Marley and Me
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Great, but Definitely Not Good
The Birmingham (Ala.) News recently reviewed Marley & Me. I loved the headline, which pretty much captures my dog: "Saga of a great family dog who can't be good." That was Marley, definitely not good, but in the end, a great and memorable dog.
Here's what reviewer Garland Reeves had to say:
It is very difficult to write about pets. We love them so, that we easily sentimentalize them. We project onto them our hopes and fears. We talk to them about our woes and imagine they know just what we are saying. We take comfort from them and find in them things better than we'd ever discover in any human short of a saint.
But John Grogan doesn't do that in ''Marley & Me,'' the story of his life with a big, old wild-eyed Labrador retriever.
Here is a dog that earns his epithet, ''world's worst dog.'' He chews furniture and destroys property; a thunderstorm could send him into a frenzy that left both him and the house the worse for wear.He was almost impossible to control or discipline. He charged through life headlong, crashing here and there - often embarrassing or frustrating his humans. He pooped where he shouldn't, got thrown out of obedience class, ate chicken droppings and snuffled people in the most inappropriate places.
But here was a dog of fierce loyalty and with a surprising sensibility, one who understood just when he needed to be a quiet and gentle pet, to offer his own special brand of comfort.
"Marley & Me'' is the story of a man and his wife, their family and the dog that was with them from the time they were first married, thinking about children, until he they were a family with three children.Grogan tells a simple story of one family's life, a mostly typical family. But he does it so beautifully and the reader is drawn in by his voice until you become a part of his tale, shaking your head at Marley, laughing at his next indiscretion, delighting in his high points and worrying when things aren't going well.
And as Marley ages and moves toward the inevitable, you'll grow sad with Grogan and marvel at Marley's incredible dignity and strength, even as his strength fails him.
In many ways, life without Marley was a lot easier for the Grogans. But it wasn't better.You'll understand the gift that Marley was to this family - despite his failings, and maybe because of them - and no doubt you'll find yourself thinking of your own pets. Grogan has crafted a loving but unsentimental memory of his dog and what he meant to him, his wife and his children. And that's his gift to us.
posted by John Grogan at 6:09 PM
 
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