Review of "Marley & Me" -- Guest Blog

I have a friend named Jerod who, if you happen to read the comments section of this blog, you'll know is quite a wiseacre. He recently finished reading Marley & Me in anticipation of the movie coming out on Christmas day, so I asked him to do a review for a guest blog entry. What follows are his words, not mine, but I think you will enjoy hearing what he has to say about the book.

Preface: My awesome, hot, good looking, funny, handsome friend Jerod finished reading the book “Marley and Me” and would like to share his thoughts on the book. He is the only one who reads this site and the only one who comments on my ramblings. He’s totally awesome. And hot.

***Did I mention Jerod is also a bit egotistical? ;) Moving on... ***

“Marley and Me” was the perfect mix of smiles, sighs, and sniffles. As a dog owner, I found myself intrigued by the bad-dog-story of Marley as depicted in the movie trailers showing on TV. I told Laura, my fiancé, that I was going to buy the book and read it. She surprised me by telling me her mother already had the book and enjoyed it. So, I received the book and dived right into it.

The first few chapters included a lot of the laughs that are shown in the movie trailer. I also found myself comparing my life and situation with that of the author and his wife when they were deciding on bringing a puppy into the house. It’s amazing how one little puppy will grow, test, and strengthen a family. As the book continued on, the focus was less on raising Marley and all of the memories a puppy will give a family. Instead, the author directs the reader to life lessons raising the family and how a dog becomes part of the family, not the focus.

As usual, all good things must come to an end. The book includes the full life of Marley up to and including his death. The author explains the grieving process of a pet and I found myself comparing the book with situations in my own life. It definitely got very dusty in the room as I read the chapters related to the end of Marley’s life.

“Marley and Me” is a great book to read if you are thinking of getting a puppy and / or starting a family. It’s easy reading and a short 280+ pages. I don’t want to give a lot away, but the lessons learned by the author are clear and shared by anyone in his same situation. Give a dog your heart, and they’ll give you theirs.