Marley & Me audiobook

This is the first book that has ever, and I emphasize EVER, made me laugh so hard and cry so much. All in one book!Marley & Me is the predictable and somewhat cliche story about a dog and his owner. If you pick up this book expecting a unique story, put it down and look for something else. If you pick up this book expecting to learn about how to train your dog, put it down and look for something else. If you pick up this book wanting to read a touching, but very entertaining story about being a dog owner, you've come to the right place.This book basically chronicles the Marley's life with the Grogan's from puppyhood to his last few breaths.Most of the negative reviews I've read about this book criticized the author's poor training methods. No one's perfect. And just like parents, dog owners can make mistakes too. Additionally, you can't celebrate life without understanding death, so to completely discredit this book because of Marley's inevitable end is to ignore one's own mortality.Overall this is a great book. You might not learn anything new (or for that matter, correct) about dog training, but you'll at least learn to appreciate the unconditional love and affection a canine companion can bring to one's life.

** spoiler alert ** I have a dog (my first) and like all good, over-excited, enthusiastic first-time parents, when I got it I had every intention of reading every single goddamned book on the topic. Marley & Me by John Grogan was the next on a long and ever-expanding list. It had been on the bestseller lists for quite a long time and so I was expecting it to be a light, enjoyable read. The kind palatable to the masses and easily read between Mitch Albom and Nicholas Sparks.With “Marley & Me,” I was expecting a dog book, a man’s book. I mean, right on the cover is a picture of a cute little puppy looking up at the camera with innocent, loving eyes and a subtitle reading, “Life And Love With The World’s Worst dog.” So I was expecting a book about a man and his dog.What I got was a book about marriage and babies, two things that gross me out. Two things that my feelings about rank somewhere between ironing shirts and slamming my penis in a sliding door.That being said, this book is very, very good. By page thirty-two, my eyes were welling with tears. The book actually ended up being a relatively slow read because I had to stop every other paragraph to lift weights, drink beer at a strip club, and watch kung fu movies in my underwear while eating a bowl of cereal for dinner. You see, “Marley & Me” is not a story about a man and his dog. “Marley & Me” is the story of a young married couple that adopts a dog. Like all good characters in good stories, this particular dog is not perfect. In fact, it’s an outrage. Marley is a barking, drooling, rampaging, gnawing, destroying, pillaging Viking of a dog. His energy is endless. He is kicked out of obedience school. He eats expensive necklaces. He rips apart furniture. He destroys an entire garage. He transforms into a howling terror of a werewolf during thunderstorms. He never stops. He is always moving, his frenetic tail constantly wagging and tipping over anything in its oscillating path.With Marley’s hyperactive and destructive back story carefully laid out, it is an emotional scene when the couple gets pregnant, only to lose the baby in the first trimester, and the mom comes home to be comforted by the surprisingly now-calm Marley with his big head on her lap and his still, patient body consolingly at her side. I am a non-breeder and when reading this scene I was an absolute mess. I was a thirteen-year-old girl saying goodbye to her friends at the end of summer camp. I was a mother at her daughter’s wedding ceremony. I was the girlfriend who didn’t get anything from her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. I was Meryl Streep in a Meryl Streep movie: weepy and distraught. Grogan poignantly balances the humor, stress, and satisfaction of pet ownership with a young wife as they transition into parenthood. His story is a pleasure to read in its effortless weaving of funny anecdotes, emotional growth, and the changing priorities that come with parenthood, all with an amusing animal for comic relief. Hollywood could not have done better.The Grogans get pregnant again and their birth story is one of the more interesting ones I have heard (again, I’m a non-breeder so hearing this kind of schmaltzy crap usually bores me to tears. Why do you tell me this stuff? What do you want me to say, “Congratulations, you successfully carried out a maneuver that baboons accomplish every goddamned day, but with less fanfare, books, websites, and talking?”) But the Grogan’s story is quite remarkable as it offers a unique window into the child birthing methods of America. Before the birth, they reserve and pay extra for an upgraded, special birthing suite. When the big day arrives, however, they arrive at the hospital to learn that all of these suites are full. “We can’t control when women go into labor,” a nurse tells them. Not only that, however, but all of the “normal” labor and delivery rooms are full as well. A few phone calls, some scrambling, and they are led into a completely different part of the hospital. The room they are put in is bare and unadorned, lacking the floral curtains, pastel pillows, and cushy couch for dad that they had expected from their pre-natal tour.The section they are in is for the poorer, mostly immigrant population of their southern Florida community. Seeing their dismay and concern, the Grogan’s doctor assures them that since the poor typically cannot afford prenatal care, they tend to have higher-risk pregnancies so their room was actually equipped with more specialized tools and instruments to prepare for these higher-risk deliveries. Also, these poorer immigrants cannot afford the expensive, pain-relieving epidurals that have become such a common part of births in America, so throughout their entire birth the Grogan’s are treated to the un-drugged screams and painful yelps of their impoverished neighbors. As a non-breeder and a bleeding heart liberal, all of this was thoroughly, thoroughly fascinating. Who would have thought? I open a book looking for a Jack London-esque dog story and get a socio-economic examination of the United States. Ah, books! And to think there’s more to this world than the news and current events I was getting from my usual two sources: The Daily Show With Jon Stewart and my pot dealer.From there, the story meanders down a gently twisting road into an enjoyable story of an American family, complete with happiness and sadness, disappointment and success, children and pet, jobs and vacations. The Grogans get pregnant again and with this baby mom goes into labor months too soon and is relegated to strict bed-rest to prevent a premature birth. A healthy baby boy is finally born at the same hospital and the day after Donald Trump’s baby. Afterwards, mom battles severe post-partum depression and demands that Marley be given away. At this point in the book, I remember silently chanting my encouragements to the narrator to “Get rid of the wife! Keep the dog! Keep the dog!” Ultimately, there was no need for such drastic measures, it’s too good and perfect of a story for tragedy. This story is one where wives and misbehaving dogs learn to live in harmony. There is the birth of a third kid (a girl!), a new job and move to Pennsylvania (complete with dog bellowing from the belly of the plane, serenading all un-amused passengers as his owners play dumb, feigning ignorance and similar disgust at such an obnoxious beast).And through all of this idyllic American family’s adventure and change, Marley is there, though growing ever older. Marley of course eventually trots into the sunset and my tears were plinking down on the pages the whole way, Grogan tugging every one of my heartstrings. Since I have gotten a dog, I have often remarked that they make great starter-kids. In fact, I have often wondered why parents bother upgrading to human children given that dogs are expensive, entertaining, time-consuming, and very rewarding.Now I know. Dogs die. We need something that will stick around a bit longer and wipe our ass.

Os Mestres Do Amor IncondicionalSeja na vida real, no cinema ou na literatura, os cães conquistam-nos!Partilham alegrias, consolam tristezas - são seres adoráveis e uma fonte inesgotável de amor incondicional.São peritos e mestres nessa arte e Marley não é excepção.Por estranho que pareça, o convívio continuado com o cão faz de nós, humanos mais humanos!...

What a beautiful book. I read this too soon after losing my 10 year old golden Labrador to cancer, so I found it made me extremely emotional. It's very well written and some of the antics of Marley are so typical of a young Labrador! Hilarious, heartbreaking and beautiful, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

Ahhh! I loved this book. I laughed, I cried, I remeneniced. I thought about my beloved black labrador, Duff. Just like John said, "They really are they when you need them." Duff was always there for me. Walks down the hill, over the streets, down by the Golf Course, with the sunsetting. Sitting on the couch together watching a movie. Sitting out on the hill, at my sunnyspot on the hill, writing or listening to music. Duff was always there. Sometimes he slept on my bed, but usually he had too many fleas. I fed him, gave him water, took him on the most walks out of all the family members, he helped me lose weight that way. Then he got sick in his old age, he was 13 years old. I was there for him during his last months. I was living at my parents house and happened to be dying. I took him on some of his last walks trhough the countryside. He would sniff the cows and they would try to knock him over, probably 'dumb old dog'. But he was ours. Michelle saved another dog from his viciuos tearing. I was too afraid to do it, but she just jumped in there and saved the dog. I mopped up Duff's 'who know' when he was too old to move. That is how much I cared about him. Dad would lift and carry him up and down the stairs. I would give him hugs. I loved his little face. He just celebrates my teenagehood for me. We got him when I was 11? and then he died when I was 24? I love Logan, but I really loved Duff. Probably because of our long walks we took together. Him and I would walk for hours on the ranch and I would let him chase things in the river or down the gravel path. I loved playing frisbee and ball with him when we lived at 5899 Marigold Ln at San Miguel Elementary, he was so good at it. He kept us safe too, in our house on the hill when my parents were out at business meetings until 2 or 3 in the morning, Duff was there and he watched over us all, barking at anyone that came to the door. He was one of the best things that happened to our family, one of the few things that made us 'normal' and human. I loved trips to Healdsburg memorial Beach with Duff and Dad. Jeff and Michelle would come too and we would play for hours at the river, Duff swimming, fetching sticks, and grabbing rocks in the water and struggling to bring them back to Dad. It was one of the times when my Dad was truly happy. If it wasn't for Duff, I don't know if we ever would have spent much time together as a family. He was a beautiful, genuine soul. He made my mom a Dog-Lover and I myself will always be a Dog Lover. I have a Dog personality, rather than a cat. Fun-loving, carefree, and free-spirited. Dogs rock! My favorite quote from the book is: "I have a theory, and writing the book sharpened it, that people can learn a lot from their dogs. Lessons on how to lead happier, more fulfillinf lives. Lessons for successful relationships. Think about it. Many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to dogs-loyalty, devotion, selflessness, unflagging optimisim, unqualified love-can be elusive to humans. My hunch is that people who act more loke dogs have happier marriages. That's assuming, of course, you don't marry someone who emulates cats. Then you're in trouble. Cats will outsmart dogs every time." Page 304Yes, I am a dog person, and yes, my first marriage was to a cat person! He has said he loves cats! So that's why it didn't work out! Now I look for someone that has that same free-spirited nature that I have. This book made me think about my beloved black lab. I pray that I can have my own black lab someday. I want one so bad! I need a house, a stable job to care for the dog, and time, as well as patience. It's funny because the way I think about having a dog is the same way most people think about having children, the responisbility factor. For me, having children, was like, yeah, let's just jump right in! Dogs, I know better, I know what it takes. I love this book and I am glad John Grogan wrote it. His memoir is so complete, moving, and beautiful. I want to live with that family. I want to be able to have Marley or Duff to lean on when times get hard. I absolutely love and cherish this book and will probably reread it just to live it all over again. I was at work when I was reading it and I was sitting there at my desk, literally sheding tears. No one saw me though! I also highly enjoy the fact that John is a journalist, editor, and columinst. He inspires me! I want to go to his book signing in November 2008 down in Corte Madera, I may actually go meet him, he is that good of an author and now one of my favorites! Love it, love it, love it!!!

This is just the kind of hilarious, fun book I like to read, but because I saw the movie, I almost never read books AFTER I’ve seen the movie. For me it’s the other way around: I read the book and see the movie, usually to see how much better the book was.It’s been a long time since I saw the movie, so I gave the book a chance, and I’m glad I did—the humor and endless comedy was a blast. Marley destroyed countless pieces of furniture and screen doors. He routinely ate things like parts of their stereo equipment and once, a gold necklace that was a gift from author John Grogen to his wife, Jenny. Grogen then reports in hilarious detail being on poop patrol in his attempt to rescue the expensive necklace from Marley’s prodigious defecation offerings to their backyard.Everything about the book is funny or touching. Even the birth of their first child was told in hysterical detail. Marley got kicked out of obedience school the first time for being too incorrigible. When they went back many months later, he did manage to pass—and he quickly snatched his diploma from John’s hands and ate it. If you’ve ever shared your life with a dog (even cats like to destroy plants, especially if they’re hanging and they can pounce on them from any surface and yank them out of the wall so you come home to dirt and plant shreddings spattered across your carpeting. They also like to topple books from shelves and sit on your keyboard while you’re on deadline for work), you’ll identify with the funny stories of how much work animal companions can be, and how much we miss them when they’re gone. If you live in a place that doesn’t allow animals, you’ll also feel a little better about how simple and unencumbered your life is, but you’ll feel a wistful sense of loss, too. For more of my reviews, please visit http://theresaalan.net/blog/

What a delightful book! Mr. John Brogan has penned a wonderful book chronicling the life of Marley and the evolution of the Brogan household. But wait, who was Marley! He is introduced as lively and cute puppy brought home by the young couple John and Jenny. Marley would grow into a huge and handsome Lab – a massive hulk of boundless nervous energy. Words such as discipline and obedience did not exist in his dictionary. He left behind a trail of destruction in his wake – he had cost the Brogan household a small fortune in damaged properties – been a source of public embarrassment many a times. Funny for the readers but just imagine the plight of the Brogans.At a point of time, even Jenny wanted to get rid of him. Only through John’s patience and efforts would the crisis be avoided. But, don’t get the impression that Marley was only a troublemaker. He always rose to the occasion when the situation demanded. He was the best therapy for providing emotional solace or could transform into a formidable protector if he sensed the Brogan’s were in danger.I will quote these comments to convey Marley’s importance to the Brogan family – “A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water logged stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if you're rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?”“He taught us the art of unqualified love. How to give it, how to accept it. Where there is that, most other pieces fall into place.” Some readers might wonder why I have given this book a 5 star rating. A very sensible thought, I agree. It is not what you could call a specimen of superior literary fiction. It just tells the story of a wild but very lovable dog. In my defense, it deserves the rating by merit of the sheer positive impact that the book has on numerous readers.If the book piques your interest, I would strongly recommend you to enjoy Marley’s hilarious adventures.

Marley and Me by John Grogan was such a good book!! This novel is told in the point of view of the author himself, John Grogan. The prologue itself had me crying when John was talking about his childhood dog. This story had it's laugh-out-loud moments, but at times it was so heartbreaking!! I can't believe I waited so long to read this story, but i'm so glad I decided to finally pick it up. What's not to love about a dog on the cover of a book? That's what really grabbed my attention. Expect to laugh, cry, and shake your head as you read this book. John and Jenny Grogan were just beginning their life together. John and Jenny both worked at a newspaper company in Florida, they were young and in love, with a perfect little bungalow and not a single care in the world. John and Jenny both had sweet pups when they were children, and decided to get a dog when they got married. John and Jenny brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a Labrador retriever puppy. Life would never be the same again. I thought Marley was such a sweet, fun, loving, and adorable dog. Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound steamroller of a retriever, a dog like no other, Marley was so unique is his own ways that nobody could ever understand. Marley crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung spit on people. stole women's undergarments, and ate everything he could get his mouth around, which includes couches and expensive jewelry. John and Jenny took Marley to obedience school to teach him to behave, but that did no good, Marley soon got expelled. But Marely's heart was so pure! Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, but his love and loyalty were just too boundless. Marley was a man's best friend, as John Grogan stated. I just wanted to jump into the book and hold Marley so close to my heart!!Marley shared John and Jenny's joy at their first pregnancy and their heartbreak over the miscarriage. Marley was there when Patrick, Conor, and Colleen were brought into the world. Marley was there when a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim's screams pierced the night. Marley was just always there. Marley shut down a public beach, and earned himself a role in a movie. Marley was always winning hearts, even with the messes he made. Marley taught the Grogan family unconditional love, and they would soon learn that love comes in many different forms. Marley and Me is a heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making, and a crazy, loving dog who taught the Grogan's what really matters in life.

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A water-logged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his."I never 'dog-ear' pages in the books I read. I like my books to remain looking as new as possible and I enjoy perfectly pressed paper with no hint of wear. Last night as I finished the last few pages of the book, "Marley & Me" I dog-eared two pages; very unlike me. I couldn't help it. I was so moved by Grogan's words that I wanted anyone (myself included) who read or re-read the book to be as moved as I was.This book for me was something special. I am stingy about giving 5 stars to any book I read. When I was about 2/3 of the way through, my husband asked me what I thought of the book. I hesitated before responding, "Uh, its alright". I was not overly impressed at that point. I was enjoying the story but I knew where it was heading. I knew I would finish the book with tears (which is not out of the ordinary for me). Sure enough, when I finished the book, tears streaming down my face I was sad it was finished and knew, for me, it was going to be a 5-star book. I was swept away with the writing and the story. It moved me emotionally and the more I think about it, the more I love it.The author, John Grogan, is the owner of the crazy dog and the storyteller. For his profession, Grogan is a columnist so he has amazing writing skill. I enjoyed his sarcastic humor and the creative way he told his story about Marley. My husband and I are non-pet owners and will likely remain so. We both work full time. We are clean freaks. We like to travel. That being said, my mind for a half of a second wanted to change as I dog-eared the second page:"He became part of our melded fabric, a tightly woven and inseparable strand in the weave that was us. Just as we had helped shape him into the family pet he would become, he helped to shape us, as well- as a couple, as parents, as animal lovers, as adults. Despite everything, all the disappointments and unmet expectations, Marley had given us a gift, at once priceless and free. He taught us the art of unqualified love. How to give it, how to accept it. Where there is that, most of the other pieces fall into place."I'm not sure I'll see the movie because I know the book is better. I don't have to see the movie to know that I already like the book more. A movie can't capture the thoughts of Marley's family like the book can. The movie will also lose the enchanting writing of very talented author.

** spoiler alert ** Marley is a lovable lab and the structural element around which Grogan writes his own coming of age story. Grogan and wife are reporters in south Florida, and take on the responsibility of a pooch as a way for his wife to see if she is up to the challenge of handling a baby. We follow Grogan as he tries to gain some control over the rambunctious Marley. He leads us through the life of a young couple as they try and fail to have a child, then try and try again, successfully. He shows us the changes in his neck of Florida, and the changes in Marley and his wife. We meet his babies and see how Marley attaches to them. It is a charming tale, warmly told, of a flawed but lovable pooch. It is no shock that this tale bolted its way to the top of the bestsellers’ list and would not let go. Eventually the family moves to Pennsylvania as Grogan takes over publishing duties for the Rodale Press. The Pennsylvania portion is definitely the lesser part here. Marley learns about snow and gets a taste of the Middle Atlantic, but all too soon he begins to go gray and soon after he begins a rapid medical decline. The final chapters address his demise. I was relating particularly to the passing of Bo, our alpha cat, while reading this, choking up the whole time. Grogan tacks on his take on what Marley taught his human masters. It was a bit maudlin, but what the heck. This is a very engaging and enjoyable read. Payload, such as it is, concerns dogs in general and labs in particular. But the joy here is the pure, untrammeled love of Marley for life and his loyalty to his family. Recommended. Carry tissues.

Review originally published January 2006 Animal lover, get ready to lose your heart to a dog when you read Marley & Me by John Grogan. At times, we all need to be reminded about things that really matter in life: loyalty, courage, devotion, simplicity, joy, and unconditional love. And Marley, a golden Labrador retriever, does an excellent job of reinforcing these values. John Grogan writes about the ups and downs of life with Marley, and tells a very enjoyable and heartwarming tale. Grogan is an expert at writing word pictures. Imagine reading: “Marley didn’t actually wag his tail. He more wagged his whole body, starting with the front shoulders and working backward. He was like the canine version of a Slinky.” I highly recommend Marley & Me to all readers. This book is catalogued as a nonfiction title, yet the book reads like a novel!Marley & Me is currently a title on the New York Times "Best Sellers List." All five La Crosse County Libraries post a copy of this list, and indicate which titles are owned by the libraries. You can request these books in person or by phone with your library card. We are happy to fill requests for readers as the books become available. Find this book and other titles within our catalog.

I purchased this book on the recommendation of a friend. As I also have a labrador retriever, I was intrigued to see how badly behaved this Marley was in comparison to my own lovable lab, but still inclined to behave badly when it suited him. There were just so many similarities between the two dogs but apart from that I loved the writing style and, for the most part, it was a great book.There's one paragraph that just sticks in my mind and I always look at this if I happen to be browsing through this book, or if I'm having a low period in my life: "As I wrote this farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us if we only opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with stinky breath and bad manners to help us see what really counts in life. Despite all his flaws, Marley had given us a gift that no amount of money could buy. He gave us the gift of total, complete love. He taught us how to give it and how to accept it. When you have love, most of the other pieces fall in place."A delightful read.

The funniest and saddest book I have ever read. John Grogan is a real bastard for making me laugh and cry so damn hard and he's amazing

** spoiler alert ** This book was great and gave me a real insight on what it would be like to have a dog. As a person who would like to own a dog when they get older, this book was a real joy because it shows how even though having a dog can be hard work, it pays off with the love and loyalty that dog gives. Most reviews of the book praise it but some criticize it because they say John and Jenny were terrible dog owners because they didn't treat Marley like a child. This is silly because Marley didn't need to be treated like a child and although he was still a bit crazy until the end, he changed a lot over the book. I think a reader who would enjoy this book is someone who likes books that are about dogs and ones that allow you to imagine scenes. What I mean by that is that when a scene was laid out in the book, I imagined it and the book gave me a good I,age of what must've happened. The dog lovers would like this book because, well, it's about a dog and his family who try to live with his craziness. I also think family oriented book readers would like this because a main theme of this book is the importance of family. I think there is a huge character development in the Grogan family and how over the course of the book, Jenny and John become great parents after dealing with Marley, and Marley becomes tame but still keeps his puppy attitude. All in all, this ok was great and it would have been even better if I could've related to this family even more than I had.

'In a world of bosses, you are your own master.' I rarely ever give 5/5 ratings on a book. Let alone on a memoir. But if I have to be honest, Marley & Me deserves it all. Hell, if I could rate this more than 5 stars I bloody damn would.This is the first non fiction book that I truly ever find delightful. It was such a joyride. I laughed out loud, snickered, made strangled *squeeeeeee* noises, and even shed a tear or two at the near ending. I'm the most dramatic, soppy reader ever and this review will be just that. Dramatic and perhaps a bit soppy (and maybe even non-sensical too because mind you, there will be a lot of gushings). I think I scared my mum while I read this because she threatened to lock me up in a mental hospital if I don't stop flailing around with this book and making weird cooing sounds. This is how much Marley the Dog affected me.I've read a few memoirs back then and they were depressing and gritty as fuck. I was only eleven when I read about the real life accounts of a Yakuza's daughter and then another memoir about a girl living in the same roof with an alcoholic mother. Right after I finished, I made a vow to never ever pick up another non-fic book. So when my sister bought Marley & Me a few years back, I blatantly ignored it. I did not even want to look at it. Thinking it will be uninteresting, depressing and boring. Now fast forward to the present, boy was I wrong about this book.John & Jenny were happily married. But when they brought home a labrador retriever puppy that came to be known as Marley (named after the celebrated singer Bob Marley) their lives were changed for good. What was once a little furball, Marley rapidly grew into a hyperactive 97 pounds of a dog. This same dog caused a wreck in their house; breaking furnitures, crashing screen doors, tearing cushions, gobbling up receipts, bottle caps (and other things) and he even figured out how to dug a hole in the wall. He humped strangers, stole food from unsuspecting kids, stuck his nose into poodle dogs's asses, and not even tranquiliser pills can get in his way. Heck, he even failed obedience school. He was one unstoppable machine.To other people, he may seemed like a wild, ferocious uncontrollable thing but to John and his family - to his readers Marley was anything but "..... a big, loving dope of a dog whose defense strategy against intruders would surely have been to lick them to death. But the prowlers and predators out there didn't need to know that. To them he was big, he was powerful, and he was unpredictably crazy. And that is how we like it." Marley reminded me that life is finite, that soon our mortality will catch up and death will be inevitable to stop. So why not try to enjoy every precious moments in life?I never for once owned a dog or a pet for that matter. I couldn't even take care of a fish. So I can't have known how the loss of a pet could affect me. I have never known that bond but when I read this book, I felt that connection between man and dog. The scene where Marley passed on jerked at my heartstrings and before I knew it I was crying Niagara Falls.Put aside Marley's awesomeness and you have John Grogan's excellent way of writing. Plus, his humour is simply gold. Two thumbs up!I'd recommend this to those who love dogs, owns dogs as pets or even those who wants to have a dog for their own. Read this, laugh out loud, join the ride.

4.5 stars I've simultaneously wanted to read and dreaded reading this book since I saw the movie adaptation and cried my eyes out in 2008. So when this book came into my life for the unbeatable price of $0.10, I had to grab it. And I'm so glad I did. Marley and Me is the tale of a dog who was approximately 50% goofball hyperactive energy and 50% love told through the eyes of an owner who embraced him for all that he was. The antics and ruckus caused by Marley, the nearly 100 lb yellow lab, are framed in a way that is sweet and endearing. I can't say as I agree 100% with every single action taken or statement made by the Grogan family, but I appreciate the way in which they loved their dog for all that he was. It showed throughout this reflective collection of Marley's life. There were a few chapters where the author wandered a bit off track and maybe got a bit self indulgent with details of himself when the book's central focus was meant to be Marley and Marley's impact on their family. This was the main event most of the time, but I did feel a little bit pulled out of the stories he was telling when it went into great detail about things such as the ways he would spend his days adventuring around to write columns as a journalist. Aside from this, I found the writing very witty, clever, and engaging. This book delivered on all fronts: I laughed, I cried, I mourned, I rejoiced. Dogs are truly amazing creatures! (Especially Labrador retrievers, the lovable rascals.)