Of course, this is a book about a dog’s entire lifetime, so there is an inevitable sad ending. The part where the author was trying to train the dog not to jump on people is the one that stands out in my memory as the most hilarious, but there were many instances where I had to stop and read parts to my husband because I thought they were so funny. There were parts of this book where I was literally laughing so hard that I cried. I own a mischievous yellow lab that is almost as crazy as Marley, so I could completely relate to his hijinks. If ever there was an appropriate time to use the old “I laughed, I cried” quote, this would be it. Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit’s end. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shared the couple’s joy at their first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over the miscarriage. Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, “Don’t hesitate to use these.”Īnd yet Marley’s heart was pure. Obedience school did no good-Marley was expelled. 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. Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. John and Jenny were just beginning their life together.

Marley & me book