Marley & Me

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**Marley & Me**

Author	John Grogan
Country	USA
Language	English
Genre(s)	Non-fiction
Publisher	HarperCollins
Released	October 18, 2005
Media Type	Print (hardcover), audio, e-book
Pages	304
ISBN	ISBN 0-06-081708-9

Marley & Me is a The New York Times best seller autobiographical book by the journalist John Grogan, about his experiences with his loving Labrador Retriever named Marley, and its experiences and interactions with the Grogan family. The "neurotic" dog is portrayed as extremely wild and boisterous, eating nearly everything possible. These traits and more are par with his American Labrador lineage.

[edit] Plot

According to the official Marley & Me website, the basic plot is as follows.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The heartwarming story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life.

John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.

Marley quickly grew into a barreling, 97-pound streamroller of a Labrador Retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged into drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did little good -- Marley was expelled his first time through. Marley even seemed impervious to tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, "Don't hesitate to use these."

And yet, his heart was pure. Just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. He shared the couple's joy at first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a 17-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley played a role in shutting down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie (though it went straight to video), always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at wits' end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.