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(1308 reviews)
Editorial Review: The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the
wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life
John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.
Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good—Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, "Don't hesitate to use these."
And yet Marley's heart was pure. Just as he joyfully refused ...
Customer Reviews:
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
Finally, a dog that explains my love for my "terrible" dog..., 2008-07-07
Whenever I speak to someone about my dog, the person invariably responds with some variation of one of the three following questions:
(1) Have you tried hiring a professional trainer?
(2) Have you tried using a _______ (insert canine control device here; i.e., Halti Head Harness, choke collar, anti-pull harness, zapper collar, citronella collar, dog whistle, clicker, etc...)?
(3) Is he neutered?
The answer to all three of these questions is yes, in whatever form they are asked. We have tried it all, and we still can't have houseguests without warning the people ahead of time NOT to wear open-toed shoes and, despite the fact that we live in Florida and it's 90-plus degrees, long pants would be advisable. Not suprisingly, we have very few visitors.
My dog, Cyrus, has done all of the terrible things a dog can do. He flipped over a table he was tethered to at Starbucks, and then dragged it across the patio until it became jammed between two other tables he took out along the way. He has, much to the chagrin of her mother, humped a five year old in front of a large gathering of people (interestingly, that was the only person he ever tried it on). He has been rejected (yes, flat-out rejected) from a canine "boot camp," which we drove three hours to just for an interview. He has nearly jumped out of the car window while we were traveling at a high rate of speed. He has broken his leash and charged off in random directions to see random people, usually scaring the bejesus out of whoever he decided to go visit. And he has eaten every imaginable object a dog can possibly eat. And when I say every, I mean EVERY. Area rugs, shampoo, sleeves off of shirts, shoelaces (but never shoes themselves for some odd reason), underwear, tea towels, coasters, books, drywall (he chewed a hole through a wall in our apartment one afternoon while I was grocery shopping), window blinds, two broiler pans, Chef Boyardee cans, an entire set of steak knives (only the handles, though, THANK GOD), dirty Kleenex by the pound, toothbrushes, spools of thread, and all of the embarassing stuff that ends up in the bathroom garbage. And the best part of that is that whatever embarassing object it is will ALWAYS get stuck on its way out, thereby requiring me to assist in its removal. In public. There are few things more humbling that removing a feminine hygiene product from your dog's butt five feet away from your apartment complex's pool while several horrified people look on.
My friend Barb still describes him as "the dog who ate a car stereo." And it's true. He did. Box and all. In his medical records, there is a note in the margin, handwritten by my vet. It says, "PICA?!?!" I would say, although he has outgrown it for the most part (except for the bathroom garbage), that the answer to that was, at one time, a definite yes.
In spite of all that, or maybe because of that, I love him. I love everything about him. The way he smells when he needs a bath. The way he sneezes in my face when smoke from my cigarette drifts to close to his face. The way he snores so loudly that I have to have a fan on my nighstand running all night to block out the noise. The way he smacks me awake while I'm sleeping so I will lift up the covers for him to climb under them.
And I also love the way he snuggles up to me at night, that he loves to sleep in late, the fact that he is always severely distressed by me crying, that he will give hugs and kisses upon request, that he will do anything to protect me, and that, no matter how much of a piece of crap I feel like, he is so excited to see me when I get home that dancing and doing laps around the house are the only adequate ways to express his joy.
The reson why I love this book so much is that it finally proves my theory that there are other people out there like me--people who love a dog that someone else--okay, maybe the rest of the US population--would describe as "terrible" or "horrible" or, GASP, even "incorrigable"--a favorite of his last trainer. And despite the fact that he is not Cesar Milan-approved, he is still, to me, the best dog in the entire world. I would never trade him in for Lassie or Rin-Tin-Tin. I mean, how many times did Timmy have to rush Lassie to the vet at 3AM because she decided that the Windex she stole from under the sink looked delicious? Perfection is boring. It is our flaws that make us unique, and it is adoration of those flaws that make us loved. The same is true with dogs.
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
Story draws you in and doesn't let go, 2008-06-29
This was the first book I purchased for my new Amazon Kindle - and I could hardly put it down - from the begining John Grogan draws you into Marley's world of mischief. As I finished the book, i could barely see the words for the tears in my eyes - this is a wonderful heartwaming, laugh outloud story told by a master storyteller. I highly recommend it.
2 of 2 found this review helpful:
Touching in an ordinary everyday life sort of way..., 2008-06-29
I loved this book. It made me laugh and cry (sometimes within pages of each other). The twists and turns of the story are John Grogan and his family's everyday twists and turns. That is the beauty of the story.
As we live our "ordinary" everyday lives we are creating powerful memories that shape who we are as people. When we tell of our memories they can, as in Grogan's case, shape other peoples lives as well. Marley & Me is a touching story full of beautiful memories that are worth sharing.
Hurley Dog Chew Toy: Aqua Blue (Large)Eco Slumber Pet Bed (XLarge)Tux Dog Treat Chew Toy: TangerineZisc Flying Disc Dog Toy: Granny SmithEco Nap Earth Friendly Pet Bed: Burnt Orange (Large)Orbee-Tuff Ball with Rope: Blue/Green (Medium)Orbee-Tuff Ball with Rope: Glow/Orange (Medium)Hemp Eco Friendly Dog Bone Toy: Chocolate (Large)
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
Nothing special here, 2008-06-28
I was forced to listen to the audio book version of this. If you find Grogan annoying throughout the book, wait till you have to listen to his voice (yes, he reads it).
Basically, the guy writes an autobiography. And his dog Marley was evidently a part of it. I might try the same when I get a dog because there is nothing special about this story so hopefully my ordinary life can sell a bunch of books too. It's not like this dog saves the world or anything. It's also not like he's that big of a terror either. The heinous acts of Marley are for a large part quite cliche and you could probably see them all by watching an afternoon of TV (the bedroom scene comes to mind...how often have we seen that?).
The author complains about how awful this dog is, but it seems like he's probably the bigger problem. The dog was not trained or disciplined but constantly spoiled from the sounds of it. They 'gave up' on obedience school.
Overall, skip this one. I'm not an expert on sentimental dog books but I bet there's a better one out there.
0 of 0 found this review helpful:
Not just for dog lovers, 2008-06-27
This is truly a wonderful book. Although it is emotional, and I had to put it down twice because it hit me that hard, I would recommend this book to everyone. It is very well written. You will find yourself laughing out loud and crying with this book. It is a great life story - not just about his dog...
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