Marley & Me

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

Author's website
...includes the author's blog, as well as photos of Marley as a baby through adulthood. Grogan is releasing a new book entitled 'The Longest Trip Home' on October 21, 2008.

Movie link Due to be released on Christmas Day 2008 and stars Owen Wilson & Jennifer Anniston.

Amazon link

Published in 2005. 304 pages.

Genre: Non-fiction, Memoir, Bestseller

My overall score: 4/5

What its about (from amazon.com): Labrador retrievers are generally considered even-tempered, calm and reliable;and then there's Marley, the subject of this delightful tribute to one Lab who doesn't fit the mold. Grogan, a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and his wife, Jenny, were newly married and living in West Palm Beach when they decided that owning a dog would give them a foretaste of the parenthood they anticipated. Marley was a sweet, affectionate puppy who grew into a lovably naughty, hyperactive dog. With a light touch, the author details how Marley was kicked out of obedience school after humiliating his instructor (whom Grogan calls Miss Dominatrix) and swallowed an 18-karat solid gold necklace (Grogan describes his gross but hilarious "recovery operation"). Grogan's chronicle of the adventures parents and children (eventually three) enjoyed with the overly energetic but endearing dog is delivered with great humor.

What I thought: The writing style was very good and Grogan kept me interested from the first page. This was my second attempt at reading this book (I had read the first 100 pages when it first came out). I believe my reason for not finishing it had more to do with what was going on in my life at that time then the actual book itself. This second time around was a real treat for me and it was a quick read. This book made me laugh out loud on several occasions, but also brought me to tears by the end. Of course I wont give anything away, but you can expect to learn as much about the Grogan family as you do about Marley himself. Maybe another reason this book came so easily to me this time, is that I have a big, dopey dog now as well! I will definitely be going to see the film in the theaters when it comes out. According to a few reviews on amazon.com, some readers thought they would learn about formal dog training in this book -- this is not the case -- the Grogan's are just normal people who love their dog very much (they are not the Dog Whisperers!)

Date finished: August 5, 2008

What I'm Reading Now: Promise the Moon by Elizabeth Joy Arnold