Marley and Me - Book Review

Marley and Me tells the story of a young couple who innocently decide to get a puppy as a way of testing their parenting skills before trying their luck with an actual human baby. What makes the story interesting is that they don’t just get any puppy; they get a Lab puppy without realizing that Lab puppies are known for, well, utter and tireless chaos and destruction. And it becomes clear, very early on, that Marley is no exception. As most Lab puppies do, Marley grew startlingly quickly from a snuggly fuzzy little yellow fella to a 97-pound Juggernaut in whose path nothing and nobody was safe.

John Grogan, the book’s author, is a journalist and consequently knows how to write well. He does a great job of describing Marley’s many antics – everything from getting booted out of obedience school to eating and later, um, eliminating a gold chain (among other things), to thoroughly destroying, by various means, an Ikea store’s worth of furniture and household items. Mr. Grogan also adeptly recounts Marley’s lifelong addiction to prescription drugs, his brief stint as a movie star, and many other endearing and not-so-endearing milestones of this pooch’s life.

The book, however, is more than just a description of Marley’s hijinx – it’s a testament to the many profound ways in which dogs affect and become an integral part of the lives of their human owners. Believe us when we tell you that we are not sappy folk. We do not cry over commercials and rarely does even the most heartstring-tuggingly poignant movie cause so much as a tear to well up in our eyes. The last few chapters of this book, however, made even us – callous biyatches that we are - weep. Actually, we were way past weeping – we blubbered like a baby on an airplane during takeoff. We mention this not to reveal our sensitive side and certainly not to discourage you from reading this book, but only to forewarn you to arm yourself with Kleenex when you get close to the end.

Granted, Marley and Me is no Ulysses, but it’s a great, quick read to take with you as you head to the beach for spring break. (Or, alternatively, it’s a great quick read to distract you from the fact that you are flat broke and stuck here while all your friends are at the beach for spring break). Our enjoyment of this book came largely from our ability to relate, from our own experience, to many of Marley’s misdeeds and the resulting reactions of his owners, but we think the book would be a good read for anyone who has ever had a relationship with a dog. It may make you cry, but it will also certainly make you smile. We give it a Labbishly exuberant four paws up.

*Photo of Otis Larson, rascally little brother of Paddington courtesy of the Contributor*