Customer Reviews

Marley & Me

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Has anyone ever thought about what it would be like to live with the world's worst dog? By reading this book the reader may just start to be able to understand what it would feel like. I haven't read a book with so much great detail in a long time, and "Marley and Me" by Josh Grogan is just that kind of book. Josh Grogan, born in Motor City, Detroit, Michigan, is also the author of his own memoir, "The Longest Trip" Home, and has loved writing since he was young. As I read, I felt many different emotions that always made me want to keep reading. The story goes through the good, the bad, and the down right crazy things that can happen with the worst dog in the world.

At times, this book reminded me about my own dog and how much trouble she gets into. Dogs, and any animal for that matter, are just so unpredictable and have so much more to them that meets the eye. Josh Grogan does a perfect job of explaining the life of a dog, especially one like Marley. Without the immense attention to detail in the way that Marley acts and the emotions of Jack and Jenny(the couple that owns Marley) the book would not have expressed the same amount of feeling as it does.

By no means am I the big reader type who just loves to read books. When I get assigned to read a book for homework I absolutely dread it and usually wait until the last minute. This time was a little different because the movie had recently come out and I was interested in reading what it was all about. I started reading the book to see if I liked it enough to keep reading it. The first chapter had me hooked and I was excited to read on.
Each time I read another chapter I got more and more attached to the book until I was finished.

This book was a roller coaster of emotions but all in all extremely good. I never thought that I would love this book as much as I did and I'm sure that anyone else would agree. This is a perfect book for dog lovers and anyone who is in the mood for a heart felt story. "Marley and Me" is the perfect family story that will leave you with a warm heart and maybe even a few tears.

Definitely a must read, don't miss it.

This book was awesome! It was so cute, I laughed out loud so many times..... and cried. It was so great, and as another comment said, it IS extremely readable, you will love this story. HIGHLY recommend!!

This book is a well written story about a mischievous dog named Marley. His owners really had a lot of patience and love for this dog. I believe we all admire a little bit of "outlaw" even in our animals. Nice story.

I recently read the book, Marley and Me, written by John Grogan, and I believe it to be a most excellent book. This story is about a couple, John and his wife Jenny, and their family's adventures with their new puppy, Marley. What I liked most about this book, was the believability of the story. I also have a dog, and over the twelve years we have had Lady, we have gone through several of those embarrassing situations described in the book. Although, none of our experiences were as extreme as the time Marley dragged the entire table away at the restaurant. Many times our dog has gone crazy and run into the middle of the street, chasing an object that was not there, and dragging whoever was unlucky enough to be holding her leash.

John and Marley develop a strong bond as the years went by. With what I dissected from the story, Marley is the kind of dog that people, once they discover they have pets like that, immediately give up and practically send their pet out into the street. However, John did the opposite. John worked constantly with Marley while he was still a puppy, even after they were expelled from Obedience School, and eventually got Marley to learn the basic commands, (Sit, speak, lie down, roll over, etc.) along with more fun and unusual tricks mentioned in the book, that he would show guests at parties. I believe John wrote this wonderful story not only to show the world the "World's Worst Dog," but to explain honor, friendship, loyalty, and heartache, like when Jenny lost her first child. He accomplished this goal perfectly, explaining each part of the story as it was, and from what I have read, not leaving a single detail unrecorded.

To the other people that reviewed Marley and Me, I believe that we all would recommend this book, but as Emilee said, she believes it is not an appropriate reading choice for six year olds. To this I would absolutely agree. There are many chapters that involve adult themes that younger children will not understand. Contradicting her age choice, I would recommend this book for children over the age of eight, and closer to eleven or twelve. At this older age, children have a higher comprehension for vocabulary and some of the themes will be more easily accepted. I would definitely recommend this book to all students in Middle School, and High School.

I truly enjoyed this book. It always kept me asking for more and wondering what that rambunctious puppy was about to do next.

I bought this book when it first came out (actually have a first edition) and I just now read it. I am a huge dog lover and put off reading it because I was worried about how it would end. I finally decided to read it before the movie comes out because movies usually ruin books.

I truly enjoyed this book. Grogan is a true story teller. He writes in a way to keep the reader interested and anxious to hear more. As other readers have said he talks about his family and their complaints were that the book is supposed to be about the dog. Well, the dog is part of the family. As with any family whose animals are part of the family, they also go through the ups and downs of life. There were parts of this book that I actually laughed out loud. This is a must read!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I'VE GIVEN IT TO SEVERAL PEOPLE WHHO AGREED WITH ME. THIS NON-FICTION "STORY" WAS VERY FUNNY, HEART BREAKING AND ULTIMATELY HOPEFUL. GREAT LOVE FOR ANIMALS IS WELL SHOWN WITH HUMOR AND SOME PATHOS. IT'S EXTREMELY READABLE--ONE OF MY SONS WHHO HASN'T READ A FULL BOOK IN TWENTY YEARS (BRAIN TRAUMA) READ THE ENTIRE BOOK AND LOVED IT.

I, like most dog owners, relate to the experiences that Marley and John Grogan share, and I found the book able to entertainingly express the joy, sadness, as well as the challenges of sharing life with man's best friend. It's a great book for both dog owners and non-owners to share the little moments of life that often make up our most fond memories.

Given that, I gave the book 4 stars because the book left me wanting just a little bit more. To me it was another book about pets and for the most part very predictable.

The book is a quick read, and it's probably worth adding to your reading list if animal stories are your type of thing. I would also recommend "Merle's Door" by Ted Kerasote as a different twist on life shared with a dog.

Happy reading. I hope your dog is cuddled next to you.

What a great read. I laughed and cried, sometimes together, and thoroughly enjoyed reading this great book. As a dog owner myself, I related to so much of the story, and found many of my dog's characteristics in Marley. I feel like being a dog owner puts you in a special club, and it's a club I'm so glad to be a part of. I can't imagine my life without my little furry friend. What a touching memoir about man's best friend.

Loved the book; loved how John Grogan writes; he was descriptive: funny, warm, sad - all in one book. The book meant a lot to me as I put my 11 yr. old German Shepherd down a few days ago. Grogan's words spoke to me as to what I might possible expect during the whole process. My heart is breaking now, however, I realize that my precious "boy" is without pain in his hind legs now, and we will get another "angel on 4 legs" in the future.

Only made it half way through the book, bored me after a while and saw where the story was going. Cute movie and still liked the concept of the story.