This picture is of my dog Phil and I am so proud of him. He brings me comfort when I am sad, a snuggle when I am cold, and when I look at him I know that he truly loves me because that’s what the expression is in his eyes. So dear reader if you are an animal lover like myself, I have a very good choice for you. The book is Marley & Me by John Grogan. Now I am going to be honest with you, it took me a long time before I actually decided that I was going to buy it. I pondered as to A)how it would be written, B)how the story would flow, C) and honestly, whether it would be really good and be worth the full price I would have had to pay if I bought it when it first came out. Luckily for me, and the book too I guess you could say, it got to be a bestseller at chapters and there was 30% off the original price, and me being an irewards member I get the extra 10% off, (a whole 40% off for wee old me, that’s good because I buy enough books from chapters, I am probably one of their main supports!). The story is a biography about Marley, John Grogan (the author), his dog. Marley is a very interesting specimen of a Labrador Retriever. He has non-stop energy, loves people, is outgoing, and completely crazy and silly. The sorts of trouble he gets himself into are totally unbelievable and have the reader laughing to themselves quite frequently (or at least that’s how it was for me. You learn about Marley from when he is 8 weeks old to 13 years old (which is a really long life for a Lab.). I will admit I didn’t read through this book as fast as usual because I got a little bit bored with it in the middle but especially at the end, I was reading the book like a trooper. In a strange sense Marley was like the cartoon Marmaduke in the way that he would always be into something or being naughty. Marley and the author hadn’t an instant bond from the very first night he was brought home to the day he died. The author’s wife, Jenny, also was welled bonded with Marley but nothing could break the love Marley had for the author. An example of Marley taking care of Jenny would be that he watched over her and never left her side after she mis-carried her first ‘child’. Jenny would wake up every morning sobbing and inconsolable, Marley would be instantly by her side and she would wrap her arms around him and cry into his furry neck. Marley took care of Jenny and the favour was returned later in the book as Marley aged. The end of the book was very special to me because it made me think of my first dog and my dog(s) that I have now. I value each day of their lives and love them with all my heart. The ending had me in tears, and I don’t usually cry when I am reading (because I am the ‘cold, unfeeling’ type). The ending also showed appreciation for the bond that any animal lover has with said pet, no matter what they have done in the past or present.
Some quotes that I thought I would like to mention are below.
1. Author and wife reminiscing on what his mother had said about the children growing up.
“We both rolled our eyes when my old-school mother clucked at us, “Enjoy them while you can because they’ll be growing up before you know it”. Now, even just a few years into it, we were realizing she was right. Hers was a well-worn cliché but one we could already see was steeped in truth. The boys were growing up fast, and each week ended another little chapter that could never again be revisited. On week Patrick was sucking his thumb, the next he had weaned himself of it forever. One week Conor was our baby in a crib; the next he was a little boy using a toddler bed for a trampoline. Patrick was unable to pronounce the L sound, and when women would coo over him, as they often did, he would put his fists on his hips, stick out his lip, and say, “Dos yadies are yaughing at me.” I always meant to get in videotape, but one day the L’s came out perfectly, and that was that. For months we could not get Conor out of his superman pajamas. He would race through the house, cape flapping behind him, yelling “Me Stupe Man!” And then it was over, another missed video moment.”
I chose this quote because it truly does say something about the moments that children create. It’s almost like the quote relating to some of the smartest things come out of the mouths of babes (it’s like that or a little different but you get the idea). The author was always talking about his family and how they were with the dog, this was one of the few quotes and sections of the book that had not a lot to do with Marley. I just liked how his mum made the statement and then immediately things started happening that would never be done again by the kids. Strange little creatures, kids, are; most humans are creatures of habit, but I think kids a totally different ball game.
2. Author thinking about Marley and how he had truly become a part of the family.
“Marley had earned his place in our family. Like a quirky but beloved uncle, he was what he was. He would never be Lassie or Benji or Old Yeller; he would never reach Westminster or even the county fair. We knew that now. We accepted him for the dog he was, and loved him all the more for it.”
This is self explanatory. They realized that all the dreams they had when they first got Marley were unattainable because of his behaviour and how outgoing he was, but even still, in my mind that made him more special then all the famous pooches.
3. Author speaking to Marley, Marley at this point is older in the book and just escaped death’s door.
“I pulled his head up and made him look me in the eyes. “You’re going to tell me when it’s time, right? I said, more a statement than a question. I didn’t want to have a make the decision on my own. “You’ll let me know, won’t you?””
This relates to a point that I hold very dear to my heart. When animals have been so good over the years and done a service whether voluntary or not, they deserve to die with dignity. If that means putting them to sleep instead of letting them suffer, then my belief that putting them to sleep is the most humane thing you can do for them. If you truly love your pet(s) you wouldn’t want them to suffer, and as hard as it is to say good bye you know that you are doing the right thing. I really felt for the author at this time in the book because he knew Marley’s time would be coming to an end and he didn’t want him to suffer, even though he loved Marley as much as one of his children.
4. Author talking about how he wanted to write an article for work as a tribute to Marley and his life, and what he contents might be.
“What I really wanted to say was how this animal had touched our souls and taught us some of the most import lessons of our lives. “A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours,” I wrote. “Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things – a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.”
It was an amazing concept that I was only now, in the wake of his death fully absorbing: Marley as a mentor. As teacher and role model. Was it possible for a dog – any dog, but especially a nutty, wildly uncontrollable one like ours – to point humans to the things that really mattered in life? I believed it was. Loyalty. Courage. Devotion. Simplicity. Joy. And the things that did not matter, too. A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A waterlogged 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. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners and pure intentions to help us see.”
This really touched my heart, especially the fact that the author would not rest at work until he was able to complete and print his tribute to Marley. It shows how dogs and even animals in general, have an everlasting effect on the peoples lives they are in. Even the basic things the author wrote about learning from Marley, I can totally agree with because I see the exact same thing in my dog(s). This was the part that really said to me, “This is a good book, and it is worth recommending to others.”
Some quotes that I thought I would like to mention are below.
1. Author and wife reminiscing on what his mother had said about the children growing up.
“We both rolled our eyes when my old-school mother clucked at us, “Enjoy them while you can because they’ll be growing up before you know it”. Now, even just a few years into it, we were realizing she was right. Hers was a well-worn cliché but one we could already see was steeped in truth. The boys were growing up fast, and each week ended another little chapter that could never again be revisited. On week Patrick was sucking his thumb, the next he had weaned himself of it forever. One week Conor was our baby in a crib; the next he was a little boy using a toddler bed for a trampoline. Patrick was unable to pronounce the L sound, and when women would coo over him, as they often did, he would put his fists on his hips, stick out his lip, and say, “Dos yadies are yaughing at me.” I always meant to get in videotape, but one day the L’s came out perfectly, and that was that. For months we could not get Conor out of his superman pajamas. He would race through the house, cape flapping behind him, yelling “Me Stupe Man!” And then it was over, another missed video moment.”
I chose this quote because it truly does say something about the moments that children create. It’s almost like the quote relating to some of the smartest things come out of the mouths of babes (it’s like that or a little different but you get the idea). The author was always talking about his family and how they were with the dog, this was one of the few quotes and sections of the book that had not a lot to do with Marley. I just liked how his mum made the statement and then immediately things started happening that would never be done again by the kids. Strange little creatures, kids, are; most humans are creatures of habit, but I think kids a totally different ball game.
2. Author thinking about Marley and how he had truly become a part of the family.
“Marley had earned his place in our family. Like a quirky but beloved uncle, he was what he was. He would never be Lassie or Benji or Old Yeller; he would never reach Westminster or even the county fair. We knew that now. We accepted him for the dog he was, and loved him all the more for it.”
This is self explanatory. They realized that all the dreams they had when they first got Marley were unattainable because of his behaviour and how outgoing he was, but even still, in my mind that made him more special then all the famous pooches.
3. Author speaking to Marley, Marley at this point is older in the book and just escaped death’s door.
“I pulled his head up and made him look me in the eyes. “You’re going to tell me when it’s time, right? I said, more a statement than a question. I didn’t want to have a make the decision on my own. “You’ll let me know, won’t you?””
This relates to a point that I hold very dear to my heart. When animals have been so good over the years and done a service whether voluntary or not, they deserve to die with dignity. If that means putting them to sleep instead of letting them suffer, then my belief that putting them to sleep is the most humane thing you can do for them. If you truly love your pet(s) you wouldn’t want them to suffer, and as hard as it is to say good bye you know that you are doing the right thing. I really felt for the author at this time in the book because he knew Marley’s time would be coming to an end and he didn’t want him to suffer, even though he loved Marley as much as one of his children.
4. Author talking about how he wanted to write an article for work as a tribute to Marley and his life, and what he contents might be.
“What I really wanted to say was how this animal had touched our souls and taught us some of the most import lessons of our lives. “A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours,” I wrote. “Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things – a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.”
It was an amazing concept that I was only now, in the wake of his death fully absorbing: Marley as a mentor. As teacher and role model. Was it possible for a dog – any dog, but especially a nutty, wildly uncontrollable one like ours – to point humans to the things that really mattered in life? I believed it was. Loyalty. Courage. Devotion. Simplicity. Joy. And the things that did not matter, too. A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A waterlogged 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. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners and pure intentions to help us see.”
This really touched my heart, especially the fact that the author would not rest at work until he was able to complete and print his tribute to Marley. It shows how dogs and even animals in general, have an everlasting effect on the peoples lives they are in. Even the basic things the author wrote about learning from Marley, I can totally agree with because I see the exact same thing in my dog(s). This was the part that really said to me, “This is a good book, and it is worth recommending to others.”
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