Arnim, born Mary Annette Beauchamp, was an English novelist. Born in Australia, she married a German aristocrat, and her earliest works are set in Germany. Her first marriage made her Countess von Arnim-Schlagenthin and her second Elizabeth Russell, Countess Russell. After her first husband's death, she had a three-year affair with the writer H.G. Wells, then later married Earl Russell, elder brother of the Nobel prize-winner and philosopher Bertrand Russell. She was a cousin of the New Zealand-born writer Katherine Mansfield. Though known in early life as May, her first book introduced her to readers as Elizabeth, which she eventually became to friends and finally to family. Her writings are ascribed to Elizabeth von Arnim. She used the pseudonym Alice Cholmondeley for only one novel, Christine, published in 1917.

Reviews

[Diane Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this non-fiction by Arnim, just as much as I love her novels. It forms a mini-biography of sorts as she connects each dog with a specific time in her life. It made me want to read a more complete biography. It really is all about the dogs though, and she had some doozies!

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something so deliciously wonderful in Elizabeth von Arnim's writing that catches the essence of an individual and a being in tune with nature. Having read all three Elizabeth books, is what made me a fan but "The Enchanted April" just was icing on the reading so called cake. In "All The Dogs of My Life", all the elements that were present in the Elizabeth series which are humorous, trying to have peace when visitors are at your heels and the beauty of nature with also her recollections about her dogs. She states several times in her book that this is not an autobiography but it is in reality, it was in a sense because besides telling about the dogs, we learn more about her to make this declaration seems wrong. I have many favorite authors but if it were possible to meet one in the celestial, I would choose Elizabeth, hands down because her spirit is my spirit.

[Caren · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading "Elizabeth and Her German Garden", I wanted to find out a bit more about the author. This book isn't strictly an autobiography, since she sticks pretty closely to accounts of the dogs who had shared her life, still there are enough tidbits about her to make you wish for a more thorough book about the rest of her life. While she did seem to love her dogs, I was bothered by the callous attitude toward a few of them, most notably the dog who was neutered, grew fat, and seemed to lose his charm for her. I ask you: what is wrong with a fat, loving dog? I was dismayed when she had him put down at three years old. That doesn't make her much of a dog lover in my book. I had to remind myself that she lived in a different time period when I suppose people were more pragmatic about their pets. Much of the book recounts the time she lived in a Swiss chalet with the guests who came and went. Just as in "Elizabeth and Her German Garden", you get the impression the author really preferred a solitude that mostly eluded her. The many old, black and white photos of herself with her dogs really added to my enjoyment of the book. If you are really, really interested in the author, you may enjoy this book, but if you just want a book about a dog lover, this is not the book.

[Masteatro · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 estrellas
Una vez más Elizabeth Von Arnim ha conseguido crear un libro absolutamente adorable. Claro está que lo disfrutarán más todos aquellos que, como yo, sean amantes de los perros.
Estamos ante unas memorias pero son unas memorias muy limitadas puesto que circunscriben exclusivamente a lo que tiene que ver con todos los perros que Von Arnim tuvo a lo largo de su vida. En todo caso, se trata de una lectura entrañable y muy impregnada de la ironía y la aguda capacidad de observación que caracterizan a esta escritora.

Por supuesto, seguiré leyendo su obra, en especial todo aquello que tenga carácter autobiográfico en mayor o menor medida.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Writing about the dogs she has owned, the author also provides an indirect (and incomplete) autobiography. (For example, one of her husbands is missing here). The author can be a charming raconteur, and I did enjoy the sections about her home in the Swiss mountains and later in Provence. But although the sad fates of her childhood dogs were beyond the author’s control, the dogs in her life don’t fare much better once the author grows up, and aside from praising their devotion to her, she doesn’t give a very nuanced account of their personalities and quirks. The idea that she could influence bad behavior with training and exercise never seems to occur to the author. And putting to sleep an overweight but otherwise healthy 3 year old dog because you don’t want it any longer seems irresponsible and cruel, however badly you feel about it afterwards.

[Arlene Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have fallen wildly in love with Von Arnim's writing this year; her stories are warm, witty, sweet and yet profoundly insightful. In her personal life, Elizabeth suffered greatly; even though she chooses not to call this an autobiography, but a biography of her canine companions, and does not touch for long on her tremendous personal loses, she was no luckier with her dogs than she was in other aspects of her life. This had moments of such intense sadness that I had to put it down for days at a time. Surely the writer of such marvelous - and under-read, and under-appreciated- stories deserved so much better.

[Suzanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I subsisted, so to speak, on cats."

Luminous, literary, and funny. I'm not sure why more people aren't reading Elizabeth von Arnim. Her books are among my favorites, and this is the closest thing she ever wrote to a true memoir. One life, fourteen dogs, with spaces in between for children, husbands, and cats.

[Gina House · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most beautiful, but also heartbreaking books I've ever read! The more books that I read by Elizabeth von Arnim (thought that's not her name at all), the more I love and adore her. Her writing style is conversational, amusing and just absolutely clever. I'm always blown away by her insights and deep thoughtfulness about endless everyday blessings and challenges.

I've never had a dog as a companion (only cats, bunnies and guinea pigs), but dogs seem to like me. And I like them. But, I never thought I would read a book entirely about dogs. Especially a non-fiction book. All the Dogs of My Life completely changed my mind. I was hooked from the very first page and the very first black and white photograph.

The addition of the photographs from EVA's life are very touching, funny and/or illustrative of the chapter. I only wish I could zoom in to see more details. I literally used a magnifying glass to try and see more. The book would be a dream with full page, full color reproductions. Though, for now, I have to be satisfied with the darkly contrasted small photos.

Every single one of the fourteen dogs that are mentioned stole my heart, though Coco was the hands-down winner. I don't want to spoil it, but it's the most heavenly and heart wrenching section of the book. Not to be missed.

It's been a treat to buddy read both this book and The Pastor's Wife with my wonderful and talented friend @carosbookcase. We have even more EVA buddy reads planned for the future and I'm so grateful. For some reason, reading these novels is even more enjoyable when I can discuss them with my friend. There is so much more Elizabeth von Arnim joy in my future. Yay!

Highly, highly recommended, even if you don't think that you're a "dog person". If you enjoy cleverly written memoirs that are witty and speak right to the heart, you will love this book as much as I did.

[Tosky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estaba en la librería y las huellitas de la cubierta me atrajo como una polilla a la luz. ¿Otro libro más? No, solo voy a ojear. Leo el título "todos los perros de mi vida" y de Trotralibros que es una editorial que tienen un catálogo muy interesantes, rescatando clásicos inéditos en España. Pienso en todos los libros que tengo pendientes. En realidad, me digo, puedo esperar a comprar en alguna fecha importante. Entonces hago lo de siempre, que es dejar de oír, ausentarme del exterior mientras abro la cubierta y leo la primera página. Después de leerla, lo dejé directamente en el mostrador y tenía la certeza que sería mi siguiente lectura.

Empieza así:

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

"Para empezar, me gustaria decir que, aunque los padres, los maridos, los hijos, los amantes y los amigos están muy bien, no son perros. En el transcurso de mi vida he sido todo ello -excepto que en lugar de marido he sido esposa- , y sé de lo que hablo, conozco muy bien los altibajos, esos altibajos diarios, que a veces se dan casi
a cada hora en los que son más sensibles, y que parecen acompañar inevitablemente a los amores humanos
Los perros están libres de esas fluctuaciones. Cuando aman, aman con todas sus fuerzas, sin vacilaciones, hasta su último aliento.
Así es como quiero ser amada
Por ello, voy a escribir sobre perros".

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

[Squeak2017 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enchanting book but I would have preferred a more substantial assessment of her life and philosophy. Historical events such as WW1 and key life events such as her ill-fated marriage to Lord Russell happen offstage with only fleeting references to great grief or approaching doom. It’s as if she was grateful to pass over them in a determined attempt to produce a lighthearted read, but I can’t help but feel it was an opportunity missed

[Patoaventuras · Rating 2 out of 5]

A pesar de que tiene muy buenas reflexiones y me ha ablandado el corazoncito en ciertos momentos, tiene otros en los que se me ha removido todo por dentro y me ha angustiado. Demasiados perros para una sola vida.

[isadura7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

qué bien haber experimentado, y seguir experimentando, lo increíble que es tener animalitos a tu alrededor, me ha hecho recordar a todos los que estuvieron conmigo ❤️‍🩹 pero todo sea dicho, he reflexionado y le quito una estrella porque aunque me haya gustado cómo está escrito y la trama en sí de hacer una biografía en base a doggies, ha habido momentos en los que ella me parecía insoportable y caprichosa con los perros, ya lo he dicho

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this woman's style of writing.

[Miguel Blanco Herreros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los que hayan seguido mis reseñas, sabrán que von Arnim y yo no estamos abocados a la felicidad. Desconozco el motivo, pero no nos caemos bien. La reconozco el talento, la importancia y la modernidad de sus textos, y por los temas que toca y cómo los toca debería encantarme… Pero no lo hace.

Ahora, tras acércame un poco más a su verdadera voz y a su vida con “Todos los perros de mi vida”, puedo afirmar que sí: Elizabeth y yo, de habernos conocido, no nos habríamos soportado. ¿Por qué? Sería difícil decirlo, pues se trata más de una intuición fuerte que otra cosa, pero hay algo en esa mezcla de sarcasmo y frivolidad con la que no puedo.

Con todo, igual que sus obras de narrativa, una vez más demuestra que era una gran escritora, y en este caso, nos encontramos ante un texto fácil de leer y que te tocará la patata si eres amante de los perros, como es mi caso. Y creo que es a ese tipo de gente a la que se le puede recomendar este libro, a todos aquellos que sean felices simplemente compartiendo un momento la mirada con un chucho.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Esta preciosa autobiografía, aunque su autora se empeñe en negarlo continuamente, Elizabeth Von Arnim usa como anclajes temporales los perros que fue teniendo a lo largo de su vida.
Antes de meterte de lleno a leer el libro y, sobre todo si no conoces a la escritora, te recomiendo que leas la información sobre ella que puedes encontrar en esta edición. Te ayudará a leer entre líneas, a atisbar lo que hay tras lo que te cuenta en Todos los perros de mi vida.

Sigue leyendo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C6jLxaqoJPp/

[Lljones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very charming.

[Caro (carosbookcase) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Elizabeth von Arnim’s memoir, All the Dogs of My Life, was a pleasure.

Best known for writing The Enchanted April and Elizabeth and Her German Garden , in this book, Elizabeth von Arnim recounts her experiences with the fourteen dogs she had over the course of her life.

From the start I knew this was going to be my kind of memoir, when after describing the inevitable ups and downs of human love, she writes:

Dogs are free from these fluctuations. Once they love, they love steadily, unchangingly, till their last breath.
That is how I like to be loved.
Therefore I will write of dogs.

Hear, hear!

“Except the dogs who are living with me now, I have loved no dog as I loved Coco. His absurd name was the only foolish thing about him.”

I loved reading this book with my own dog, Clark, curled up next to me. When I read a line like the one above, I could not help but think of him. He is my Coco, but with a slightly less “absurd” name.

Although, reading this book was also difficult at times, because as those of us whose best friends are of the four-legged kind know, most likely we will out live them. Elizabeth von Arnim might avoid talking about her personal life in any great detail, but she does not spare us the details of the deaths of her dogs. Some dramatic, some less so, all nevertheless very sad.

But Elizabeth von Arnim’s humour still comes through. I found the scenes relating Coco’s behaviour with guests, particularly the dog’s overly-friendly behaviour with anyone he deemed a suitor to be especially funny.

The photos in the edition I read were an added delight. My favourites include: Elizabeth von Arnim at five years old sitting sweetly with her small puppy Bijou at her feet. In the other she is an adult, dressed for bathing and sitting on a rock by the sea, next to her is her small dog, Chunkie, looking alert and ready for adventure.

The refrain in this book seemed to be a repetition something along this lines found in the section about Coco: “Fortunately I am not writing autobiography, so that I needn’t go into that.”

As Gina (@babsbelovedbooks on Instagram) mentioned in her recent review of this book, I wish Elizabeth von Arnim had written a second volume to this memoir, or better still, an autobiography. What I wouldn’t do to get my hands on her journals, if she kept any, then I could find out all the details of those delightful personal stories that she so tantalizingly hints at in this book!

I read this book with my friend, the above mentioned, Gina. And my only regret is that we weren’t sitting it in the same room together where we could read aloud snatches from the text as we went along. It is just that sort of book.

[Ainhoa Verdú · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Todos los perros de mi vida" es una autobiografía "no al uso" de Elizabeth Von Arnim, escritora que me gusta mucho y de la cual tenía mucha ganas de indagar más, sobre todo en sus vivencias personales, ya que tuvo una vida bastante interesante. He disfrutado mucho leyendo sobre las vidas de sus perros, todas ellas de lo más diferente, pero me ha faltado un poco más de ella misma, como escritora y mujer, en sus páginas. La misma Von Arnim nos advierte que no es una autobiografía convencional, sino la historia de sus 14 perros, que era lo que ella quería escribir. A pesar de esto y siguiendo mi propio delirio, seguía esperando más anécdotas suyas, a pesar de la anterior advertencia, que no llegaban aunque de todos modos, la he disfrutado mucho.

Quiero mencionar el gran prólogo que ha escrito Elena García-Retamero, persona a la cuál admiro mucho desde hace años y que ha descrito perfectamente la sensación y el amor por los animales, en especial los perros.

[Lectoralila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precioso

[Mari Nieves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un libro muy especial. Me ha hecho acordarme mucho de los perros que he tenido, del que tengo y de los que sin duda tendré; me siento un poco Elizabeth Von Armin, donde quiera que esté mi lugar en el mundo, siempre habrá un perro a mi lado.
Elizabeth Von Armin me ha cautivado, tanto su forma de escribir como de pensar y estoy deseando seguir adentrándome en su obra.
Mención especial a Trotalibros, qué gozada de editorial, todo cuidado al mínimo detalle.

[Houston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a book from another time. ...in a good way. von Arnim is an extraordinary narrator, thankfully, given that this book is less bout the dogs -- although there is plenty about them -- than it is about how von Arnim navigated her life. It's memoir, and it's delightful.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love dogs, don't miss this.
Unsentimental, inventive, witty and touching.
A biography written through the dogs the author had.
I've read this several times and it's always brilliant.

[Claire Stokes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really disappointed with this book. I usually love Elizabeth von Arnim but this was a real let down. Those poor dogs.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

durísimo la verdad, he llorado a mares con la muerte de Coco (si de verdad quieres a tu perro no lo abandonas a su muerte durante años jaja 🫶🏻)

[Alberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leggero ma godibile, commovente e silenziosamente femminista.

[Gisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

♥️

[Katya Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Una bonita forma de narrar una especie de autobiografia pero narrada desde los perros que tuvo la autora durante su vida.

[Laura ✯ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro es para un nuevo taller de lecto-escritura sobre peyitos.

Me gustaron las descripciones que hace acerca de la vida con peyitos pero hubo momentos que, aunque ella aclaró que no era “autobiográfico” se centró un montón en situaciones propias de su vida y dejó a un lado a los peyitos.

[Cal · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Interesting seeing how someone could write about their life through their dogs, though it’s not about her life but her dogs but also not?

[Romina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutamente hermoso y conmovedor.