Customer Reviews: Read 45 more reviews...
 If you truly love this book, don't get a dog! December 1, 2008
Birdie (Houston, TX)
The most disturbing information is why these clods picked a labrador retriever. I wonder if they did more research about having kids than they did in selecting a labrador retriever. It's true that labrador retrievers are the most popular dog in the United States. They are also the SECOND MOST EUTHANIZED dog due to idiots like this. So many labs show up at shelters that the sheer numbers cause them to be labeled "unadoptable", even for many no-kill shelters. People get labs only to "discover" that they don't have time or patience to take care of them. So they dump them at a shelter and wash their hands of the problem. Have a heart and do a little research before you adopt a pet to find out just how much "trouble" it will require. If you don't have the time, don't get the pet. Unfortunately, I fear this book will only encourage the popularity of labs and perpetuate the problem.
Wow that made me mad! November 30, 2008
Annie (Fort Belvoir, VA.)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I was told several times that this was a good book but having suffered the loss of a childhood dog/best friend, I could not bring myself to read it. (Why bring up sad memories, right?) But after 2 years I caved and bought it as the movie is releasing soon, I decided I would prefer to read the book first.
I read the book in a day, laughing through the first half and thinking Mr. Grogan was a witty person. Marley's antic's had me doubled over in laughter, all the wile remembering all the silly things my beloved Freckles had done.
I did not agree with a lot of his training tactics or the garage lifestyle Marley suffered but no one is perfect and he seemed genuine when he referred to his fondness for the dog. Anyone who has ever had a dog knows that despite their silly or even destructive patterns dogs are just that, dogs. You can not scold them for doing something they did because no one was paying attention to them. Similar to children (you would not scold a child for a mistake if you were not watching them) dogs need supervision and if you cant give it then, why own a dog? But they were a young couple and I kept waiting for the chapter when he said he saw the error in his ways and stopped locking him up and choking him and actually took the time to train him properly, but that never happened.
I read in another review of this book that "it seemed the book was mostly about Mr. Grogan" and the further I got into the book the more I agreed with the statement. He kept rambling on about his life aspirations and Boca Rotan and I thought every time, I thought this was about Marley? He seemed to be wandering further and further from the subject as the book went on.
By the time he got in the last few chapters and Marley had reached old age, I was in tears. Dogs get old you don't just dump them at the glue factory over a few gray hairs, but with each sentence he described in great detail the suffering Marley was enduring and he seemed to be completely oblivious that Marley was ready to go! With NO treatment for his arthritis he just continued to worsen further. Grogan said several times that he could not compare a dog to a human, yet made many references to Marley teaching him as though he were a human and so on. With that said, I kept thinking obviously we don't "put down" our human elderly loved ones if they break a hip but they are suffering we help in some way don't we?
Marley had to endure this suffering for months and months and they did nothing! Except go on vacation and various trips. All the while they would leave him alone to suffer his aging body with out the only people he knew and loved. With no understanding of why.
Mr. Grogan himself said that the kennel was not enjoyable to Marley and yet he just left him. I kept saying over and over WHY would you leave AGAIN?
Another travesty in this book was that Mr. Grogan tried disregarding that the mere stress of being in the kennel caused Marley's stomach to turn. He excused away that it had been completely his fault. He said that a doctor told him that there was no connection. Yet when a doctor told him the flea chemicals had not caused the miscarriage he and his wife suffered they chose to believe that this could have been wrong. Why not now? I yelled at the book, whatever you have to tell yourself so you can sleep at night!
I cried for Marley's suffering while reading this book, not for his death. At least he could finally rest in peace after a horrible last year. He just kept doing what was natural to a dog, following his beloved masters around and they did nothing to help him so that he could not go up the stairs and then FALL down them, or push their vacation a few months and be with him for his final days.
I really wrote this review for my own sanity because after hearing such wonderful reviews about this book I was devastated and I cant believe I wasted my time and money so I could read of such torture!
Originally I had not want to read it because I knew ultimately that Marley would pass away in the end. But after reading it I truly don't have enough words to describe the pain I felt for Marley while he was alive. I thought very angry thoughts about Mr. Grogan at first, but now I just hope that they don't have to endure the suffering that Marley did in his end time. I will cross my fingers for you, Mr. Grogan that Karma does not come back to you!
I definitely wont be watching the movie either!
Should be subtitled "World's Worst Owners" November 30, 2008
J. Hoffman (United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am really saddened to see that the author is profiting over what amounts to me as neglect of poor Marley; and even more saddened that such a large segment of our society seems to think that this kind of treatment is ok. I have 2 Golden Retrievers, including one who is quite similar in personality to Marley based on my reading of the book, and I would never, never, never fathom locking them up in my garage, or leaving them alone for as long as Marley was left alone while they worked. It is our duty as pet owners to know what we are getting into when we get a dog, and Labs (Marley) and Goldens (my dogs) are the least likely kind of dog to adapt well to being left alone all day (and I don't know any other type of dog that would deal well with that); a brief walk and throwing some balls doesn't make up for it. And I am still sickened by his wife beating up Marley; there are no words for that. Poor Marley--it is terrible that the author even subtitled this "World's Worst Dog:" What the heck did he expect given the crappy job he did raising and taking care of him? My Golden who was similar in personality to Marley would be acting the exact same way. You don't have to be Cesar Milan to figure that one out, its just basic common sense, which far too many dog owners don't seem to have. Its sickening--this type of animal neglect is as bad in some ways as blatant animal abuse. Mr Grogan, you are fooling yourself if you think Marley was a part of your family...if you are indeed a decent human being (which I think you are), you wouldn't treat a family member like you treated Marley.
Just plain BORING!!! November 28, 2008
New York City (NY, NY USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Forgetting about what you think of the Grogans' pet care style, this is a bad book because it's poorly written and boring as hell after the first 50 pages. It's predictable, too long, and has essentially NO PLOT. Without spoiling what little thread there is, the book is more like a series of diary entries in the 13 years of Marley's life in the Grogan family. The fact that it is a book much more about the Grogans than Marley would be acceptable if it were interesting, but it's NOT.
And for heaven's sake, what happened to the editor? This book should have been shorter by a third, if not cut by half. The writing is so overly explicit as if the reader is seriously dumb and can't understand the slightest insinuation.
Bottom line: are people so stupid they like this kind of third gread level of writing? Otherwise, if you like good literature, evocative passages, a good plot, and/or complex characterizations, then don't buy this book--because it isn't happening here.
 A woman's best friend too November 25, 2008
Poodle Lover
I read this book almost a year ago and am still in love with it. My in-laws bought the book and offered it to my husband and me to read. They all kept saying how much they enjoyed it and encouraged me to also read it. Reluctantly, I agreed. My Marley (Izzy, a then 15 year old Dachshund-Poodle mix) was not doing so great health-wise and I did not want to think about saying goodbye to her. I gave in and read it anyway and fell in love with that Marley. Perhaps reading it was a good thing because I had to say goodbye to my Izzy this past summer. It was good to know that others loved and grieved their furry babies as much as I did. So thanks to John Grogan for helping me prepare for her passing.
Oh, and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie next month!
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