Fourth Quarter Outside Reading Book Review

Marley and Me by John Grogan, HarperCollins Books, 2005 Genre: Nonfiction


Marley and Me is a heart-warming, touching novel about John Grogan’s life with his new wife, Jenny, and the world’s worst dog, Marley. The novel takes place in Palm beach, Florida, where a young couple decides to begin their lives together. There was just one thing missing, the world’s worst dog. In preparation to having a baby some day, the new couple decided to adopt a precious puppy. Little did they know their precious puppy would end up being expelled from obedience school, closing a local dog beach, and having some wild moments in between. John Grogan invites us readers into a moment in his life and shares it to us with humor, life dramas, and overall happiness.


“A very funny valentine….Marley and Me tenderly follows its subject from sunrise to sunset…with hilarity and affection.”- New York Times


Marley and Me starts off with a young couple, John and Jenny, who have good jobs and live in a nice town. They were trying to have kids but instead of going full throttle, they decided to adopt a puppy instead. This puppy would give them the experience they would need for their future babies. The puppy was kind of like practice. However, this puppy was not an ordinary puppy at all. He was the wild, energetic, free-spirited pup that all owners would fear. He would grow into a 97-pound lab that was bred for destruction. Well not really, but it kind of seemed like it in the book. John Grogan describes his troubles with the misbehaving dog with humor. Even though he was the world’s worst dog, John Grogan loved him anyways. Some habits Marley had gotten into were eating everything in site. He even ate through a wall. From that very day he was expelled from obedience school, John and Jenny knew there was no hope. Through the years, their houses change, their jobs change, and their family even changed when they welcomed their first child out of three, after many miscarriages. But throughout time Marley’s spark never left. Even though his body couldn’t quite keep up with his energy, their memories still live on even after his death. John Grogan writes as if someone was there actually telling these tales. His plain and simple writing style creates an honest atmosphere throughout the book. He writes the reality of his life from the heart and makes this book personal and sometimes emotional which makes it easy for readers to relate to.

“‘You know all the stuff we’ve always said about you?’ I whispered. ‘What a total pain you are? Don’t believe it. Don’t believe it for one minute, Marley.’ He needed to know that, and something more, too. There was something I had never told him, that no one ever had. I wanted him to hear it before he went.
‘Marley,’ I said. ‘You are a great dog.’” (271)


I absolutely loved Marley and Me. I think I’m especially susceptible to it because I own a dog, myself, and I know exactly what he means by having the world’s worst dog. I could relate to his frustration and anger towards his dog and yet, his ever loving attitude never faded towards Marley and that is like with my dog too. I liked how Grogan overall described his life to us with a sarcastic, funny tone, even through the sad parts. This is a well-rounded book that takes you to the highs and to the lows but yet, he still has one companion that helps him get through it all, Marley.

ode to Rocco

You have a lean phsique and a compact body
That makes you run as fast a a Maserati
You have shiny hair that is so soft and fine
It creates the perfect appearance for any canine

You have two bejewled, brown eyes
They sparkle like gems when you are surprised
When you crook your head to the side
You look so cute and innocent, I can not lie

You have super keen eyes, and a nose for tracking
You jump so high there is no trait you are lacking
You are just a ball of energy that can never be surpressed
You are my first dog, and by far the best