Marley & Me

Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

By: John Grogan

Narrated by: Johnny Heller

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 wriggly 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. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, and stole women's undergarments. Obedience school did no good -- Marley was expelled.

And yet his heart was pure. Just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. A dog like no other, Marley remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

great story

at first the narrator really put me off nothing he was doing in particular just reading way too slow for my taste so I changed the narration speed to 1.2 and that fixed it perfectly the rest of the book sounded like it was being read to me by Marty McFly from back to the Future great book!

Sabastian

Sebastian is a wonderful wonderful dog but this book completely describes him to a T he is the most loving thing most loyal dog and the worst dog I’ve ever seen I have holes in my walls I have mattresses that are chewed I have shoes that are chewed I have a pair of jeans That is ripped to shred his doggy beds don’t last but maybe two days and he’s just gotten out of every cage you can imagine I love him with all my heart he’s only two

Highly recommend for many laughs

This is an incredible book that I have now read 3 times total, I’m not a book person either. This book is full of laughs and relatable experiences. If you are a dog person this is a must read.

Worst, but Most Loveable Dog

Newlyweds John & Jenny Grogan are just getting settled into their new lives together. Since they were married a bit later in life (early 30s), they want to start trying for a family very soon. Jenny is concerned that she isn't yet fit to be a mother because she cannot keep a house plant alive. How would she be able to keep a baby alive? She pitches the idea to John of getting a dog as a test to see if they are fit to be parents. Enter Marley. Anything you can think of that a dog could destroy, he did it. But seeing how they were both able to calmly deal with Marley's destruction, they figured they were indeed prepared to be parents. 3 kids later & their family was complete. But, as with any complete story of a dog, an end is on the horizon. Yes, Marley begins to show signs of age, & one day, Marley's life is over. Of course there is a lot of description of all of Marley's antics from puppyhood to old age. Despite Marley's title as "worst dog ever", the Grogans can't help but LOVE their dog. He's a true member of the family.

As a dog lover myself, of course I loved this story! I also couldn't help but draw parallels between Marley & our most recent addition to the family, a 6 month old male black lab named Coda. And I can't help but agree with the Grogans: no matter how much destruction, no matter how many messes, I can't help but love my sweet dogs! (We also have an 11 year old female yellow lab/beagle named Chesney.) And just like the Grogans, I don't think I'll ever be "ready" to let go.

Age recommendation: 8 & up (There are a few scenes of child-making attempts that some parents may want to avoid. I don't remember them being explicit, but the author doesn't beat around the bush about their struggle with infertility & the many, many attempts at having a baby.)

On a scale of 1-10 stars, I give it 8.

Finally read this and am glad to have done it.

Not as hilarious as advertised for me snd not as sad as feared but I did laugh out loud a few times and my heart was warmed also. Being a woman and a mother, I wished he’d included a bit more about his wife’s issues with the second baby, but she wasn’t his focus. This is still a definitely enjoyable book worth listening to.