Last week, I started reading Marley and Me. Most of you are probably familiar with the title because it was also the title of the movie adaptation that stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston.
Marley and Me is about “the heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life.” [Source: Goodreads]
I don’t like dogs. That’s not to say that I hate them, I just don’t like them. In general, I don’t like pets, except maybe fish. A dog, for me, is high maintenance. They can be cute and cuddly when they’re puppies but when they start chewing off slippers or important documents and pooping in places they shouldn’t, I’m out. Our family had dogs in the past but most of the time my two younger sisters were the ones who bonded with them.
And so it seemed unlikely for me to pick up a book like “Marley and Me” and like it. But I did.
John Grogan writes very well, which is not surprising, given that he worked as a columnist for two newspapers and Managing Editor for a gardening magazine. With that said, I like that John is a good storyteller, and he really painted Marley well. I’ve watched the movie and although I liked it, I found Owen Wilson’s character lacking. Was it the script? Maybe. It was John’s voice, his way of telling the story, that made me love the book. Because of some details they changed in the movie, I felt less of the John that was speaking in the book.
John described Marley as a really destructive dog. I know that in real life, a dog like Marley would probably drive me nuts and I’ll most likely kick him out. But through John’s dog-lover eyes, I saw Marley as this funny and loyal dog, and his overwhelming, destructive (and initially sexual) energy becomes one tiny detail. If anything, that made Marley more special. The anecdotes were simply funny. I tried to read a chapter once inside a moving and crowded vehicle (not advisable) and I stopped after a few paragraphs because I was shaking with silent laughter, unintentionally brushing my shaking arms with the girl beside me.
I’m doing my best not to write spoilers, but I should mention that during the last parts, the book took a sad note and I couldn’t help but cry. Yes, I’m not a dog lover. But having seen several dog movies (like Hachiko, huhuhu), I know that dogs are indeed man’s best friends. They’re like babies – we can’t really understand what they’re saying, and they can’t understand what we’re saying, but we understand them and they understand us. Does that make sense? The love that dogs have for their masters is truly unconditional and when they die, it’s like seeing a family member die. Marley’s devotion to John and his family, and John’s love for Marley, as they say, is one for the books. Hence, the tears.
After reading the book (and watching the movie), I checked out reviews of the book and found it surprising that John Grogan is getting a lot of criticisms for milking his dog’s life story by turning it into a book and a movie later on. Some even went on to say that the writing was bad, and that John and Jenny (his wife) didn’t really love Marley enough. To each his own. The Grogan family loved Marley in a way that I never can, and I think that’s what matters. I’m not rushing out to get my own dog anytime soon, but this book changed the way I see the dog-man relationship. I’m glad I picked up this book, and I think you should, too.
As a reader and reviewer, I aim to write fair and honest reviews, both on this site and on Goodreads. Please read my Review Policy here.
0 comments:
Post a Comment