#54 - Marley and Me

Book No: 54
Title: Marley & Me
Author: John Grogan
Genre: Memoir
Published: 2005
Obtained: 2007/Paperbackswap.com
Completed: 7/11/08
No. of Pages: 291
Rating: 3.5/5*****

I am not a big fan of animal books so I was prepared to not like this book, but it was a choice of my F2F book group. Although I love dogs, I didn’t want to read a memoir about ‘Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog”, sure it would be a sentimental remembrance that just wouldn’t appeal to me. So imagine my surprise as I was utterly captivated by the story of Marley, if not the world’s worst dog, surely a difficult one. A very large, headstrong and virtually untrainable Labrador retriever, Marley was also lovable, steadfast and the true definition of man’s best friend. His absolute joy for life and his love of his fmily came through on every page. Marley was not an idealized version of a dog, a Hollywood Lassie or Rin Tin Tin both of whom probably never sniffed anyone’s crotch. He had the heart of a puppy through all of his 12 years, but at 90 pounds his exuberance was often of a destructive nature. Marley hated thunderstorms, loved the ocean, was protective of his family and always ready with a big slobbery kiss. I give a lot of credit to the Grogan family for seeing the good in their beloved dog, he is the kind of adorable puppy that when grown often ends up back in a shelter. For all the love Marley gave them, they returned it in equal measure. A funny and thoroughly enjoyable memoir.