Buster The Ferrari Basset (English Edition) [Kindle-editie] beoordelingen het boek quotes

A beautiful Swedish girl living in gay Paris moves to Cockeysville, Maryland, to marry a crazy American on the promise of a big dog. They marry, move to the boonies, adopt several big dogs (plus one big cat), and eventually move to the city in order for the girl to become a docent at the Baltimore Museum of Art. At this point, they adopt a Basset Hound whose outlandish antics inspire a book, but the girl is stricken with a horrible and terminal cancer, forcing her to leave the dog named Buster to his old pappy's tender care.Buster The Ferrari Basset would be just one more entry into the crowded category of dog stories. However, this book has some qualities that differentiate it from the standard dog tale.For one thing, Walt Appel's reminiscence is not just about the escapades of Buster, nicknamed "the Ferrari Basset" for his energy and speed, qualities atypical of the breed. It is also a love story. The author recounts how he met and married Christina, his Swedish wife. They lived with numerous dogs until Christina's untimely death due to a brain tumor.Appel devotes the early chapters to the happy days of their marriage, including some details about Christina's Swedish traditions, which lends a unique slant to the story. The reader also learns a bit about the dogs (and one large cat named Tigger) that preceded Buster in the Appel household.When all of the dogs are gone except for Shep, the Appel's Old English Sheepdog mix, Walt and Christina decide to adopt another dog from BROOD (Basset Rescue of Old Dominion). They learn that there is a "very energetic" one-year old male named Buster available for adoption. Buster becomes part of the Appel household, despite Shep's reservations.The remainder of the story revolves around Buster's shenanigans, and there are quite a few of them. Some of the most humorous happen when there is food around. Buster is acutely aware of food left on a kitchen counter, and he is a master at snitching a scrap (or an entire meal) when the dining room table is left unguarded, even for a moment. Buster rejects his breed's reputation for being laid-back and lumbering, but, of course, through it all, the mischievous lad is relentlessly endearing.The accompanying illustrations by two friends are charming and lend a great deal of visual humor and style to the text. A number of photographs are included to help bring the story to life. Buster The Ferrari Basset is an amusing story that any "dog person" will surely enjoy.