Koontzland - Dean Koontz discussion

I just joined this group yesterday, and mentioned how much I liked reading A Big Little Life. Just wondering...what do other Koontz readers think of this book? Can you relate, or is it a little over the top for you? For the people who read it because it is about a dog and not because it was written by Mr. Koontz, does it make you want to read any of his other books?

I know some people have tired of all the dog characters in his book, but that is one of the things I like most about Koontz novels.

Over the summer I was trying to read A Writer's Biography - It was interesting but I never finished it because A Big Little Life, came out. A Big Little Life is a rare glimpse into the Koontz's life & home. Who needs a biographer with outdated material when you got the genuine article writing a memoir? I gave A Big Little Life 5 stars - I'd say it's actually one of my favorite Dean Koontz books.

Favorite short quotes from A Big Little Life (there are a lot):

"A vivid imagination is a blessing if you want to be a writer, but it's also a curse."

"Golden Retrievers have versatile brow muscles that allow them a wide range of facial expressions."

"Language skills were my shield and my sword."

"Cynics will tell you that love at first sight is a myth, but their opinion is not to be respected, and only reveals the sad condition of their hearts."

"By 1980, success began to come. Twenty-nine years later, as I write this, worldwide sales of my novels are approaching four million copies. Critics have been largely kind, readers even kinder."

"...In September of 1998, a dog finally entered our lives. Over the subsequent nine years, she often amazed us, frequently astonished us, always delighted us, and in time evoked in us a sense of wonder that will remain with us for the rest of our lives."

"She arrived with her name. Trixie...if it sounded more like a stripper than a dog, it sounded more like an elf or a fairy than a stripper. Elves and fairies are magical beings, and so was she."

"...at three, she became an assistance dog of another kind with Gerda and me. She mended us in many ways."

"As far as I know, I'm the only writer who has appeared often on the best-sellers list but who has never done a national or even a multi-state book - publicity tour... I am a publicist's worst nightmare."

"I will admit having a prejudice against hospitals that, though nearer, have a high kill rate."

"He was handsome enough to join the cast of the television show ER, so I knew he must be a highly competent physician."

"The first book I wrote while Trixie was with us, False Memory, turned out to be the longest book I had written to date, but tighter than the other two afforementioned works (Strangers, Dark Rivers of the Heart)."

"From the Corner of His Eye took a week short of a year to write, and by the middle of 2001 I was deep into another novel that proved no less complex and would wind up nearly as long, One Door Away From Heaven."

"The first step toward greater joy is to stop fleeing from innocence, begin retreating from cynicism and nihilism, and embrace once more the truth that life is mysterious and that it daily offers meaningful wonders for our consideration."

A Big Little Life is an insightful read about an author, his wife and an Angel Dog. :-) Although it may not seem possible, there is much more in the book that I have not shared in this post. I highly recommend this book for any fans of Dean Koontz and any lovers of dogs. Enjoy if you haven't already!

Nice quotes, Dustin. I think A Big Little Life is my favorite Koontz book so far. I like his novels but they are entertainment, quick escapist reads for me. A Big Little Life is a book I took to heart. Not only was Trixie interesting, I enjoyed learning more about Mr. Koontz's day-to-day life.

I saw a few reviews where people didn't like how Koontz gave human qualities to Trixie, and yes I can definitely see how some things might be over the top but I agree with Koontz on putting a good dog in the same category as angels. I've often thought the same thing as I look into the eyes of a dog. Trixie was Koontz's baby :-) I think it will be interesting to hear more about Dean and Gerda's new girl, Anna.

The great thing about A Big Little Life is that it's relatively short, easy to read and packed with interesting information.

This book got mentioned a lot in other reader's reviews that I read. Also, Marley and Me - I saw the movie but haven't read the book - usually the book is always better but after watching how the film depicted the drawn-out death of Marley... I've never seen a movie where they made you suffer through a dog dying like that. Usually it's not even shown - I thought it would never end. The first half of the movie seemed like a comedy and then it turned into a drama. Still it showed how a dog affects your whole life.

I know this is a Koontz group, but if we are talking about dog books another good one that pulls on the heartstrings is The Art of Racing in the Rain. Enzo, the dog, narrates the book ... I thought it was great but (spoiler alert) I was crying at the end.

This is a Koontz group :-) but it's also a dog-lovers group :-) Feel free to mention other titles/authors if they fit into the discussion. If another title/author doesn't have anything to do with the discussion just put it somewhere in Other Authors, Groups and Books :-) We're flexible around here.

As a member of the floridasaintrescue.com and a lifetime lover of animals, dogs in particular, I know of the intelligence and emotional awareness of dogs. Koontz vividly explores his very special Trixie's emotions, self awareness and intelligence and moreso, conveys her impact on his life and the lives of all who knew Trixie.
I am honored to have been given a glimpse of Trixie's being through her and Koontz' writing during the time they had together.
I thank Dean Koontz for the solace he's given us with A Big Little Life.

Tom, do you have a St.Bernard? I've never really met one in person :-) I did Watch those movies - I don't know how to spell Betohoven.

I currently have four dogs. Mimi, our senior rescue, Barry, 'my' dog, and Keebler, a young male rescue who is available for adoption; finally PupPup, our black labadorable.
Ever see Cujo? When the producer first talked to dog trainers, they tried to get him to use a different breed, saying how hard it would be to get a Saint to act that ferocious.

Oh my goodness :-) "labadorable" - I've never heard that before :-) I haven't seen Cujo (based on the Stephen King book?) but St. Bernards don't seem ferocious at all - well from what I've seen in movies :-)

It's not usually in their nature to be anything but loving, giant lap dogs.

Nice to meet you, Tom. Keep up the good work! My dogs (and cats, I like kitties too) are rescues and I volunteered for years before a couple of others and I started a very small foster home-based, all breeds rescue, although I'm not active now. I've fostered probably over 200 dogs, but never kept count, that wasn't the point. It is so rewarding, as you obviously know, to see a cowering, sick dog return to health and joy, but it breaks your heart, too, that people can do such things. I'd like to get back into rescue again when the time is right.

I think those of us who have been close to dogs, especially dogs that have come from bad situations, know more about their emotions and can relate more to A Big Little Life. We've worked with a few saints, and a couple came to us in pretty bad shape but we fostered them and found good homes for them.

There have been a couple of really bad abuse cases here in Colorado in the last 2 or 3 weeks. One of cases is a couple that I testified against a few years ago, but they got only a slap on the wrist so continued their abuse in a different county. (They DIDN'T adopt from us, but we discovered an abusive situation.) So sad for the dogs. I wish the laws had some teeth in them.

Dustin, I really hope you find the dog that is right for you, and I hope it happens soon. I only know you online, but it seems like you could provide a great home where your new furry one would be a part of the family and not an outside lawn ornament.

The group I was with adopts to families with young children, but just has to make sure the match is good. Obviously, not all dogs, especially those that have been mistreated by children, should be with young children. But we were equally careful about making sure the child wouldn't harm the dogs. Some parents think it's cute when their little kids pull the dogs ears and hit it, then blame the dog when it reaches the end of its patience and nips or even bites. We would turn down families where the parents seemed oblivious to what their kids were doing or didn't know how to treat their kids well wihtout letting them run wild. A dog doesn't have a chance in a home where the kids are yelled at routinely or slapped/grabbed/hit. Sometimes, instead of just turning the people down, I wanted to take their kids away from them! Of course, most people aren't like that, thank goodness.

Oops, I got on a little soapbox there, didn't I? Sorry. Anyway, nice to chat with you.

Susan wrote: "Oops, I got on a little soapbox there, didn't I? Sorry..."

Thanks Susan, and don't apologize on my account! I love folks like you have a box to stand on.

Tom wrote: "Susan wrote: "Oops, I got on a little soapbox there, didn't I? Sorry..."

Thanks Susan, and don't apologize on my account! I love folks like you have a box to stand on."

Me too :-)

Tom wrote: "Ever see Cujo? When the producer first talked to dog trainers, they tried to get him to use a different breed, saying how hard it would be to get a Saint to act that ferocious."

So just wondering, if Cujo is based on a Stephen King Book, and you being both a big SK and Saint Bernard Fan, what did you think of that portrayal in Cujo? I haven't read the book or seen the film - so just wondering.

Susan wrote: "Dustin, I really hope you find the dog that is right for you, and I hope it happens soon. I only know you online, but it seems like you could provide a great home where your new furry one would be a part of the family and not an outside lawn ornament."

On New Years Eve, one of the volunteers brought their dog over (pure-bread golden) and it was especially fun to see my son playing in the backyard with Chase (dog). We have this great back yard but the dog would pretty much be with us - part of the family. The volunteer said she could see a dog living here quite easily. We just moved here in November and it's a great home - we're just renting, but it's finally a place that feels like we could stay for a long time. Right now, I'm working at home and we keep life pretty simple. I am excited but also trying to be patient for the right dog :-) I plan to switch my profile picture to a picture of our new dog - hopefully within a month or so :-)

That patience part is hard! Can't wait to see your new pic(s) of him/her before too long.

Dustin wrote: "So just wondering, if Cujo is based on a Stephen King Book, and you being both a big SK and Saint Bernard Fan, what did you think of that portrayal in Cujo?."

So jus..."

[SPOILER BELOW:]
I am very sympathetic to Cujo. He went insane, having been bitten by a rabid bat and contracting rabies. Before then, he was a lover. I'll paraphrase SK here; "In his [Cujo's:] last sane thought, he turned away from the boy he loved at the last second." [thought was from Cujo's perspective if I remember correctly; the line occured in a scene leading up to what the reader thought was to be an attack on Cujo's master:].
I am NOT sympathetic towards his irresponsible owners (primarily the dad) who neglected having him innoculated. SK was even less sympathetic than I :)

Dustin, I commend you for your patience. The right dog for you and your family WILL find YOU, not the other way around :) That's the way these things happen, and you will all know it when that happens. I also commend you highly for adopting rather than purchasing.
Looking forward to the photo update when the time comes.

Tom, you are absolutely right that Dustin and his family's new dog will find them when the time is right. And if more people adopted, we could dry up business for those miserable puppy mills since it doesn't seem to be happening any other way. (Yes, I know that there are good, responsible breeders, but I also know that there are many, many puppy mills.)

Shawnee wrote: "Christine wrote: "I know this is a Koontz group, but if we are talking about dog books another good one that pulls on the heartstrings is The Art of Racing in the Rain. Enzo, the dog, narrates the..."

Shawnee, the author is Garth Stein and here is the goodreads link: The Art of Racing in the Rain. I personally didn't love it but more because of the human characters than the dog, Enzo.

What a lovely thread. I was not planning to read ABLL, despite being an animal lover, especially of dogs, but I think I will eventually, after reading this thread.

Jason, you may not like it -- it's pure Koontz, and Trixie's attributes are a bit over the top for a lot of people, but I enjoyed reading about Koontz's perceptions of Trixie, whether or not other people think that is reality. I'm curious to see what you think so am hoping you do read it eventually.

Susan wrote: "Jason, you may not like it -- it's pure Koontz, and Trixie's attributes are a bit over the top for a lot of people, but I enjoyed reading about Koontz's perceptions of Trixie, whether or not other ..."

I will certainly make it more of a priority than it was before reading this thread and will be happy to share my thoughts on it once I finally do read it.

New Interview with amazing insights:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?i...

I saw a copy of A Big Little Life yesterday in the bargain bin and had to snatch it up. I'll look forward to re-reading it sometime - I'll probably start nominating it as a group read and read it when it's chosen.

I do think he over-anthropomorphizes (spelling?) his dogs. Yes, dog's have emotions but they aren't human beings. He seems to forget that.

Where I live (The People's Republic of Boulder, Colorado) Dogs are people :-)

When I worked at Borders, we allowed dogs in our Boulder store because it is Boulder. One time I tried to pet a dog that was in the cookbook section and the dog snapped at me and barked really loud. The human with the dog said "She doesn't like people."

When I worked at a local grocery store, people kept bringing dogs in the grocery store even though there is a sign posted on entrance that says "Service Dogs Only". I would see dogs in shopping carts, in re-usable shopping bags and in doggy strollers.

When I worked at the movie theater, one of the customers frequently brought her dog into the movies with her by hiding the dog in her purse. One time, I saw the dog jump out of her purse as she was going down the hallway to the theater and another time I saw her daughters sneak the dog in through the side door.

Dustin Crazy little brown owl wrote: "Where I live (The People's Republic of Boulder, Colorado) Dogs are people :-)

When I worked at Borders, we allowed dogs in our Boulder store because it is Boulder. One time I tried to pet a dog t..."

Wow, that makes me so jealous. I wish dogs were more accepted in every day life in Australia. I'd take my dog everywhere with me if I could but it's just so hard here because there are so many restrictions on where they are allowed.
You can't even take them to a beach or a park here unless they are specifically allowed and then it's sometimes only at certain times of the day.
My dog is my best buddy and we've been through some rough times so I do think of her as a little person and don't care if other people think I'm stupid because of it :-)

Here in Boulder we have four parks just for dogs where they can play with other dogs off leash :-) One of the dog parks is about a block and half from where I currently live. I don't have a dog because I am gone at work too much but if I need a dog to pet, I just go for a walk and find one.

http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/index....

A couple of other interesting trivia about my beloved Boulder:

Boulder has more used bookstores per capita than any other city in the country.

Boulder's going to the dogs! Recent visitor counts to Boulder Mountain Parks found a ratio of 1 dog to every 5 visitors.

http://www.bouldercoloradousa.com/abo...

A Big Little Life has been chosen as our October 2013 Group Read.

Too much discussion about a book that is to be read in October! Dustin, whenever I look at this sight I get so frustrated--you are very disorganized. Perhaps you should look at other club sites to get some ideas--I recommend the Kindle British Mystery site for one. I do thank and applaud that you are willing to take this on but it really is a mess.

Mary wrote: "Too much discussion about a book that is to be read in October! Dustin, whenever I look at this sight I get so frustrated--you are very disorganized. Perhaps you should look at other club sites t..."

This is one of the most hurtful things anyone has ever said to me on goodreads. I disagree with your opinion. Ever since Koontzland was started organization has been a key element.

Mary wrote: "Too much discussion about a book that is to be read in October! Dustin, whenever I look at this sight I get so frustrated--you are very disorganized. Perhaps you should look at other club sites t..."

Yes, topics may have earlier posts.

To help maintain organization of Koontz's many books, we have always tried to have only ONE discussion topic for each book instead of several for the same book. Every time a book has been featured as a group read, the topic then has gotten the designator (Group Read - Month Year) added to the discussion title. We have been doing this the same way since December 2009 and we will keep organizing the discussions in this manner.

I take the phrases "you are very disorganized" and "it really is a mess" very personally. Organization has been fundamental since the establishment of The Koontzland - Dean Koontz group and I have taken great pride in it's success.

Mary wrote: "Perhaps you should look at other club sites to get some ideas--I recommend the Kindle British Mystery site for one."

I believe you are referring to The Kindle English Mystery Book Club on Goodreads.

http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4...

Dogs live most of life in Quiet Heart. Humans live mostly next door in Desperate Heart. Now and then will do you good to live in our zip code.
-TRIXIE KOONTZ, Bliss to You

However ironic I believe it is that one of Koontz's non-thriller books is the book of the month for October, it could not come at a better time. My family just lost our 12 year old dog this weekend. From what I can tell through what others have posted in this thread and from his books, Koontz sees his dogs as children of sorts. This is exactly how I feel about our dogs and I hope this book will be a wonderful tool in the healing process. I have been wanting to read this book for a long time and this group have given me a good reason to. I can't wait. :)

Have your tissues ready :-) It's a wonderful book.

Thank you Dustin. I have already anticipated the need for a box of tissues at least. We do have three other dogs in the family and are at this time awaiting the arrival of the feline sort as well so I am hoping that by the time comes to read the book, the loss isn't as profound. This is another book I'm hoping to convince my son to read if his school work load isn't to bad.

Been a lurker here more than anything. Have had the book for a while, looking forward to actually reading it also!

Kimberly wrote: "Been a lurker here more than anything. Have had the book for a while, looking forward to actually reading it also!"

We appreciate hearing from you :-) Hope you enjoy the book.

I'm going to sit this one out in October. I do plan to read this in the near future(probably after I complete all of Dean's novels(almost there!) I like to reserve October and the Halloween season for horror novels only. Have fun and talk to everyone in November.

Thanks Aaron!

Finished re-reading A Big Little Life. This remains one of my favorite Dean Koontz books - while not in my top 5, A Big Little Life is among my top 10 favorite Dean Koontz books.

Dean Koontz is such a wonderful storyteller. The dog story is beautiful and dean freely shares his feelings which is a new side of him for me. Loving the book. Spirituality to this book that reminds me of C.S. Lewis. If you want to laugh, cry or just ponder the universe, this is a great book.
I think Koontz is a very private man and he gives you a glimpse into his life in this one--wonderful book. Not his usual suspense but I think this book would be one of my favorites. 5 stars on goodreads scale from me and I would recommend to any reader.

Mary wrote: "Dean Koontz is such a wonderful storyteller. The dog story is beautiful and dean freely shares his feelings which is a new side of him for me. Loving the book. Spirituality to this book that remind..."

I feel the same way. I was very impressed on my initial reading and after reading the book again 4 years later still love this :-)

Dean Koontz is an unexpected and amazing theologian. I love this quote:

"Our faith tells us that when the last hour comes, the best places to be taken are while in prayer or while engaged in work to which we committed ourselves in cheerful acceptance of the truth that work is the lot of humanity, post Eden. If done with diligence and integrity, work is obedience to divine order, a form of repentance."

Koontz, Dean (2011-07-12). A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie (p. 22). Random House Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Syd wrote: "Dean Koontz is an unexpected and amazing theologian. I love this quote:

"Our faith tells us that when the last hour comes, the best places to be taken are while in prayer or while engaged in work ..."
I love that quote--over the years and in the most unlikely stories he writes something beautiful like that. It is why I go back for more. That and his humor.