Customer Reviews

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

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I just finished Marley and Me last night. I picked it up last weekend at Barnes & Noble as I was walking near the magazines. The adorable photo on the cover caught my eye....they had a display of the book out in the open. Being an avid animal and dog lover, I couldn't pass it up.

Needless to say, I devoured the book in two days. I loved it. To me it was so refreshing to see such commitment in another dog owner. I have always believed that when you adopt a pet it should be part of the family, and it is a lifelong commitment. You don't give up and get rid of them, just because of hard times or problems.

I applaud Mr. Grogan, and his family, for being the kind of people who love and care for their dog friends and for writing such a heartfelt tribute to his pal, Marley. Pets ask for so little and return so much.

I have had many dogs and I always get a kick out of the commercial on TV for a new ziplock dogfood bag for a certain chow...they use the expression "Dogs Rule". How perfect. There is nothing quite like having a dog, whether they have impeccable manners or not.

I laughed and I cried and I understood everything that Mr. Grogan had to say. I also live in Florida so I felt a special connection to the Grogans when they were speaking of the culture here and the thunderstorms--and how dogs hate them.

All in all, Mr. Grogan's writing is clear and interesting and down to earth. I couldn't put the book down. It is a joy.

I even went so far and to visit the website he has listed in the book. There was an email address to write to him, which I did, and I was absolutely amazed when Mr. Grogan wrote back to me three hours later to thank me for my nice comments.

Do yourself a favor and read the book.....you'll close it in the end and your heart will feel like it is too large to fit inside your chest.

Don't ever confuse Lassie with Marley. Minding was something Marley couldn't quite manage - this is despite obedience school and concerted efforts by his adoptive parents, John and Jenny. Marley was a Lab with few of a Labrador Retriever with few of a Lab's characteristics. He was 97 pounds of almost non-stop accidents waiting to happen. Actually, John and Jenny wouldn't have had him any other way nor would we. His heart was huge and his love boundless despite his lack of social graces (sniffing crotches is definitely unacceptable as is swallowing costly uneatable items).

In retrospect, John can remember Jenny's reasoning - they were newly married and she thought having a puppy would be good training to caring for children when they came along. He writes, "If Jenny really only wanted a dog to hone her parenting skills, I would have tried to talk her off the ledge and maybe placate her with a goldfish."

They both had full-time jobs and knew that a dog was a large responsibility. But, they both also had happy memories of having a dog when they were children. So, their decision was made and Marley was their pick of the wriggling, furry litter. Little did they know. (Even though upon first meeting Marley all but chewed his way through John's watchband.)

"Marley & Me" is so much more than the story of a lovable canine, it's the story of a family - how they grew together, their celebrations and their griefs. It's also a tale sure to provoke both laughter and tears.

Don't miss it, especially as read by the author.

- Gail Cooke

I bought this book really not knowing anything about it, but loved the title. I can honestly say this is one of the best books I have ever read, anyone who is a dog lover I am confident will agree. I laughed, I was touched, and I cried, oh boy did I cry!! I just related to this true story in a way I have never related to a book before, and I felt as though I had become part of the Grogan family in some small way. It is an easy read, but very entertaining, and most enjoyable.

I was looking for some light reading and I thought this would be an uplifting story about a man and his dog. Mr. Grogan has a writing style similar to Dave Berry, so it is a funny and engaging style. While some parts were kind of cute, unfortunately, some of the things I read about how Marley was treated bothered me very much. I'm not an animal rights extremist, but I feel strongly enough about what I read that I have written a rather long explanation of why I had this reaction. If you are a dog-lover, and what you read below doesn't bother you, then you may just enjoy the book. But at least you'll know what you're getting in to before you buy it. Here are 5 key problems I had with it...

1. Mr. and Mrs. Grogan chose to get a dog on impulse. Despite the fact they had little space and less time for a dog in their lives, they chose a breed of dog that is well known for its size, hyperactivity, and desperate need for attention. The consequences of their lack of forethought is the grist for this book. Unbelievably, they blame Marley for the problems that ensue.

2. And the breeder was unconcerned about Marley's welfare in her eagerness to make a sale. Unlike the SPCA where I got my dog, she failed to ask (or care about) whether the Grogans could provide a place for Marley to run.

3. You'll discover that while the Grogans were working Marley was locked in their otherwise empty, one-car garage. This garage in Florida, had a concrete floor and walls and I think it is safe to assume, it wasn't air-conditioned. Mr. Grogan himself refers to this space as "the bunker". One can only imagine how hot this space got. Not to mention that this is where this hyperactive, attention-craving dog spent most of his time.

To make matters even worse, Marley reacted so badly to the frequent thunderstorms that swept the area that on several occasions he badly bloodied his paws and broke his teeth in terror as he tried to claw or bite his way out of the bunker. The Grogan's solution to this problem was to toss him a "doggie-downer" pill on the days they expected a thunderstorm, and then it was 'lock-up' time in the bunker.

4. At one point, Mrs. Grogan (in a fit of anger Mr. Grogan rather generously blames on post-partum depression) had grown so tired of Marley's destruction of the things in their house, she ended up "beating" (his words) Marley and demanding that Mr. Grogan get rid of the dog. Mr. Grogan makes clear that she didn't care how he did this. To his credit, Mr. Grogan didn't get rid of Marley or have him put down, as many people would have done. Instead, he resumed his on-again off-again attempts to turn Marley into a house dog. It was painful to hear the description of the author's heavy handed (and I suspect, improper) use of the choke chain to accomplish this goal, especially as he told the story in a 'isn't that cute' style.

5. Finally, the most disappointing and disturbing point in the book came at the end. The Grogans knew very well that Marley panicked when kenneled. They knew he was stressed so much that his stomach would bloat and jeopardize his life...even when Marley was a young, healthy dog. So, when Marley had become old and nearly immobilized by arthritis, what did the Grogans decide to do when they wanted to take a trip to Disneyland? You guessed it.... they kenneled Marley. It is months since I've read this book and I still don't want to think about this part of it.

Although it is strange to say, I really do believe that the Grogan's loved Marley very much, and that wonderful dumb lug of a dog loved them too. But it is so sad to think of how much pain Marley endured at the hands of these narcissistic, thoughtless people in exchange for the unbounded love he gave them.

I checked this abridged audio book version out at my local library; after listening to "Marley and Me," I am relieved I did not give my money to Mr. Grogan. Sure, I expected a heart-breaking tale about the relationship between Marley and his owner. But it was heart-breaking in an unexpected way.

Mr. Grogan painted a picture of a laughably ignorant couple who get a Labrador puppy as "training" for raising children. I guess he must have meant it to be funny in a boy-did-we-get-in-over-our-heads kind of way. I didn't think any of it was funny. In fact, I was horrified.

Bottom line: Mr. Grogan and his wife treated Marley cruelly. He and his wife initially got Marley to serve their needs, yet they completely ignored Marley's needs (more exercise than lunchtime breaks from his kennel, repeated kenneling despite Marley's anxiety, providing no safe haven during storms, etc.). I am appalled at the great number of people seem to love this book. Marley was NOT "the world's worst dog," or even a bad dog. Marley was an American (Grogan presumes) Labrador retriever, with normal urges, instincts, and, yes, some quirks - but these quirks should have been treated with compassion, not eye-rolling, annoyance, or a "He's our cross to bear!" kind of attitude. Newsflash, Grogan: Marley was a D-O-G. Marley couldn't articulate his fears or his needs. It was your duty as a dog owner to provide a safe, structured home for Marley, and when you didn't, Marley acted out the only way Marley could.

A dog's owner is the center of the dog's universe. The dog yearns only for the companionship and approval of its owner. Mr. Grogan's wife callously punched Marley when she was suffering from postpartum depression, they left Marley alone to go to Disneyland when he was elderly and ailing, and they repeatedly put Marley into situations that frightened him.

After I read this book, I wondered why Mr. Grogan would publish something that so obviously comes across as masturbatory and ignorant. Mr. Grogan should have been too ashamed of himself to release this book.

Mr. Grogan has a very engaging writing style. I wanted to read about these 14 years in this family's life and, in fact, completed the book in a day. On the one hand, I enjoyed sharing their life.

At the same time, I cringed throughout. I don't think any book has better demonstrated how, if you raise a puppy without rules, you get an unruly dog. Yet in tragically typical American fashion, the dog gets the blame. This family made so many mistakes with Marley from day 1, when they unwittingly bought a field Lab to live in their 2-bedroom home. If only this poor dog was taught - with consistency and kindness - at a young age how to behave, he would not have spent 12+ years being swatted and strangled (author's own word, and an apt description of choke chains). For months his jumping up is cute puppy antics, then suddenly it is unacceptble and earns him a knee in the chest. Never did they bother to TEACH Marley a better way. How these people, who seem both kind and intelligent, decided that how they raised this dog proved with they would be great parents.... Fortunately, they were great parents, because most people would never treat their kids the way they treat their dog. Thank heaven Labs are so tolerant and loyal that they put up with it.

Bottom line, read this book as an easy, interesting portrait of a typical family (3 kids and a Lab, how more American can it get?). But when it comes time to raise your own dog, keep Marley in mind and buy Dr. Ian Dunbar's books.

I eagerly devoured this book and chuckled along the way but toward the end, found myself really disliking the author for the way he handled Marley's last days. He sets the reader up to believe that Marley is his buddy, his pet, his loyal companion and yet when the old dog's health is failing, he manages to head to Disney for a week AND even when he gets a call on his way home that Marley is near death, decides to leave the poor dog at the kennel another day. When Marley's hips get bad, Grogan's not there carrying him up the stairs but instead, calling to him from the top "come on boy!" as the dog makes a pitiful attempt to go up to be with his owners. There are several mentions toward the end of Marley being sent to a kennel and Grogan "waiting for the call." I don't know about you, but even I (a person who is by no means an out & out dog LOVER), wouldn't sell out my dog this way. I just thought he and his wife seemed kind of cold about it all in the end. I got a feeling this Grogan is an ego-maniac, not unlike other columnists I've read, like Mitch Albom. It all seemed a little self serving, like Grogan was taking notes on his life with the dog just to get fodder for this book...he knew if he wrote it, he could suck in all the dog lovers out there and make a tidy profit. I read my copy on a library loan. But anyway, cute book but sketchy author w/questionable motives.

I only read half of this book. I stopped after the first 100 pages when I felt I read enough to decide I didn't like it, and then read the last 20 pages to see how it ended. I think this is enough to offer a fair assessment.

Marley sounds like an amusing guy; but I think pets are like kids - you don't get nearly as much joy from people telling you stories about their kids as you do from watching your own. I have dogs whom I love very much, and often things they do I find to be very entertaining even though others might not derive the same level of enjoyment if I were to tell them all about it. For this reason, there are no parts of the book that are truly funny. Perhaps I would have laughed at some parts of the book if Marley was my dog, or if I at least knew Marley - but he's not, and I don't.

Unfortunately, this isn't what I disliked most about the book. What really stands out is that the author and his wife are horrible pet owners. At best they are negligent parents. More accurately, I think quite a bit of their behavior borders on animal abuse. In the half of the book I read, they did the following:

* Decided to get a dog for purely selfish purposes (parental practice)
* Read nothing about the breed before choosing to adopt a Lab
* Failed to do any research into the breeder
* Failed to seek out a trainer to work with Marley's quirks despite obvious behavioral issues
* Failed to provide Marley with adequate protection from storms which completely terrified him
* Used a choker with zeal, while almost deriving joy from Marley's near self strangulation
* Allowed Marley to escape from a moving vehicle, seemingly finding humor in Marley hanging out a moving car by his collar

The worst part comes at the end. During the last few weeks of his life, Marley becomes very sick. What does the author do? He leaves the dog at the vet's office and packs the family into the van for a Disney vacation. Fortunately he gets back just in time to have Marley put down. I then get the impression that he expects us to feel sorrow for his loss.

I can't imagine going on vacation while either of my pets are left, deathly ill, at the vet's office. I had already developed a strong dislike for the author's idea of pet care. This last incident really validated that opinion.

Curiously, this was one of the best selling books of 2006. I find that frustrating, as I came away from the book with a very bad opinion of the author. To have him treat his best friend so poorly and then to profit so much from it proves there is no such thing as karma.

I stumbled upon this book in the bookstore and was hesitant in buying it. Afterall, what kind of book is this for a mid 40's sports junkie? I've got to tell you, Marley & Me is exactly what I needed. It's about an adventure with mans best friend -- his dog and the development of life itself. From getting married, to choosing a puppy, to having kids, to career changes to watching your "best friend" get old. Marley & Me touches on all of this with the dog being the subject. Marley & Me is a fun and fast reading novel. It is easy to read and expertly captures the emotions of the dog owners. If you looking for some light reading reading this holiday season and a book guaranteed to put a smile on your face and possibly a tear in your eye -- then read Marley & Me. It surely makes me appreciate my two cocker spaniels that much more.

"Marley & Me" brings home the reality of expanding your human family with a canine. The same as bringing home a newborn, it's more work than you may think. John Grogan gives the reader an intimate look at his beloved dog's dark side and at his family's unlimited love for this destructive pooch. Dog lovers will understand the dedication and patience it takes and this story will have you laughing out loud. It's also an excellent start for anyone thinking of getting their first pup. You should see all the bad before falling in love with that sleepy little fur ball. They grow fast and furious and getting a glimpse of the end result might save those with less stamina than John Grogan, a trip to the pound.