Mostly what I got out of reading A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas is that beagles suck.
As the owner of a part beagle, I am allowed to say that.
If you didn't read the book, and you know how I enjoy it when you come to book club and leave the comment "I didn't read the book, but..." A Three Dog Life is the true story of what happens when Abigail Thomas' husband goes out to walk their beagle and the husband gets hit by a car and suffers hideous brain damage. He gets hit by a car because (a) the ding-dang beagle gets loose and I so know how THAT goes and (2) they live in Manhattan, so when the husband dashed out to save the beagle he was pretty doomed.
The title A Three Dog Life is good. When it's really cold, people used to say. "Oh, it's a three-dog night tonight!" meaning you'd let all the dogs sleep with you to ward off the chill. Abigail Thomas really does have three dogs now, and they have helped her through the part where she lost her husband but he was still there.
His brain damage was so horrible that he had to be institutionalized for the rest of his life, and although some days he'd recognize his wife when she came to visit, after that he pretty much said nonsensical things that were occasionally really beautiful. "Transparent windowlike words" or "add memory on memory deep in the forest, layers of dirt and leaves and branches...the past is underfoot." I was so impressed with the words he said even as damaged as he was.
Wasn't it weird when things would happen in her life and she would go to visit him and he would allude to those things? As though he were somehow aware of them even though he couldn't be? Like when she went to a friend's for beef stew and he mentioned beef stew that night? How was that possible? What did you think of that?
I admired Abigail Thomas for her attitude about this whole tragedy. She just accepted that this is her fate and has carried on. There was no denial or gnashing her teeth or wishing it weren't so. She isn't even dating anyone. She just left Manhattan and moved closer to his hospital and saw him when she could and kept going. I don't know if I could have been as stoic. Have you met me? There is little sto in my ic.
And of course I totally identified with getting pets to help yourself feel better. I don't know why everyone doesn't have a pet. Or seven. I have never understood those "Oh, no, I don't want a pet" people. When I go to their houses there is nothing to scratch or talk about or admire. If you ask me.
Oh, and the other thing that stuck with me is how quickly she and her husband fell in love. When you know you know. I thought of it a lot these past few months with all the semi-indifferent men I have met who claimed they just needed time to get to like me. No you don't. It's there or it isn't. Is my theory. Do you agree?
Did you like the book? Would you have brought your husband home and cared for him or left him in the hospital, as she did? Did you think that was a selfish or a brave, smart gesture? Did you like her? I did. I would like to be a grownup in the way she is.
Okay, tell me what you think.
