chewed

by svenson-arne-pht

Used book in good condition, due to its age it could contain normal signs of use

Genres: Art, Photography, Nonfiction, Dogs

Paperback

First published October 31, 2011

Reviews

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh my god—my new favorite book!! i know—i get excited about books on here an awful lot. i have an excitable nature, to be sure. but do you understand? this is a book of photographs of stuffed animals and other toys that have been loved and chewed up by dogs.

"really?? and people pay money for this??," you scoff.

not yet, but they will.

why is this book awesome, isn't it just photos of trash, basically?? well, yeah, to the untrained eye. but when you see these adorable stuffed animals still smiling through their torn-off ears and their raggedy arms and their split tummies—there is something mournfully brave in this.

even without their eyes they are rugged and ragged and loyal. they are still cute—like little battered creatures still holding out their arms for hugs.

too bad dogs don't hug.

this book reminds me of Dirty Wow Wow and Other Love Stories: A Tribute to the Threadbare Companions of Childhood, which is a photographic study of people's beat up and beloved childhood stuffed animals (and which i just found out now, has a canine companion: Dirty Bow Wow, which i must pick up). i have plenty of stuffed animals, but i have no dog. i do have a cat, and when these people start doing open calls for "things my cat has thrown up upon" i will have plenty of photographs to contribute. although i predict that book will be less attractive and will sell fewer copies.

i am kind of too lazy and full of food right now to add pictures to this review (and i know how you people need pictures to hold your interest) but tomorrow maybe i will share some photos from this book so you understand why my love is so strong.

but for now, enjoy your sunday evening.

come to my blog!

[Megan (ReadingRover) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a long time and the library never had it. This year my dad got it for me for Christmas. It did not disappoint. It’s a wonderful photography book of destroyed dogs toys accompanied by fictional essays written by their owners. The essays are sometimes told from the owner’s POV, the toys POV and sometimes the dog’s. No matter who the narrator may be they’re always entertaining. Great book.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

So many of these short stories were so bizarre and not in a good way. I found the majority to either be boring or unreadable. The one thing I did like about this book is the simplistic art style of the photographs.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked the quirky, creative nature of this book. i identified stuffed animals that i have had. This book made me feel better about the Raggedy Ann made by my grandmother and chewed by my dog. Raggedy Ann belongs to a unique hall of fame. While i loved the concept, in actuality it is quite tragic. it filled me with a melancholy.

[Kellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I laughed a lot at the poor, torn, chewed-up toys because my dog would tear his up the same way. The little toys must know they are loved to have such damage! I would have preferred if the stories with some of the pictures were more about the pet that loved and chewed the toy, rather than fictionalized stories.

[Rexanna Ipock-Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part picture, part poetry, and part prose, this book is a collection of dog and cat toys that have been chewed. Sometimes there was a story about the toy and sometimes the picture told the whole story. This was a quick Sunday afternoon read that made me see my dog's toys in a whole new light.

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful, er actually disturbingly delightful pictures of stuffed animals that have been maimed, blinded, and dismembered all in the name of Dog E. and Kett eh lovin'.

Also the first book that I've ever seen which had a recipe for fried squirrel.

[Amory Blaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the stuff nightmares are made of.

[Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully funny.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this last year for my husband as a Father's Day gift from our three Labs. One of them chewed it. Oh, the irony!