This is one of the few books I have read where I chose to read the ending first. You see, Marley and Me is a book centered around a dog. And typically, books about dogs, especially those penned by men, often conclude with the dog's passing. They vividly describe the entire life of the dog, making the reader fall in love with it, only to have it die in the end. So, after I had developed an affection for Marley the dog, I made the decision to read about his death first and then go back and read about the rest of his life, leaving him at a stage where he was still young and healthy, allowing me to envision a happy ending for him.

Aside from that, this book is entertaining, yet it's a specific kind of entertainment that only dog owners can truly appreciate. I highly doubt that people without dogs would have any interest in reading about fleas, dog vomit, or drool dripping everywhere. Marley, of course, isn't the worst dog, and this is the part that made me angry. In the area where I live, no one would ever think that a dog would be content with just the backyard and could be left alone all day in the garage. Such behavior is frowned upon here, even by those who don't own dogs. Dogs require commitment. They need to be walked, at least three times a day, and ideally more. They need someone to be with them for at least half the day, and they also need interaction with other dogs. So, when I read about Marley's "dog poo bombs" in the backyard, I didn't feel sorry at all. My own dog would never even pee in our garden. There is no reason for a dog to pee in its own territory unless there is no other available place.

Moreover, when I read about Marley being untrainable and having to be calmed with sedatives, I envision a可怜的Labrador who was never properly trained. He doesn't know what to do with his energy because he is only taken for walks every couple of days and never really had the opportunity to play with other dogs.

However, what made me even angrier was that in the book, the author becomes a father, and they leave Marley with the little babies. He has the nerve to make a smart comment about those who warn against leaving your dog with a baby, because "the wild animal could surface every minute and the dog could kill the baby in seconds". Which Marley would never do, because "everyone can see that he protects the baby."

*bangs head against wall*

You know, he is right about that. I believe that most normal dogs will protect a baby that they consider as part of the family. Even strange babies, as they view them as puppies, and normal, sane dogs don't harm puppies. But what they do with puppies is that they teach them not to misbehave completely. And they do this by taking the baby's whole head into their mouth and shaking it gently. I've witnessed my dog do this with puppies, and aside from being wet from dog-spit, the puppy was impressed but not hurt. Some dogs will also take the puppy by the neck and shake it a little bit or gently put their mouth over the exposed neck of the puppy to show them how such misbehavior would end if they weren't so small.

All these methods have one thing in common: if applied to a human baby, they would result in serious injuries.

So I cannot emphasize enough: NEVER leave your kids alone with a dog. NEVER. It is up to you to determine when your kids are old enough to understand what to do and what not to do with a dog. But hair-pulling, nose hitting, or any other actions that babies do out of curiosity can lead even the most patient dog to teach your baby some manners. You cannot blame the dog for this because it is simply reacting as a normal dog would. But if you read about "formerly harmless pets" hurting babies "out of the blue", you will notice that it's mostly head injuries, and all those poor dogs are being put to sleep because their owners thought it was cute how they took care of the baby. Those owners should be shot and never allowed to have kids (or dogs) again.

Right.

Where were we? Oh, the book. Well, I liked Marley, but I think that people who have had a dog for 13 years and still don't know the first thing about dogs shouldn't be allowed to write books about them. Let alone get a new dog.

Anyone who has ever endured a misbehaving dog, perhaps one belonging to a relative, will not view this book with the same affection as the majority of the population. I attempted to love this book, but it simply brought back unpleasant memories of dogs from my past causing chaos to the properties and people around them, while their owners watched with affectionate amusement. In fact, a couple of the scenes that were too reminiscent of my own experiences made my blood pressure rise. It was like witnessing a naughty child in Wal-Mart whose parents are unable to control him.

However, for those who are not as cantankerous as I am, it is indeed funny. It is also poignant, and you will likely have a good, cleansing cry or two before it's all over. Along the way, be prepared for some rather in-depth descriptions of Grogan's wife's "female problems" and an uncomfortable look at Marley's phobias regarding thunderstorms. Grogan is a talented writer, and the story is well-narrated. This book is average, with a slight倾向towards the positive as I don't want to seem overly negative.

I purchased this book on the recommendation of a friend. As I also have a Labrador retriever, I was extremely intrigued to see how badly behaved this Marley was in comparison to my own lovable lab. My lab, although generally well-behaved, still has his moments when he is inclined to misbehave when it suits him.

There were just so many striking similarities between the two dogs. They both had their own unique personalities and tendencies. But apart from that, I truly loved the writing style of the author. The words seemed to flow effortlessly, painting a vivid picture in my mind. For the most part, it was a great book that kept me engaged from start to finish.

There's one particular paragraph that just sticks firmly in my mind. I always look at this if I happen to be browsing through this book, or if I'm having a low period in my life. It goes like this: "As I wrote this farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us if we only opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with stinky breath and bad manners to help us see what really counts in life. Despite all his flaws, Marley had given us a gift that no amount of money could buy. He gave us the gift of total, complete love. He taught us how to give it and how to accept it. When you have love, most of the other pieces fall in place."

This book is truly a delightful read. It not only entertained me but also made me reflect on the importance of love and acceptance in our lives. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves dogs or is simply looking for a heartwarming story.

“Eu și Marley” is an absolutely enchanting autobiographical novel. The author immerses you in the atmosphere of the book with an extremely simple and alert style, in a way that puts on paper the story of his life together with the dog that became an important member of his family for many years: Marley.

The reading is absolutely delicious and filled with pure emotion, because you can't help but fall hopelessly in love with this puppy who, with his mischiefs, is led by good intentions and a naivety and innocence specific to quadrupeds, who remain forever small children, regardless of size and age. Along with him, you laugh from ear to ear, but that's only until you reach the hard part, which you keep postponing with a terrible courage: the end. There, you already start to shed bitter tears, imagining, as an animal owner, what it would be like not to have your best friend by your side anymore and this scenario seems terrible to you.

That's precisely why you prefer not to think, to push everything into the furthest corner of your mind and to keep only the wonderful memories of Marley or your dog. You don't want to feel the passage of time and you don't want to know that, for a dog, time passes infinitely faster than for a human. It's much too painful. So you stay on the beautiful part, even the annoying one when he chews a doorstep or a shoe.

https://crampeiedesufletblog.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/john-grogan-eu-si-marley-recenzie/

So, I'm truly one of those individuals who lean towards the Molly Mormon side of things. (Alright, fine; I'm a bit of a stick-in-the-mud goody-two-shoes.)

Consequently, I must preface my entire review by stating that Marley and Me will likely not be found at Deseret Book anytime soon. It's not because it's充斥着 inappropriate的语言、性和暴力（如果它是一部电影，我甚至不确定它是否会被评为PG - 13级），但确实包含了一些这类内容。我要是在禁食周日为此作证，会感到很尴尬。

话虽如此，我确实读完了这本书。这是一个真实的故事。它写得很好。既有趣又惹人喜爱。

它是关于Marley——一只狗的故事。

我不喜欢狗，但推荐这本书给我们读书俱乐部的那位病房里的女士也不喜欢。读完这本书后，我还是不喜欢狗——但我能理解其他人为什么会喜欢。

Marley是“世界上最糟糕的狗”——一只极度活跃的拉布拉多犬，它从未真正摆脱幼犬阶段，在家里肆意破坏，还被赶出了服从学校。它有点笨笨的，而且太大了，不够优雅，但它却带来了许多令人捧腹大笑的轶事，让我忍不住一页页地翻下去。就在你对失控、兴奋过度的Marley忍无可忍的时候，它又会变得稍微温顺可爱一些。书中有一个场景，年轻的Grogans夫妇得知他们的第一次怀孕以流产告终，Marley温柔的反应让我差点落泪——而我看书是不会哭的，所以这很能说明问题。

Grogan不想把Marley赞颂成Lassie或Rin Tin Tin那样——他明确表示他的狗不是那样的。但Marley教会了他许多关于忠诚、爱和对生活的热情。这对我们所有人来说都是一个很好的教训。

My second book for the OWLS readathon is Herbology. The requirement was to read a book with a title starting with the letter M.

I have to say that I truly adored this book. It was an absolute delight from start to finish. I found myself laughing out loud so hard that I almost had an embarrassing accident. The humor in the book was just so spot-on and had me in stitches.

And then, there were the parts that made me cry. I shed so many tears that all of my dogs seemed to sense my sadness and wanted to climb onto my lap simultaneously to offer me comfort. It was such a touching and heartwarming moment.

This book is truly excellent. It managed to evoke such a wide range of emotions in me, from uncontrollable laughter to deep sadness. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great read that will keep them entertained and engaged from beginning to end.

Perhaps this is the most famous book written about pets. Although it is well-known that comparisons are everywhere, when reading this book, I feel that between this one and another book about a pet I read before, namely "A Street Cat Named Bob," they are like two polar opposites.

The story of James Bowen's street life with Bob already has many strange and exciting plot details. So even though James is not a writer and his writing is not colorful and brilliant, the story still attracts readers. On the other hand, it also makes it more realistic. And the story of Marley is indeed just an ordinary story like many other dogs. But through the pen of the author, an experienced journalist, it still has the ability to draw us in and follow each word.

The biggest difference between the two books is that I really like the story of Bob the cat, while for this book, after reading it, I don't exactly hate it, but I can't say I like it either. One of the reasons is that the author writes too skillfully, with the intention of guiding readers to the emotions he desires. Even the nickname he gave to Marley: the world's worst dog. Although later he explains very beautifully that for him, Marley is the best dog in the world, I have the feeling that this title is only set to attract readers.

So is Marley really a bad dog? As the author describes, I think Marley is just an ordinary dog like many others. One obvious thing is that when raising a pet, it requires a lot of effort from its owner. Expecting a dog to be born talented, smart, and quick-witted is probably only in the movies. Accepting to raise a dog also means accepting that the items in the house are often scratched, damaged, or there are hygiene problems, which are also obstacles when people think about raising a pet.

Therefore, the troubles that Marley caused, in my opinion, are very normal things. I can imagine them when thinking about any dog raised around me. But in the context of the United States, where everything requires order, if not, everyone will overreact if they encounter even the tiniest troubles. Especially since the author's family seems to be more "sensitive" than ordinary Americans, so the life with Marley being described as extremely difficult is also understandable.

The book is not only about Marley but also partly about the author's family. We follow John and Jenny from the time they adopted Marley, which is also the beginning of their married life, and then experience together in the process of raising Marley, such as giving birth to children, changing jobs, and the family's place of residence. Once again, I have to praise that the author's pen is very skillful and excellent in expressing everything in a precise and attractive way. In some places, I even recognize the way of writing that presents viewpoints, interprets, and then summarizes, just like a real newspaper article. But don't worry, the story told by the author is still very attractive and easy to read, not at all dull.

And about Marley, once again compared to Bob, after reading the story, I don't have many impressions, and I don't have the feeling of liking it as much as Bob. Perhaps because the author has constructed the image of Marley as a troublesome, complicated, fussy, and slow-to-understand dog to describe the difficulties he had when raising Marley, but at the same time, it also takes away the readers' affection for the dog. But there is one thing that the author has portrayed well in Marley, which is loyalty and the bond with the owner, so that all mistakes can be forgiven, something that those who have ever raised a dog can understand.

Reading to the end is really very sad, not only because of having to part with Marley but also because it is painful to see that it died in pain caused by illness.

In general, in my opinion, this is still a readable book, but it should be regarded as a diary about the troubles and joys and sorrows of raising an ordinary dog, to empathize with the author, rather than a story about a special dog.

So far, this has been a really good and relaxed read. It has some extremely funny bits, especially if you've ever had a dog that was a bit of a nightmare, like a dog-from-hell. :)

Throughout the story, it has stayed true to its nature. It's not high-end literature for those who are looking for something really profound, but it is a very enjoyable summer read. It made me think of my own dog, Patches, and all of her regular antics. She would drag a 10 ft long technicolor Pooh across the yard after eating a decorative rope thingy. She would even bite the off-duty mailman. When we went for our "walks", she would drag me along, and then once she was tired out and over it, I would end up dragging her home. She would bark for 10 hours straight on a drive to Wyoming. Incidentally, that was the only time I've ever seriously considered suicide. She also had a penchant for rolling in pooh, and so on.

However, it also reminded me of the really sweet times. Like the time she let me hold on to her and cry my eyes out against her neck when the ambulance came after Dad had a seizure. And the way she would curl up on my pillow next to me when she was still a tiny and adorable little puppy. Dogs are really special, aren't they?!

4 Stars.

This book is truly a gem that has the power to bring back a plethora of nostalgic memories.

As I turned the pages, it was as if I was transported back in time to a place and era that held a special significance for me.

The author's vivid descriptions and engaging storytelling style made it easy for me to lose myself in the narrative and relive those precious moments.

Whether it was the familiar settings, the well-developed characters, or the heartwarming plot, every aspect of this book contributed to its charm and appeal.

It's not just a book; it's a journey down memory lane that left me with a sense of warmth and fulfillment.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good dose of nostalgia and a captivating read.

A truly amusing and lighthearted story awaits all dog owners out there. It's a tale that is bound to bring a smile to your face and warm your heart.

Imagine a day when a dog owner decides to take their furry friend for a walk in the park. The dog, full of energy and excitement, bounds ahead, eager to explore the new surroundings. As they walk along the path, the dog spots a butterfly fluttering by and immediately gives chase.

The owner, laughing at the dog's antics, follows along. The dog runs this way and that, trying to catch the elusive butterfly. Finally, after a few minutes of playful pursuit, the dog gives up and returns to its owner's side, panting and happy.

This simple yet charming story is one that dog owners can easily relate to. It reminds us of the joy and laughter that our four-legged friends bring into our lives. Whether it's a silly moment like chasing a butterfly or a quiet evening spent cuddling on the couch, dogs have a way of making our lives more丰富多彩 and meaningful.

I wonder why I read this book for so long. I think it's because I was afraid to get attached to Marl knowing the end of the work. But it didn't work. After reading the end, I still cried...

My dog is already 12 years old. Maybe that's why it was so sensitive to read and understand how everything is fragile and temporary...

An amazing book. An amazing Marl. And amazing because all of this is true...

The first book that made me cry while reading was truly a remarkable experience.

It was a story that touched my heart in the deepest way. The characters were so vivid and their struggles so real that I couldn't help but be emotionally invested.

As I turned the pages, I could feel their pain, their joy, and their hopes.

There was a particular scene that just broke my heart. It was so beautifully written that it brought tears to my eyes.

I had to stop reading for a moment to compose myself.

This book taught me the power of words and how they can evoke such strong emotions.

It will always hold a special place in my heart as the first book that made me cry.

I will never forget the impact it had on me and I'm sure it will continue to touch the hearts of many others who read it.