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    Nose Down, Eyes Up: A Novel
    Nose Down, Eyes Up: A Novel
    Nose Down, Eyes Up: A Novel
    Audiobook8 hours

    Nose Down, Eyes Up: A Novel

    Written by Merrill Markoe

    Narrated by David Drummond

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    At forty-seven, Gil is the world's oldest twenty-two-year-old man. He lives rent-free as a handyman in the L.A. summer house of a couple of rich retirees who only come out for vacations. Gruff, shrewdly observant, but perplexed and beleaguered by women since his nasty divorce, Gil has been dating Sara, an animal communicator, long enough to converse freely with all four of his dogs (especially Jimmy, the alpha). When Jimmy learns Gil isn't his biological father, he demands to meet his birth mother, a dog owned by Gil's sexy ex-wife, Eden, now remarried to a much wealthier man. Then Gil's employers take their vacation, forcing him to relocate and setting in motion an odyssey that ultimately shines a light on the root of Gil's problems with women and adulthood by forcing him to move in with his mother.

    Filled with the sharp social and sexual insight-and an uncanny understanding of the thought processes of dogs-that have become Merrill Markoe's trademarks, Nose Down, Eyes Up is a howlingly funny story of love, sex, and the meaning of family.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateMar 2, 2009
    ISBN9781400181476
    Nose Down, Eyes Up: A Novel

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    Reviews for Nose Down, Eyes Up

    3.5/5

    52 ratings8 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      I think this book was really interesting. The story is about a 47 year old man that seems to be struggling to find solid ground in his life. Gil gets mixed up in different relationships and many of the situations he finds himself in are quite comical with the narration from his dogs. His dogs really prove to be his family and I love the idea of being able to understand what your dogs may be saying!
    • 1/5
      stuoid, could not finish this one. Off to the library!
    • 3/5
      I give this book 2.5 stars. I really enjoyed the parts in the story where the dogs gave their views on the world around them. They explained all the actions humans tend to take for granted and their true meaning. I wasn't particularly interested in Gil's relationship with his girlfriend or his ex-wife. The main interesting point in the story is Gil's relationship with Jimmy who gets very upset when he learns that Gil is not his biological father. This storyline was the saving grace of the story that had me round up to 3 stars.
    • 2/5
      Dogs that can be understood by thier owner - cute Dr. Doolittle premise except in this case the Dr. Doolittle is Gil a self-absorbed middle aged man with no profession and few prospects for personal or professional sucess. All the characters in the book were so emotionally damaged. Sara the girlfriend who loves too much. Eden, the ex-wife over sexed, gold-digging bitch, and of course as mentioned Gil who in addition to his numerous other problems had huge mommy-issues, like the author. Three of the four dogs were charming except for Jimmy, the most beloved of the pack, who had clearly been raised by Gil and was selfish and self-serving as well. In the end Gil sees the error of his ways and vows to do better. Bluck!
    • 3/5
      Didn't care for.
    • 5/5
      I was a big fan of Markoe's book "Walking in Circles Before Lying Down" and this book didn't disappoint. While her take on relationships is priceless, I dearly love the dialogue with the dogs. Each dog has its own personality (as they do in reality) and I laughed out loud when I read the thoughts that I'm certain my own dogs have had. (I know for a fact that they often think I'm an idiot, but they love me anyway.) The story is told by Gil, a frequently out-of-work musician/handyman who has four dogs, an ex-wife and a clingy girlfriend. Gil grows over the course of the novel, as do his dogs. For me, the plot mattered less than hearing the conversations between man and dogs. It's very funny, and strangely insightful.
    • 4/5
      My wife has a standing rule not to read any book that has a cute puppy on the cover. According to her, they can never end well. But I'm glad I broke this rule for this book. Although the literary technique of "talking animals" is by no means new, the idea that an owner can "communicate" with his dog becomes secondary, and easily forgiven, as the book gives the dog's eye view of life at home. An easy read with enough substance to keep it from becoming just another bit of fluff literature.
    • 4/5
      You talk to your dog. You know you do, so you might as well admit it. And it's not all goo goo ga ga baby talk either. No, you engage in conversations composed of complete sentences and abstract thought. Gil Winowiscz, the forty seven year old hero of Nose Down, Eyes Up talks to his four dogs (Jimmy, Cheney, Fruity, and Dink) as he putters through his days as caretaker and handyman on an estate in Malibu. Then one day he realizes that they talk to him, too. And that he can understand them. There's been a recent outbreak of books told exclusively or partly from the perspective of a dog (The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Story of Edgar Sawtelle both come to mind), but I'd wager that none of them is as hilarious as Nose Down, Eyes Up.Let's take the title, first. Jimmy, who Gil's raised from a pup, is the alpha dog of the neighborhood. He takes his responsibilities as alpha seriously, and when Gil accidentally crashes a meeting of the dogs he discovers that Jimmy's been giving them lessons in how to manipulate their humans. Nose down eyes up is one of the primary postures--rather yoga-like, if you will--which dogs use to melt our hearts and get us to do what they want. What, you think you really wanted to throw that ball 75 times in a row, sometimes having to wrest it dripping from the mouth of your manipulative pup? Nah, that's just Fido exercising his power over you.It seems to me, as a dog lover, that Merrill Markoe captures their various voices and levels of understanding perfectly. The book is a romp, but it's also a keen meditation on the importance of love and family--however that family may be configured. You don't have to be a dog lover to love this book; that will just enhance your enjoyment of it.