Nose Down, Eyes Up: A Novel - Hardcover

Markoe, Merrill

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0345500202 ISBN 13: 9780345500205

Publisher: Villard, 2008

Synopsis

At forty-seven, Gil has reached a relatively happy period in his life as the world’s oldest twenty-two-year-old man. In exchange for doing the odd carpentry and construction job, he gets paid to live rent-free in Los Angeles at the glorious summerhouse of rich retirees who are never there. It’s a world of solitary splendor spent mainly in the company of his four dogs, Cheney, Fruity, Dinky, and Jimmy, the alpha and the only one of the four that Gil has raised from a pup.

Because Gil is the kind of guy who understands his dogs far better than he understands any of the people in his life–including his girlfriend, Sara, who is an “animal communicator” (albeit one that the dogs make fun of)–he is not particularly surprised when he stumbles upon Jimmy delivering lectures on canine manipulative techniques to the rest of the dogs in the neighborhood. (For example, the always effective “Nose down, eyes up” is a surefire path to permission to sleep on the bed.) Soon Gil begins to see dollar signs in the idea of turning Jimmy and his advice into a “brand” that he can merchandise on the Internet.

Their collaboration has barely begun when Jimmy makes a shocking realization: He’s adopted. And not only is Gil not his real father, they’re not even the same species. In the identity crisis that ensues, Gil hears the last thing he wants his favorite dog to say: that Jimmy wants to be reunited with his birth mother, a bitch owned by the woman who emptied Gil’s bank account, his pension plan, and his plans for the future–Gil’s sexy and still seductive ex-wife, Eden, now remarried, wealthy, and living in Malibu.

When the rich retirees who own Gil’s house return for an indefinite period, Gil must decide what to do: risk a new relationship disaster by trying to live in a tiny house with his good-hearted on-again, off-again girlfriend, Sara, or relive an old relationship disaster by getting reinvolved with his flirtatious ex-wife, with her new husband, Jimmy’s birth mother, and their Malibu guesthouse.

In this hilarious new novel, Merrill Markoe offers uncanny insight into the bonds between hounds and humans, as well as their respective ideas of the way that love and family are supposed to work. Nose Down, Eyes Up is a revealing examination of the interspecies power of love, sex, family, and real estate and why everyone–on two legs or four–deserves to have his or her day.

About this title

About the Author

Emmy Award—winning writer Merrill Markoe has authored three books of humorous essays and the novels Walking in Circles Before Lying Down and It’s My F---ing Birthday and co-authored (with Andy Prieboy) the novel The Psycho Ex Game. An overly long biographical résumé can be found at www.merillmarkoe.com. She lives in Los Angeles with four dogs and a man.

Review

"Jimmy, the canine star of Merrill's second fun-loving doggie novel (after Walking in Circles Before Lying Down), is the Tony Robbins of the dog world and holds informal seminars with the neighborhood dogs to instruct them in the art of manipulating their human masters (the key, he intones, is nose down, eyes up). Jimmy's poochly wisdom–spot-on and hilarious throughout–is made available courtesy of his owner, Gil, an unlucky in love handyman who learns how to communicate with dogs. This launches the novel's plot, as Gil shoots down Jimmy's idea that he is Gil's biological son. Soon, Jimmy is intent on meeting his birth mother, who happens to belong to Gil's now-remarried ex-wife. A series of setbacks beset the duo, and the tribulations provide lessons in life, love and finding happiness. The conversations with the wry, wise and lovable Jimmy (and his three other oddball dog pals) comprise the novel's heart and comedic through-line–discourse ranges from business matters to why dogs pee so many times during walks. Markoe's hilarious dialogue should be a must-read for dog lovers." - Publishers Weekly
Praise for Merrill Markoe’s Walking in Circles Before Lying Down

“A delight . . . Anyone who has ever put words into a pet’s mouth will be amused, but perhaps not surprised, by the dogs’ views on sex, garbage, fetching tennis balls, toys, and food.”
–Boston Sunday Globe

“We’re in prime Markoe territory–small moments with big laughs. The story swings through Los Angeles like a bloodhound chasing down a scent. . . . It’s all told with Markoe’s trademark mix of dark humor and quirky vulnerability.”
–Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Fun and charming . . . So spin around three or four times, curl up with your four-legged friend and enjoy.”
–Fort Worth Star-Telegram

“Guaranteed to charm dog lovers. Through the cleverly imagined dialogue, Markoe deftly weaves doggie instinct into an insightful tale that’s bound to make you laugh out loud.”
–People (four stars)

“The strength of this book lies in the fact that it manages to be both very funny and also strikingly well-written. Markoe is an enormously talented prose stylist.”
–Chicago Sun-Times

“Hilarious doggy dialogue . . . [Walking in Circles] may be [Markoe’s] best yet, delivering the drama, dark humor, and dysfunctional characters that have become the author’s cachet.”
–Booklist (starred review)

About this edition

• Publisher: Villard
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0345500202
• ISBN 13: 9780345500205
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 320