A Big Little Life

Publisher's Summary

In a profound, funny, and beautifully rendered portrait of a beloved companion, best-selling novelist Dean Koontz remembers the golden retriever who changed his life.

A retired service dog, Trixie was three when Dean and his wife, Gerda, welcomed her into their home. She was superbly trained, but her greatest gifts couldn’t be taught: her keen intelligence, her innate joy, and an uncanny knack for living in the moment. Whether chasing a tennis ball or protecting those she loved, Trixie gave all she had to everything she did, inspiring Dean and Gerda to trust their instincts and recapture a sense of wonder that will remain with them always. Trixie lived fewer than 12 years; in this wide world, she was a little thing. But in every way that mattered, she lived a big life.

©2011 Dean Koontz (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews

"A humorous, poignant portrait of [a] remarkable dog." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"One dog book that everyone... will deeply enjoy.” ( Booklist)

"A delightful read...an unusually effective brief for the joy that dogs bring us.” ( The American Spectator)

Superb On All Levels. Dog Lover? Purcahse Now!

I am not going to use the word "heartwarming" because that cliche does this book injustice. The experience of the novelist and his wife are lovely, well written, slyly humorous, and I haven't even gotten to "Trixie", their CCI dog. An amazing organization, that the author promotes. To say I have a Golden Retriever does make me ever-so-slightly biased, but I GUARANTEE if you're a lover of words, and DOGS you will extremely pleased with this audio book. Christopher Lane has the perfect reader's voice. (I am going to follow his other works, this was my first.) It was also the first Koontz book I have ever 'read'. Wow, that man can write! Who knew? (I guess about ten million other people.)

I hope you enjoy A Big Little Life as much as I did. I've listened to many, many audio books. I GUARANTEE if you love dogs, you'll love this. And even if you don't (shame on you) it's well written, informative and worth it. 6 stars! please come back and rate my review after you've read this title. I wanna know how RIGHT I am! :) cheers scott s.

20 of 20 people found this review helpful

Indescribable.... I was totally captivated!

What a fantastic story- this is the type of story and performance that I can never get enough of.... I laughed, I cried, I smiled.... I thanked the stars above for my own amazing/precious/priceless dog!!! The pure and unconditional love that the Koontz's had for Trixie is expressed brilliantly! Roll out the Kleenex for this one!!!!!

13 of 13 people found this review helpful

A Lovely Story of a man who Simply Loved his dog!

What made the experience of listening to A Big Little Life the most enjoyable?

The vivid descriptions of everything. You could picture the love this man had for Trixie and the love this dog had for her Dad! To tell the truth this is the first Dean Koontz book I have ever read. And I loved it!

What other book might you compare A Big Little Life to and why?

Merle's Door. Just the love and vivid descriptions and the fact that they know people think they are crazy for loving a dog this much but they don't really care!

Which scene was your favorite?

The Movie watching scene where Trix sits on the chair between her Mom and Dad and watches Sandra Bullock!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were many, but the entire dedication this family had to each other was very moving!

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend this book!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Exceptionally Written

Would you listen to A Big Little Life again? Why?

Yes, this one is a definite again and again book. Koontz is such an excellent writer and a way with wit and humor throughout. Sometimes I had to laugh out loud. Sometimes cried.

What other book might you compare A Big Little Life to and why?

Can't think of any at the moment.

Which scene was your favorite?

All of them. There was not one boring moment in this book. I almost wanted to start it again just after finishing it.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Experiences of love and laughter through my dog.

Any additional comments?

I will be advising everyone I know to listen to this book. This is a book that has got to be better in the audio form than reading it the conventional way. The narrator did excellent job on it also. Great inflections for the humor etc.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Dog lovers please read

Any additional comments?

After Marly and Me, I swore off dog books. I'm not sure why I signed on for this one but I am so glad I did. What wonderful insight to the author's life and his love for this dog. Trixie was an amazing dog and wonderfully trained. It was amazing what Trixie was able to accomplish during her life. If you have a dog you love or have loved, this book will be a treasure you will not forget.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

One of the best books I've ever listened to.

If I'm being honest, I was not a Dean Koontz fan. I have read a few of his books and they were not my cup of tea. Based on those books I had a preconceived opinion of Dean Koontz, himself. After finishing A Big Little Life, I am a huge fan and a huge admirer of Dean Koontz the man. I still may not enjoy all of his books. But if I read one it will be with the knowledge I now have of who he is as a person, a husband and friend and more importantly his sincere and authentic admiration and love for his dog and the credit he bestows on her for changing him to the man he is now. Worthy. Well done. I cried and cried. Sad and happy tears.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Delightful

Where does A Big Little Life rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the best - I would have enjoyed reading this book, but Christopher Lane really took on the

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Big Little Life?

I loved the moments when Koontz gets flashes of insight about the spiritual and emotional nature of dogs.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Trixie deliberately went to find her sister in a crowd of dogs and people - I have seen that type of memory of dogs for other dogs and that type of devotion between dogs and Koontz illustrated that with a really nice Trixie story.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A Big Little Life says it as well as anything I could think of.

Any additional comments?

For a man who has only had a couple of dogs, Dean Koontz is amazing in his understanding and appreciation of true dog nature. Any dog lover will truly love this book.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

My First Dean Koontz book!

Had to read/listen to this as my husband has had 2 CCI dogs since 2006. A truly wonderful story as we can fully relate to the qualities of these fantastic dogs. Thank you for establishing your Foundation as your generosity has saved our CCI dog Harley. Because of this surgery, he has become the longest surviving dog with this cancer - going on 4 years now! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Enriching and Inspiring

Words just can't express how much this memoir touched me. It uplifted me, enriched me, and has inspired me to be more aware of the world around me. I'm grateful to Dean and Gerda Koontz for sharing their beloved Trixie with us, and grateful, too, to the narrator for such a poignant, brilliant performance.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Cute story

I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know this side of Koontz life. It was an easy read and only enhanced my love for dogs.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful