Lily and the Octopus

Lily and the Octopus is a 2016 novel by American author and screenwriter Steven Rowley. The autobiographical novel—originally written as a form of self-therapy—follows 42-year-old writer Teddy Flask as he copes with the terminal illness and death of his beloved dachshund, Lily. Flask conceives of Lily’s tumor as an “octopus,” leading to magical-realist flights of fantasy in which Ted and Lily battle the ravening sea creature. The novel was warmly received by critics: “In generous helpings of bittersweet humanity, Rowley has written an immensely poignant and touchingly relatable tale that readers (particularly animal lovers) will love” (Publishers’ Weekly).

The book is written in eight parts (mimicking the eight limbs of an octopus), and the title of each introduces an octopus-related topic, i.e. “Camouflage,” “Suction,” and “Ink.”

Teddy Flask is a writer in his forties, living in L.A. He is unhappily single, and his occasional dates with the men he meets online rarely end well: “Los Angeles is a Neverland of Lost Boys who preen and crow far too often and demonstrate substance far too seldom.” He has one friend, Trent, and a therapist, Jenny, but the love of his life is his 12-year-old dachshund, Lily. One evening, he notices something strange on Lily’s head: "It’s Thursday the first time I see it. I know that it’s Thursday because Thursday nights are the nights my dog, Lily, and I set aside to talk about boys we think are cute….We get into long debates over the Ryans. I’m a Gosling man, whereas she’s a Reynolds gal.”



The thing—the bump—on her head looks like an octopus. It “has a good grip and clings tightly over her eye.” From that moment on, he imagines Lily’s tumor as an octopus, a villainous creature squeezing the life from his beloved pet.

In his fear and panic, Teddy reflects desperately on how much Lily means to him. He bought her as a puppy, and she has been with him through thick and thin for more than 12 years. She was his rock when his 6-year relationship with his former boyfriend, Jeffrey, ended. Everything that Teddy does, he does with Lily. They even play Monopoly together. Teddy interprets her every gesture and expression as speech, conducting long conversations with her.

Teddy hurries Lily to the vet, who suggests several options: surgery to remove the tumor, radiation therapy, and pills to manage the pain. The vet makes it clear that Lily’s chances of survival are not good. Surgery has the best chance of removing the tumor, but it’s also likely to kill her (and to be extremely expensive).



Wild with anxiety and sorrow, Teddy consults his mother, Trent, and Jenny about the decision. While his mother and Trent try to console him, Jenny helps him to recognize that his painful feelings are a way of beginning to grieve. Reluctantly, Teddy accepts that he knows Lily will probably not survive the octopus’s embrace. As soon as he does so, he is consumed with self-hatred, for being willing to imagine a life without his companion.

Teddy takes Lily home and cries for a long time, as Lily licks the tears from his face: “THIS! EYE! RAIN! YOU! MAKE! IS! FANTASTIC! I! LOVE! THE! SALTY! TASTE! YOU! SHOULD! MAKE! THIS! EVERY! DAY!” Teddy casts his mind over his history with Lily, remembering how he adopted her on his 30th birthday. She was the runt of the litter, and her mother’s owner actively tried to dissuade Teddy from taking her: “I worried for a second she was going to try to discourage me further from choosing this puppy. She studied us both for a moment as I held the runt protectively, and eventually, her face softened and relented. I wondered if she wasn't just relieved to have someone take the runt so she could charge more for the rest of her flawless litter.”

In his longing to defeat the octopus, Teddy creates a vivid fantasy in which he and Lily board a fishing trawler and set out on the open ocean to defeat their nemesis, the giant octopus. After many adventures that bring them even closer, they are able to defeat the creature.



In reality, the octopus in Lily’s brain can’t be destroyed. Lily begins to suffer seizures, periods of blindness, and finally terrible pain. Ted takes the decision to put Lily to sleep. Devastated, he leans on Trent and Jenny’s guidance as he grieves.

Slowly, Teddy comes to understand that he has been in retreat from life since his break-up with Jeffrey. Instead of risking more hard knocks, he has retreated into an enclosed fantasy world, taking all his comfort and care from Lily. He resolves to learn from Lily. Remembering her capacity for spontaneous affection and her excited optimism, he decides to take on these qualities as his own to keep Lily alive that way.

The novel ends as Teddy decides to go on a date with an attractive man named Byron. Not only is Teddy his new affectionate, optimistic self on his date, but he also has a touching story to tell about his beloved dog.