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Sep 20, 2007

Dave rated it:

This is a mediocre book written by horrible dog owners.

Marley sounds like an amusing guy; but I think pets are like kids - you don't get nearly as much joy from people telling you stories about their kids as you do from watching your own. I have dogs whom I love very much, and often things they do I find to be very entertaining even though others might not derive the same level of enjoyment if I were to tell them all about it. For this reason, there are no parts of the book that are More...

42 comments like (63 people liked it)

Jan 25, 2010

James rated it:

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10 comments like (35 people liked it)

Sep 13, 2007

Kristine rated it:

This is the first book that has ever, and I emphasize EVER, made me laugh so hard and cry so much. All in one book!

Marley & Me is the predictable and somewhat cliche story about a dog and his owner. If you pick up this book expecting a unique story, put it down and look for something else.

If you pick up this book expecting to learn about how to train your dog, put it down and look for something else.

If you pick up this book wanting to read a touching, but ve More...

5 comments like (44 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Oceana2602 rated it:

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4 comments like (13 people liked it)

Dec 16, 2009

Rachel rated it:

SO my mom sent me this book because she thought I was all down after a stupid break up, and she wanted to cheer me up. I wasn't really down. I was totally fucking pissed off. I went into reading this book seeing red. Maybe that's affected how I interpreted it, but I really think this John Grogan guy and his wife are complete idiots.

There is no reason to ever buy a dog, ever. Ever. There are dogs dying all over the country because people abandon their animals or neglect to ha More...

31 comments like (19 people liked it)

Apr 05, 2008

Julie rated it:

Sit down and make a list of all the things your dog might do if he was brain damaged. Of course, you're a good person and you love him anyway so write about that. There, you just wrote Marley and Me.

4 comments like (22 people liked it)

Aug 23, 2008

Valerie rated it:

Ahhh! I loved this book. I laughed, I cried, I remeneniced. I thought about my beloved black labrador, Duff. Just like John said, "They really are they when you need them." Duff was always there for me. Walks down the hill, over the streets, down by the Golf Course, with the sunsetting. Sitting on the couch together watching a movie. Sitting out on the hill, at my sunnyspot on the hill, writing or listening to music. Duff was always there. Sometimes he slept on my bed, but usually he h More...

0 comments like (11 people liked it)

Nov 08, 2008

Jennifer rated it:

I couldn't fininsh this book. All I heard was blah blah blah chewed drywall blah blah bad on leash blah blah blah ad nauseum. It read like an autobiography of a really bad dog owner, not a bad dog.

As a dog owner of 2 sweet good well mannered dogs (one of them a lab) it frustrated me to no end.

I would not recommend this book to anyone.

6 comments like (14 people liked it)

Feb 19, 2008

Beth rated it:

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0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Oct 17, 2007

Ryan rated it:

OK, I'm a complete sucker for this book. Yes, some of the anecdotes are things that every pet owners experiences, and are not really that compelling as a result. And some parts of it are more about life with a dog than the life of a dog. It was well written though, and really funny at times. Marley sounds like he was a complete love.

And that is why it was so tough to read the end. Yes, you know how it ends. But Grogan's description of the canine aging process is really accurate. Dogs More...

1 comment like (7 people liked it)

Dec 17, 2009

Donna rated it:

I loved this book. My now husband bought it for me last year for my birthday. When we had started dating, we found and loved a little mutt named Stella. When she was killed, our world was rocked. We felt foolish for being so upset over a dog. Neither one of us could stop crying for weeks. We didn't even have her a year when she died. This book made us both feel so good becuase it reminded us why we were so devistated. It was not only because Stella was a PERFECT dog. It was that she was th More...

0 comments like (5 people liked it)

Jul 21, 2007

Matt rated it:

You have to read books your grandma gives your for Christmas. Having said that, Marley's antics were mildly amusing (I guess), but I couldn't see past the fact that the owners were simply moronic. Example: they know their dog goes bananas and tries to claw its way to perceived safety anytime thunderstorms hit, tearing the house to shreds in the process. So what do they do to prevent it from ripping apart the house in the event of a thunderstorm in their absence? They put it in a little dog c More...

4 comments like (10 people liked it)

Jan 15, 2009

Glenna rated it:

I was fully prepared to give this book 3 stars before I started reading it. (based on seeing the movie) but the book really touched my heart. I laughed and yes I cried. (listening on CD might not be a good idea because driving home from work with your eyes full of tears makes staying in the lines hard)

Because each book we read is affected by the experiences in our lives that we bring to the reading, I'm not sure if someone who has never loved something furry would love this book. More...

8 comments like (5 people liked it)

Dec 29, 2008

Dixie Diamond rated it:

To be honest, I couldn't even finish this because it was so stupid.

"Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog Owner." For crying out loud--get this poor dog some exercise and a trainer!

I hate books (and movies) like this: The "zany" antics of poorly-trained, poorly-raised, poorly-managed pets and their self-centered, moronic, owners. I'm always afraid stories like this will encourage other ill-informed, clueless people to adopt dogs they can't handl More...

2 comments like (10 people liked it)

Jan 26, 2009

Stephanie rated it:

Okay, I read two dog books in a row because my book club decided to do this for our February meeting. That said this book made me laugh so hard I cried and then, of course, I cried at the end as one must with all dog books if one loves dogs. I am the former owner of four Marley's--a black Lab, a yellow Lab (pure breed AKC registered and probably Marley's first cousin), a chocolate Lab, and a Lab/Husky/ Wolf mix. They all cost me thousands of dollars in vet bills, household and yard improvements More...

2 comments like (7 people liked it)

Feb 03, 2009

Sheila rated it:

This is a book for dog lovers, and for those who have been loved by a dog. The Grogans may not have been the best dog trainers in the world, and they may have made a common mistake of buying their dog from a backyard breeder, but what they did right was they loved their dog, and stayed devoted to him through his whole life, from puppyhood to old age. In this throwaway society, where many people consider pets to be "disposable", to be dumped at the pound when they are no longer a cute More...

0 comments like (6 people liked it)

Nov 30, 2008

marg rated it:

I hate dogs. Always have, always will. I cannot at all understand the time, energy and devotion that people so willingly dish out to a furry monster who will wreck their home and treat the greater world as one big public bathroom and not even grow to be a contributing member to society and take in their owners in their old age which would at least justify it.
So in that sense I may not be the best person to review this book. I certianly wasn't interested in the premise, which is, couple More...

9 comments like (3 people liked it)

Jan 05, 2009

Dixie rated it:

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbols mean nothing to him. A water-logged 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."

I never 'dog-ear' pages in the books I read. I like my books to remain looking as new as possible and I enjoy perfectly More...

1 comment like (5 people liked it)

Jul 13, 2008

Shira rated it:

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1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jul 18, 2007

Mark rated it:

I'm a dog person. I see them as basically goofy entertainment accessories most of the time, and every so often a dog will do something to win your heart. However, this is usually a difficult thing to describe completely and honestly to someone unfamiliar with dog ownership. John Grogan has managed to capture in a relatively brief 300 pages all the joy (and sadness) owning a dog can bring to a life, and to a family.

If, like me, you've shared part of your life and living space with a More...

0 comments like (4 people liked it)

Jan 23, 2008

karen rated it:

What a funny book! I loved it! I do not have dogs (allergies) but I was able to somehow relate to the images that the author portrays. Pets can be amazing to live with and be entertained by. Marley was an adorable, oversized pooch that touched my heart from the very beginning of this book. I laughed and laughed as I read about all of the crazy things this dog did, making his owners nuts! Despite his overenthusiastic love for life, Marley turned out to be more than just a pet. He was a member of More...

3 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 11, 2008

Nipun rated it:

those who have had the pleasure of having a Labrador in their family will instantaneously connect with this book. You'll be amazed with Marleys antics and at some level they will seem so familiar that you will find yourself smiling as you flip through the pages. The book is well written and John Gorgan ensures that the book sticks to the theme of his life with Marley. He could have succumbed to the fallacy of playing to the gallery with more details on Marley or resist the temptation of not shar More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

May 12, 2008

Becci rated it:

I really, really didn't want this book to finish! Marley is so close to our female mutt named Sunny Dew Rose that I can't help but cherish her more because of this book.
It is like my heart is already mourning her before she is gone so I am able to cherish each moment with her while she is still with us.
Sunny is still a puppy of two years and will still be a child at the age of 10, she refuses to grow up.
After reading about 'Marley'. I am able to certain every moment with her More...

4 comments like (2 people liked it)

Dec 14, 2008

Pamela rated it:

Enjoyed this sweet though predictable story. Appreciate how this couple endured the destructive and neurotic behavior of this large, affectionate dog. Proves that man can be dog's best friend too.

2 comments like (3 people liked it)

Apr 07, 2011

Paul rated it:

First, I am a sap for a good dog story, so the book would have to tank to get less than three stars from me. This book resonates with me because it speaks to those of us who owned dogs that weren't Rin Tin Tinnish or Lassie-like. It was real and humane in its approach. Everyone thinking to get a puppy for the first time would do well to read this book first to determine if they are up for the experience. In case you were wondering... I cried unabashedly through the last two chapters. The s More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 05, 2009

Rachel rated it:

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2 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 01, 2010

Aaron Vincent rated it:

I am not a dog lover and a confession to make, I have a bad case of cynophobia. To spare you the time of googling it, cynophobia is the fear of dogs. I can't go about a dozen feet near a dog without my heart pounding hard at my chest. But John Grogan's Marley and Me made me realize how much I am missing for having this kind of dumb fear.

Marley is a stupid Labrador retriever or what his owner prefers to call him, Labrador evader. He is stupid in every sense possible. He can't follow More...

3 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 05, 2009

Tanish rated it:

so far, a good, relaxed read with some every funny bits- especially if you've ever owned a dog-from-hell...:)

stayed true throughout- not high end literature for those who want it, but a very enjoyable summer read. it made me think of patches and her regular antics: dragging 10 ft of technicolor pooh across the yard after eating a decorative rope thingy; biting even the off-duty mailman; dragging me along on our "walks" and then being dragged home once she was tired out and More...

0 comments like (3 people liked it)

Mar 17, 2009

Claire rated it:

Anyone who has ever been subjected to a badly behaved dog (say, belonging to a relative) will not find this book as endearing as the rest of the population seemed to. I tried to love this book, but it just served to evoke unpleasant memories of dogs from my past wreaking havoc on the properties and persons around them while their owners looked on in fond amusement. I actually felt my blood pressure rising at a couple of the scenes that hit a bit too close to memory. It was like watching a badly More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Jul 07, 2008

Jeri rated it:

I truly loved this book. It is a perfect book for why I love reading. I laughed, I was entertained, and I actually cried my eyes out. I know, but seriously, who doesn't go crazy over their pets?? I thought it was well written, and I was sad that it was over. Anyway, good book. You should read it. :-)

3 comments like (4 people liked it)

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