Required Reading: Marley & Me

 By now I think that most of us have heard of that fun, crazy, and lovable golden retriever named Marley made famous by the poignant and heartbreaking autobiography Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog. If you haven’t read this book (or seen the movie starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston) be warned: some very sad spoilers ahead!

John Grogan writes Marley & Me as an autobiography about him and his family. It starts out with just him and his newly wed wife deciding to adopt a dog. Enter Marley! As the book goes on, John’s family grows and Marley grows with them. It is a heartwarming story about how families are made, the love we have for each other, and the loyalty of our faithful pups.

As someone who mostly reads fantasy and romance, I surprisingly really enjoyed this book. Autobiographies usually aren’t my thing, but when it is put in the context of a sweet, if not nutty, ball of fur how could I say no? That’s what ultimately made this story interesting for me. Everything that happened in John Grogan’s life happened in the context of Marley and what he was doing at the time. In some ways, this book is about Marley more than anything. John is just there to be the human anchor to the story.

Reading about Marley’s antics and all of the trouble he got into reminded me of the pets that I had growing up. They always seemed to be getting into mischief. That is a big reason I loved this book as much as I do. I could relate to it in a way that only fellow pet owners can. I could see Marley in all of my beloved pets of the past and present. 

Now, onto the part that ruined my life. Spoiler alert: Marley dies at the end. I can honestly say that I cried harder than I have ever cried before while reading the first time I read this book. I don’t know why I wasn’t ready for it, but it took me by surprise. It’s such a happy book with so many comedic scenes! And then to get that punch in the gut. Wow. It was a necessary inclusion in the book though. Our pets, unfortunately, can’t be with us for our entire lives. This book showed me that death is a inevitable part of life. It is sad, but at the same time, it allows you to celebrate the full life that came before it and really makes you appreciate the time that you do have.

I think that this book should be required reading for all pet owners, especially potential dog owners. It not only has helpful advice for first time pet owners, but it also prepares them for the realities of owning a pet. They will pee and poop inside for a while. They will tear up your clothes and furniture. They will have their own quirks and personalities. And they will, someday, die. For this reason, I give this book 5/5 stars. I could not recommend it enough to people who love animals and really just need a good cry.

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