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Koiramme Firenzessä: Kertomus
Miltä tuntuisi katsella maailmaa koiran silmin? Sen saa kokea nuori Lucas Grassi, kun hänen varomaton toiveensa toteutuu taianomaisesti. Lucas saa matkustaa arkkiherttua Ludwigin seurueen mukana Wienistä isänsä kotimaahan Italiaan, mutta joka toinen päivä hänen on elettävä koiran hahmossa. Nuoren taiteilijanalun vaellus kääntyy aivan uudenlaiseksi seikkailuksi.
Koiramme Firenzessä (1923) perustuu kokemuksiin, joita Salten keräsi toimiessaan hovireportterina keisarillisessa Wienissä. Walt Disney on tuottanut romaanin pohjalta elokuvan Koiruutta kerrakseen.
Koiramme Firenzessä (1923) perustuu kokemuksiin, joita Salten keräsi toimiessaan hovireportterina keisarillisessa Wienissä. Walt Disney on tuottanut romaanin pohjalta elokuvan Koiruutta kerrakseen.
168 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1923
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154 people want to read
About the author
Felix Salten
320 books114 followersThere is more than one author with this Name.
Felix Salten was an Austrian writer. He was born Siegmund Salzmann in Budapest, Hungary. When he was three weeks old, his family moved to Vienna, Austria. Many Jews were immigrating into the city in the late 19th century because Vienna had finally granted full citizenship to Jews in 1867.
When his father went bankrupt, Felix had to quit school and begin working in an insurance agency. He also began submitting poems and book reviews to journals. He became part of the Young Vienna movement (Jung Wien) and soon received work as a full-time art and theater critic in the Vienna press. In 1901 he founded Vienna's first, short-lived literary cabaret. In 1900 he published his first collection of short stories. He was soon publishing, on an average, one book a year, of plays, short stories, novels, travel books, and essay collections. He also wrote for nearly all the major newspapers of Vienna. He wrote film scripts and librettos for operettas. In 1927 he became president of the Austrian P.E.N. club. (acronym of the International Association of Poets and Playwrights, Essayists and Editors, and Novelists)
His most famous work is Bambi, which he wrote in 1923. It was translated into English in 1928 and became a Book-of-the-Month Club hit. In 1933, he sold the film rights to Sidney Franklin for $1,000, who later transferred the rights to the Walt Disney studios. Disney released its movie based on Bambi in 1942.
Life in Austria became perilous for a prominent Jew in the 1930s. Adolf Hitler had Salten's books banned in 1936. Two years later (1938), after Austria had become part of Germany, Salten moved to Zurich, Switzerland, where he lived until his death.
He was married to the actress Ottilie Metzl, and had two children: Paul and Anna-Katherina. He wrote another book based on the character Bambi, titled Bambi's Children: The Story of a Forest Family, 1939. His stories "Perri" and "The Hound of Florence" inspired the Disney films Perri and The Shaggy Dog.
Salten is considered to be the author of the erotic novel Josephine Mutzenbacher, the fictional autobiography of a Vienna prostitute, which was published in 1906.
Felix Salten was an Austrian writer. He was born Siegmund Salzmann in Budapest, Hungary. When he was three weeks old, his family moved to Vienna, Austria. Many Jews were immigrating into the city in the late 19th century because Vienna had finally granted full citizenship to Jews in 1867.
When his father went bankrupt, Felix had to quit school and begin working in an insurance agency. He also began submitting poems and book reviews to journals. He became part of the Young Vienna movement (Jung Wien) and soon received work as a full-time art and theater critic in the Vienna press. In 1901 he founded Vienna's first, short-lived literary cabaret. In 1900 he published his first collection of short stories. He was soon publishing, on an average, one book a year, of plays, short stories, novels, travel books, and essay collections. He also wrote for nearly all the major newspapers of Vienna. He wrote film scripts and librettos for operettas. In 1927 he became president of the Austrian P.E.N. club. (acronym of the International Association of Poets and Playwrights, Essayists and Editors, and Novelists)
His most famous work is Bambi, which he wrote in 1923. It was translated into English in 1928 and became a Book-of-the-Month Club hit. In 1933, he sold the film rights to Sidney Franklin for $1,000, who later transferred the rights to the Walt Disney studios. Disney released its movie based on Bambi in 1942.
Life in Austria became perilous for a prominent Jew in the 1930s. Adolf Hitler had Salten's books banned in 1936. Two years later (1938), after Austria had become part of Germany, Salten moved to Zurich, Switzerland, where he lived until his death.
He was married to the actress Ottilie Metzl, and had two children: Paul and Anna-Katherina. He wrote another book based on the character Bambi, titled Bambi's Children: The Story of a Forest Family, 1939. His stories "Perri" and "The Hound of Florence" inspired the Disney films Perri and The Shaggy Dog.
Salten is considered to be the author of the erotic novel Josephine Mutzenbacher, the fictional autobiography of a Vienna prostitute, which was published in 1906.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 25, 2021
My journey towards The Hound of Florence began in late 2019 when I read The Ghost in Apartment 2R by Denis Markell. The book includes a tale of a man being transformed into a dog by his wife. While that story is from One Thousand And One Arabian Nights; Volume 1 of 16 it got me thinking of The Shaggy Dog (1959) film.
It's been about thirty-five years since I last watched the film or its sequel, The Shaggy D.A. (1976). I have not seen the remake. When I was younger I didn't bother with reading the credits. This time I did and saw that The Hound of Florence by Felix Salten was listed as the source material. Salten was also the author of Bambi (which I have neither read nor watched).
The Hound of Florence is historical fiction with a dose of fantasy. It's set, as far as I can, during the Renaissance. It starts in Vienna shortly after the death of Lucas Grassi's father. His father had been artist but now Lucas is an orphan and will be out on the streets soon.
It's while he's out on a walk, lamenting his fate and mourning his father, that Lucas first sees archduke's coach and the beautiful greyhound running alongside. He wishes he could be that dog. The next morning he finds that he is that dog. He's literally inside the mind and body of the dog.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm...
It's been about thirty-five years since I last watched the film or its sequel, The Shaggy D.A. (1976). I have not seen the remake. When I was younger I didn't bother with reading the credits. This time I did and saw that The Hound of Florence by Felix Salten was listed as the source material. Salten was also the author of Bambi (which I have neither read nor watched).
The Hound of Florence is historical fiction with a dose of fantasy. It's set, as far as I can, during the Renaissance. It starts in Vienna shortly after the death of Lucas Grassi's father. His father had been artist but now Lucas is an orphan and will be out on the streets soon.
It's while he's out on a walk, lamenting his fate and mourning his father, that Lucas first sees archduke's coach and the beautiful greyhound running alongside. He wishes he could be that dog. The next morning he finds that he is that dog. He's literally inside the mind and body of the dog.
http://pussreboots.com/blog/2021/comm...
July 10, 2017
This book was the basis for Disney's 1959 comedic movie "The Shaggy Dog" starring Tommy Kirk and Fred MacMurray. The basic concept of a young man changing periodically into a dog is in the book, as well as a romance; that's where the similarities end.
I actually wouldn't have pegged this as a book for children at all - more young adults at best and really adults. It's a commentary on the differences between the lives of the inhumane immensely rich, with whom our protagonist Lucas is forced to spend his days as a dog, and the sadly poor with whom Lucas largely spends his days as a human. Set in 14th or 15th century Vienna & Florence, Lucas has lost his parents and lives in great poverty. Shortsightedly thinking that the life of a wealthy archduke's dog must be far easier than his own, he makes a wish that confines him to the periodic life of a dog.
During his dual yet separate lives, Lucas travels from Vienna to Florence, meets and is taken under the wing of an accomplished artist as he wished, leads the life of an unloved pet, and falls in love with a mercenary courtesan who has many "suitors," including the archduke who owns his alter ego. In the course of his experiences, Lucas discovers the life of the poor seems remarkably similar to the life of a dog in certain ways.
A very simple, yet interesting book, which Salten delayed providing to his publisher for over 15 years after completion because of trepidation over the content. Note that there are different endings published in English, but this particular (pictured) edition ends as Salten originally intended.
I actually wouldn't have pegged this as a book for children at all - more young adults at best and really adults. It's a commentary on the differences between the lives of the inhumane immensely rich, with whom our protagonist Lucas is forced to spend his days as a dog, and the sadly poor with whom Lucas largely spends his days as a human. Set in 14th or 15th century Vienna & Florence, Lucas has lost his parents and lives in great poverty. Shortsightedly thinking that the life of a wealthy archduke's dog must be far easier than his own, he makes a wish that confines him to the periodic life of a dog.
During his dual yet separate lives, Lucas travels from Vienna to Florence, meets and is taken under the wing of an accomplished artist as he wished, leads the life of an unloved pet, and falls in love with a mercenary courtesan who has many "suitors," including the archduke who owns his alter ego. In the course of his experiences, Lucas discovers the life of the poor seems remarkably similar to the life of a dog in certain ways.
A very simple, yet interesting book, which Salten delayed providing to his publisher for over 15 years after completion because of trepidation over the content. Note that there are different endings published in English, but this particular (pictured) edition ends as Salten originally intended.
May 17, 2021
This is the book that was the loose inspiration for the Disney films The Shaggy Dog and The Shaggy D.A., but the only thing the movies have in common with the source material is that a young man occasionally becomes a dog. The original has some things in common with Salten's other well-known work, Bambi, because although it's often classified as a juvenile novel it contains material definitely not suitable for kids. This book contains clear references to sex and prostitution, animal abuse and other violence, and murder.
Lucas Grassi, poverty-stricken and recently orphaned, has spent most of his life in Vienna, but his family is originally from Florence. He longs to go there and study to become an artist, but has no money to travel. One day, he makes a casual wish -- that he might be able to travel to Florence with the Archduke, even if he had to go as the man's dog -- and his wish is unexpectedly granted. Every other day he transforms into the Archduke's Russian wolfhound, Cambyses; on alternate days he goes back to being himself.
The original work was written in German, and (as I understand it) has a different, less happy ending than the English translation I read. I'm curious to know how the original ends, even though I'm pleased enough with the translated version.
Lucas Grassi, poverty-stricken and recently orphaned, has spent most of his life in Vienna, but his family is originally from Florence. He longs to go there and study to become an artist, but has no money to travel. One day, he makes a casual wish -- that he might be able to travel to Florence with the Archduke, even if he had to go as the man's dog -- and his wish is unexpectedly granted. Every other day he transforms into the Archduke's Russian wolfhound, Cambyses; on alternate days he goes back to being himself.
The original work was written in German, and (as I understand it) has a different, less happy ending than the English translation I read. I'm curious to know how the original ends, even though I'm pleased enough with the translated version.
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August 30, 2018This is a weird book, def not for kids. For a book in the children's genre, you'd expect a fantasy that illustrates the strangeness and novelty of finding oneself in a dog's anatomy. That's not what this book is... Instead it's a satire showing how closely comparable the life of a precariat or poor beggar is with the life of a dog. There's a few brilliant sentences intimating this comparison, but the story itself meanders through weird plot decisions that don't tidily resolve into anything.
December 17, 2024
Call me a prude, but I’m frankly aghast that this is a children’s book. Implied sexual relationship between our adolescent main character and a beautiful adult woman (who also sleeps with noblemen so they will provide her a luxurious lifestyle). Descriptions of women’s breasts as they strip for men’s viewing pleasure. A twelve year old girl who dances naked for the men. I’m scarred. Also, a smattering of profanity.
Beyond the surprising content, the story itself is lacking. Much of it is just plain boring, while other plot lines make no sense. Lots of animal cruelty.
This is an instance where Disney did the world a favor by ignoring the “source” material and essentially just being inspired to create the own original story about a shapeshifting boy.
Beyond the surprising content, the story itself is lacking. Much of it is just plain boring, while other plot lines make no sense. Lots of animal cruelty.
This is an instance where Disney did the world a favor by ignoring the “source” material and essentially just being inspired to create the own original story about a shapeshifting boy.
September 10, 2023
Although in the end I had a whole host of problems with this book (especially this particular translation of the German-language original), for perhaps the first two-thirds or so, I was kept fairly well interested in the proceedings. And my low opinion overall doesn't entirely reflect Felix Salten's original story but rather Huntley Paterson’s 1930 English translation. The novel concerns Lucas Grassi, a young man who yearns to travel to Florence to study art only to find his wish granted in a way that involves him spending every other day as a dog. This step-up provides a decent base for a fantasy tale, and the opening chapters in which he travels to Florence are relatively engaging.
As the story progresses, though, the rather dour mood incresingly weighs things down. Not only that, but there are bizarrely creepy moments here and there that have nothing to do with furthering the plot whatsoever. As for the protagonist, despite managing to arrive at his Florentine destination, securing a position as a student under the tutelage of a famous artist, and finding a bit of romance, Lucas seems so focused on his predicament as a part-time dog that he never really seems to find any satisfaction in any of his successes, and no real character growth is experienced. Even at the climax of the tale, he seems to act wholly out of jealousy rather than selflessness.
That lack of development might be intentional on the part of Salten’s original story. Apparently the original novel concluded in an especially gloomy manner only to be altered substantially in the English-language translation. Perhaps Salten, who started to touch on what it means to be human in Lucas’ conversations with the monk, meant for an abrupt ending to reflect on Lucas’ lack of personal progress. Had the story concluded as it did in the German, I could have viewed it more favorably, though there would have still been issues that were bothersome.
It is a bit odd that such a morose tale inspired the screwball comedy The Shaggy Dog and its sequel The Shaggy D.A.. I rewatched both of those movies earlier this year for the first time since I was a kid and enjoyed them all over again. There is almost no comedy in The Hound of Florence, though Salten’s one attempt at humor does deserve special mention. Lucas, after dreaming for so long about what it would be like to behold Michelangelo’s David, finally arrives in Florence. As he makes his way over to the renowned statue for the first time, he is overcome by its majesty, but, being in dog form, he is also overcome by the urge to mark his territory. That scene didn’t quite make it into the Disney movies, but it was a fun moment of levity nonetheless.
As the story progresses, though, the rather dour mood incresingly weighs things down. Not only that, but there are bizarrely creepy moments here and there that have nothing to do with furthering the plot whatsoever. As for the protagonist, despite managing to arrive at his Florentine destination, securing a position as a student under the tutelage of a famous artist, and finding a bit of romance, Lucas seems so focused on his predicament as a part-time dog that he never really seems to find any satisfaction in any of his successes, and no real character growth is experienced. Even at the climax of the tale, he seems to act wholly out of jealousy rather than selflessness.
That lack of development might be intentional on the part of Salten’s original story. Apparently the original novel concluded in an especially gloomy manner only to be altered substantially in the English-language translation. Perhaps Salten, who started to touch on what it means to be human in Lucas’ conversations with the monk, meant for an abrupt ending to reflect on Lucas’ lack of personal progress. Had the story concluded as it did in the German, I could have viewed it more favorably, though there would have still been issues that were bothersome.
It is a bit odd that such a morose tale inspired the screwball comedy The Shaggy Dog and its sequel The Shaggy D.A.. I rewatched both of those movies earlier this year for the first time since I was a kid and enjoyed them all over again. There is almost no comedy in The Hound of Florence, though Salten’s one attempt at humor does deserve special mention. Lucas, after dreaming for so long about what it would be like to behold Michelangelo’s David, finally arrives in Florence. As he makes his way over to the renowned statue for the first time, he is overcome by its majesty, but, being in dog form, he is also overcome by the urge to mark his territory. That scene didn’t quite make it into the Disney movies, but it was a fun moment of levity nonetheless.
May 16, 2023
A young man named Lukas mysteriously finds himself going between the body of a hound dog and his human self. The idea seems fun but this book is anything but lighthearted. Abuse, poverty, love, and even death permeate this unusual story. This is definitely not a children's book. Although the subject matter is can be quite harsh at times, the book is elegantly translated from the original German making it an intriguing read.
I found out that the version I read has an alternate ending to the original story. Although it does change what ultimately happens, the ending is still vague enough to go either way.
I found out that the version I read has an alternate ending to the original story. Although it does change what ultimately happens, the ending is still vague enough to go either way.
May 25, 2025
I've read and thoroughly enjoyed Bambi and Bambi's Children. Salten does an excellent job in those books showing the reader life in the woods, with animals who still behave like animals despite their ability to speak with one another. But this story was a complete miss for me.
First off, it's just plain boring. Pretty much nothing happens except for Lucas turning into a dog every other day. We're told in the beginning exactly how the curse (?) will be broken, so there is no suspense, and no real effort on Lucas's part to discover how to stop being a dog. The magic makes pretty much no sense, and I never got why Lucas gets to be a human sometimes, but the dog just disappears.
Despite being billed and published as a children's book, it's not remotely appropriate for children. Lucas has sex a few times and falls in love with a courtesan who entertains multiple lovers, including dog-Lucas's owner. There is also a super creepy scene that knocked this book down an entire star, where the pimp who "discovered" the courtesan that Lucas is in love with brings another girl to show off to some men (who are all artists/art students). She's described as "a little girl" and "a child" and we're told that she "might have been twelve or thirteen years of age." She then proceeds to strip naked and dance for the men while the pimp reminds the men of all the other "Aphrodite's favorites" he's discovered because he "never descends to common prostitutes." He describes her beauties and potential for being an artistic model, including pointing out her "firm little breasts." This scene was absolutely appalling and also literally had nothing to do with the rest of the story.
And at the end of the day, like I said, this book was just plain boring. Lucas never really develops as a character, and I never really cared about him. Even his supposed defense of the courtesan at the end is definitely more about him being jealous than him actually protecting her, considering she's actually perfectly willing to sleep with the man Lucas attacks. This book was such a disappointment and I found it hard to believe that it was written by the same person who penned the thoughtful and engaging Bambi.
First off, it's just plain boring. Pretty much nothing happens except for Lucas turning into a dog every other day. We're told in the beginning exactly how the curse (?) will be broken, so there is no suspense, and no real effort on Lucas's part to discover how to stop being a dog. The magic makes pretty much no sense, and I never got why Lucas gets to be a human sometimes, but the dog just disappears.
Despite being billed and published as a children's book, it's not remotely appropriate for children. Lucas has sex a few times and falls in love with a courtesan who entertains multiple lovers, including dog-Lucas's owner. There is also a super creepy scene that knocked this book down an entire star, where the pimp who "discovered" the courtesan that Lucas is in love with brings another girl to show off to some men (who are all artists/art students). She's described as "a little girl" and "a child" and we're told that she "might have been twelve or thirteen years of age." She then proceeds to strip naked and dance for the men while the pimp reminds the men of all the other "Aphrodite's favorites" he's discovered because he "never descends to common prostitutes." He describes her beauties and potential for being an artistic model, including pointing out her "firm little breasts." This scene was absolutely appalling and also literally had nothing to do with the rest of the story.
And at the end of the day, like I said, this book was just plain boring. Lucas never really develops as a character, and I never really cared about him. Even his supposed defense of the courtesan at the end is definitely more about him being jealous than him actually protecting her, considering she's actually perfectly willing to sleep with the man Lucas attacks. This book was such a disappointment and I found it hard to believe that it was written by the same person who penned the thoughtful and engaging Bambi.
March 23, 2020
Huomiona suomalaisille tai muuten suomeksi lukeville, että tässä suomennetussa laitoksessa on koottuna molemmat tarinalle kirjoitetut loput: alkuperäinen sekä englannin kielistä painosta varten muutettu loppu.
May 2, 2021
I did enjoy the descriptions of art making, but the story itself was somewhat boring..
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August 16, 2024DNF.
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The more I read, the less I care about this story. I'll just watch the movie for my book club discussion this month.
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The more I read, the less I care about this story. I'll just watch the movie for my book club discussion this month.
December 3, 2025
It was an interesting story, but an unsatisfying ending. Who ends a book with "Perhaps he will live, perhaps he will die"? I wonder what the Disney movie based on this book is like?
my rating: 6.5
my rating: 6.5
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews