Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

William Morrow

Marley & Me:  Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
John Grogan
2005

The Summary
"John and Jenny were just beginning their life together.  They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world.  Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy.  Life would never be the same.

"Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other.  He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry.  Obedience school did not go good - Marley was expelled.  Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, 'Don't hesitate to use these.'

"And yet Marley's heart was pure.  Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too.  Marley shared the couple's joy at their first pregnancy and their heartbreak over the miscarriage.  He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night.  Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things.  Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end.  Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

"Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog?  Just ask the Grogans."

The Good
I loved this book.  I loved every bit of it.

As an experienced journalist, John Grogan has an incredible skill with words and he has a wonderful story to tell that encompasses a universal human experience:  owning a rambunctious dog.  He describes Marley with such careful detail, making sure to catalog the usual problems that (most) pet owners experience and the simple joys of having a devoted dog in one's life.

Honestly, Marley & Me hits close to home.  Having owned pets for most of my life, I know exactly what kind of complications one can run into when owning a dog, especially an aging pet, but I also know how critical they are to our daily lives, how important they are to our hearts and, truthfully, our well-being.

Dogs can be an aggravation.  They slobber, they bark, they tear things up - staircases, bike pedals, wood trim, shoes, clothes, socks, books, and surely more - and they know how to make a mess; however, they are family.  They give us love and affection, joy and laughter.  They are our constant companions through life and, no matter the costs, we love them and care for them.

As Grogan pointed out, "A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside.  A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull.  Give him your heart and he will give you his."

And that's just about the best thing there is.

The Bad
I have no complaints about Marley & Me.  It's an exceptionally well-written story that appealed to me for its emotional depth and its ability to relate to the reader.

The Ugly
I cried.

I'm not joking.  I bawled like a baby at the end of this memoir, because, like the other members in the Secret Brotherhood of Dysfunctional Dog Owners, I know exactly what it's like to own a crazy canine and what it's like to lose one of the best friends you'll ever have.