Book Review “Marley & Me”

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I have never considered that a book about a dog could be so appealing and full of deep thoughts. But I changed my viewpoint after reading the autobiographical novel “Marley & Me” written by John Grogan which depicts an astonishing story about the neurotic and loyal, clumsy and loving dog named Marley. In fact, as the author mentioned in some interviews, he intended to write the “dog story”, but soon after he realized that it was impossible to do so without including the family life [2]. That is why the title “Marley & Me” encapsulates the main topic of the book such as the relationship between a human and a pet. To start with let me introduce main characters: John, Jenny, and Marley.

John and Jenny, newlywed couple began their family life in the little house in South Florida. Both had full time job in the local newspaper. One morning Jenny decided to get a dog to work on her parenting skills. They ended up bringing home the male puppy of Labrador retriever that seemed to be smitten with the couple with the first sight. The name “Marley” came out accidently, while Jenny was listening to a song from Bob Marley, and both Jenny and John shouted in unison that’s the dog’s name. Within weeks Marley grew tremendously. His active uncontrollable behavior affected the whole house. As a new boarder, Marley changed the family routine as well. Now John and Jenny had to walk the dog twice a day and come back on lunch break to feed him. Young Marley was so hyperactive and so excitable that the couple didn’t even realize that it was a symptom of the behavioral condition called attention deficit hyperactive disorder. Despite his behavior, the dog was serving an important role in the family. My observation the story through the book of growing up ...

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... the newspaper. I really recommend you read the last chapter of the book, where John collect essential moral of his novel. He explained what animal could teach to the human. John wrote about his relationship: “Mostly he [Marley] taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty”.

I liked Grogan’s humor and style of the writing and the way of describing the dog’s mood. For instance he used italic fonts to distinguish the dog’s replies or thoughts as if the dog said or thought something. I felt the author believed that a dog could be a central part of the family. This book taught me how to become a good owner of a dog. It is important to recognize that the owners have big responsibility for a dog’s life.

References

1. Marley & Me. John Grogan, Harper publisher, 2008, 295 p.

2. http://www.johngroganbooks.com/marley/index.html

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