The Dogs of Venice cover art

The Dogs of Venice

 Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Dogs of Venice

By: Steven Rowley
Narrated by: Neil Patrick Harris
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $16.99

Buy Now for $16.99

About this listen

From the best-selling author of Lily and the Octopus, a heartwarming and bittersweet story about finding love and courage in one of the most romantic cities on Earth.

New Yorkers Paul and Darren have planned a winter holiday in Venice. But when their five-year marriage suddenly unravels, Paul endeavors to make the trip alone, despite his heartbreak and anxiety. Far outside his comfort zone, Paul has a mission: to see if he can be adventurous, fearless, free. In short, to become someone new.

Soon after arriving in Italy, he notices a small, scruffy, self-assured dog trotting alongside a canal with the confidence he so desperately wants for himself. This street dog and his instincts for survival lend Paul’s trip a singular purpose - to determine how his new four-legged friend thrives on his own. A string of additional sightings culminate in a seemingly magical encounter that leads Paul to feel real connection - to a dog, to a foreign city, and, most important, to himself.

©2020 Steven Rowley (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC. Anthologies & Short Stories Short Stories Heartfelt
All stars
Most relevant
Good short story read well. Would recommend. Brings back memories of travelling in Italy. Would like to read more from this author.

Lovely story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A story of what can be what might be what will be. Very different approach to writing a book was short enough to listen to it. I’m still left Thinking.

Simplicity

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Hurting from the dissolution of his marriage to the oafish Darren, Paul travels to Venice where he looks for inspiration and meaning to heal the heartache. While there, he forms a special affinity with one of the Venetian street dogs. If you’ve never loved and lost, it might be hard to relate to Paul’s confusion and his grasping at straws of comfort as he wallows in rejection. A good short story reveals a thin but rich ‘slice of life’ and this one does just that. I liked that there were no easy answers, that the epiphanies were tarnished rather than neat, that there was a hopeful shift not a quick resolution. I also loved how well Steven Rowley’s descriptions captured the city of Venice and the Italian attitudes to life, love, and food. Superb audio narration by Neil Patrick Harris was the obvious drawcard but I would have enjoyed this anyway.

Charming ‘picking up the pieces’ short story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
An interesting little insight into someone's life.

And glad to hear NPH actually altering his accent to match the characters for a change. He did this story justice.

Curious

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Good length, insightful messages. Atmospheric Venice setting. The bread maker scene was hilarious. Neil Patrick Harris did a fine job.

Short, sweet and thoughtful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.