CHARACTERS: 4.5/5
WRITING STYLE: 4/5
CLIMAX: 5/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 5/5
“A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he’ll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?”
– John Grogan
Marley: A Dog Like No Other is an adaptation of New York Times bestseller “Marley & Me” and was written as a book meant for young readers.
The story of Marley became so famous that it had to its credits the movie “Marley & Me” which stars Hollywood biggies such as Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson.
The book is non-fiction and is based on the real incidents of the life of “Marley” – the author John Grogan’s dog.
John and Jenny fall in love and get married. Life seems good after marriage and soon they decide to adopt a dog. From among a litter of puppies, they choose “the clearance puppy” and name him Marley.
The dog is absolutely untamed and unruly and proves to be an utter disappointment to the couple.
They try to train him at home and take him to a dog school, but even there it fails to acquire any sort of discipline.
Marley is the wildest dog they had come across and the wildest even you could imagine.
Marley: A Dog Like No Other is the story of Marley, his stubborn and unruly behaviour, the disastrous events in which he wreaks havoc on the Gorgons including swallowing a gold chain, tearing down the whole garage, stealing Frisbees from neighbours, eating pillows and rugs, vomiting all over the floor, chasing delivery guys, jumping out of running car and many more.
He will make you laugh and make you cry in disbelief at his sheer acts of terror. “How can a dog ever behave like that?” would be your first reaction.
Life goes on and Marley continues to misbehave.
The Grogans have three kids now and as much as they hate Marley’s mishaps, they love him a lot more.
As time passes by, Marley gets old and is waning off soon. He survives a few health issues but, in the end, we all know what happens.
The book captures beautifully the essence of living a life with a pet. The joys which it brings and the tears which it makes us shed.
It is written very emotionally and is a must for all dog lovers. If you love dogs, you’ll love the book.
And somehow if you don’t love dogs you will learn to love them.
A must tip for all readers – get your tissues handy for in the end, Marley: A Dog Like No Other is sure to make you cry.
All in all, the book is a must for every reader because it makes us experience the joy of having a dog and loving it.
In the end, I would love to quote John Grogan himself –
“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day.”