THE DOGS OF VENICE

A man finds solace in Venice after a breakup in this novella.

Shortly before the trip they planned to take together for the holidays, Paul’s husband breaks up with him and moves out. Paul decides to go anyway. While in Venice, Italy, he must face his anxieties about dining alone, not knowing the language, and working the espresso machine in his rental loft. He does seem comfortable shopping, attending museums, and finding his way around the city, but his shame over the dining issue—and his ex's accusations of his neediness—haunt him. A particular insouciant street dog catches his eye and provides inspiration, and Paul spends much of the book watching out for the dog, hoping for another encounter. Will he find the dog and learn from him how to be independent? Rowley's glib tone has worked before in his hits The Guncle (2021) and The Guncle Abroad (2024), and he is capable of real pathos, as seen in The Celebrants (2023). It serves him less well here; if Paul is grieving the loss of his marriage, it mostly happens off the page, and what is on the page feels more told than lived in. Most of his problems are solved by the end of this brief novella, so the book is more successful at being a holiday romp than a journey with emotional stakes. There are a few solid jokes, though, and lots of ambience.

Like the steamed milk Paul accidentally orders instead of espresso—frothy but disappointing.