One might not think of finding solitude, knowledge and loyalty from a wild, psychotic, but lovable, yellow lab named Marley. In John Grogan’s New York Times best seller, the real life tale of him and his four-legged companion, Marley & Me, one finds just that.
The non-fiction work starts out with the Grogan family, newly weds, who answer a classified ad in the Palm Beach Post. All the other pups were $ 375, but the one fanatic, golden furball, who appeared to be the goofiest and a high-energy pup, was relentless in capturing the hearts of the Grogans. This pup, the owner said, was all theirs for $ 350. And so the story began.
Marley & Me is ample in bumbling antics of the lab. By the end of chapter two, one will love and be thankful for not having the privilege to tame the beast. All animal lovers and non will relish in this novel, which is a story about a couple, who expand into a family, and their adventures with their one of a kind pooch.
Each chapter is a short anecdote, but when added up the chapters flow into each other rather nicely so as not to skip a beat in the exploits of Marley. There are heart warming elements that will leave the reader a little choked up and comical endeavors, described vividly.
The escapades of Marley include being cast in a movie, a tobogganing incident, a stabbing and the shared ups and downs of the Grogans, just to name a few. “…All we knew was that one instant we were sitting at a lovely outdoor table toasting the beautiful day, and the next our table was on the move, crashing its way through the sea of other tables, banging into innocent bystanders…I saw just where Marley was heading, table in tow. Fifty feet down the sidewalk, a delicate French poodle lingered in her owner’s side, nose in the air,” so describes one incident that the Grogan’s endured while eating outside with Marley in tow.
“It is amazing how much love and laughter they [dogs] bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them,” Grogan writes, and it’s true. This novel makes the reader imagine life with Marley, life with any creature, which brings so much love, satisfaction, friendship and compassion as Marley & Me brings.