Review – Marley and Me by John Grogon (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Biography/Pets
Length: 291 pages
Publisher: William Morrow
Release Date: December 1, 2005
ISBN-13: 978-0060817084
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

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

John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with 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 grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, and stole women’s undergarments. Obedience school did no good — Marley was expelled.

But just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley remained a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit’s end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

Marley & Me is John Grogan’s funny, unforgettable tribute to this wonderful, wildly neurotic Lab and the meaning he brought to their lives.”

This book was very well written and very engaging. It is especially endearing to dog lovers or just pet lovers in general. Especially those who have dealt with difficult but lovable pets.

Grogon does a great job of creating a memorable memoire that shows how Marley affected every day of his family’s life. Part of this is how Marley, despite being very difficult, always contributed to the well-being of the family and was very loved and loved his people in return.

This book brought back fond memories for me of a difficult dog my husband and I adopted a few years after we married. This sweet girl of ours was trouble but ended up being the best dog we’d ever owned and was a faithful and protective companion for my son.

Anyone with difficult pets will get a laugh (and probably a cry) out of this book. Be warned the last couple chapters are tough especially if you’ve gone through losing a pet to the ailments of old age. However, the book ends on a hopeful note.

Overall this was a very engaging and well done memoir about pets. I enjoyed it a lot and would recommend to those who have dealt with difficult pets in the past or just like reading about pets in general.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Goodreads Reading Challenge
– Mount TBR Reading Challenge