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{{short description|2005 book by John Grogan}}
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{{For|the film based on the book|Marley & Me (film)}}

{{Refimprove|date=December 2008}}
{{for|the film based on the book|Marley & Me (film)}}
{{Infobox Book
{{Infobox book
| name = Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
| name = Marley & Me
| image = [[Image:Marley & Me book cover.jpg|200px]] <!--prefer 1st edition-->
| image = Marley & Me book cover.jpg <!--prefer 1st edition-->
| image_caption =
| caption =
| author = [[John Grogan (journalist)|John Grogan]]
| author = [[John Grogan]]
| illustrator =
| illustrator =
| cover_artist =
| cover_artist =
Line 13: Line 13:
| language = English
| language = English
| genre = [[Autobiographical novel]]
| genre = [[Autobiographical novel]]
| publisher = [[HarperCollins]]
| publisher = [[HarperCollins]] (US), [[Hodder & Stoughton]] (UK)
| release_date = October 18, 2005
| release_date = October 18, 2005
| media_type = Print ([[hardcover]]), [[audio book|audio]],<br>[[e-book]]
| media_type = Print ([[hardcover]]), [[audiobook]],<br>[[e-book]]
| pages = 304 pp
| pages = 304 pp
| isbn = 0-06-081708-9
| isbn = 0-06-081708-9
| dewey= 636.752/7/092 B 22
| congress= SF429.L3 G76 2005
| oclc= 58431841
}}
}}
'''''Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog''''' is an autobiographical book by journalist [[John Grogan]], published in 2005, about the 13 years he and his family spent with their yellow [[Labrador Retriever]], Marley. The dog is poorly behaved and destructive, and the book covers the issues this causes in the family as they learn to accept him in addition to their grief following Marley's death. It was subsequently adapted by the author into three separate books, as well as into [[Marley & Me (film)|a comedy-drama film]] released in 2008.


==Story==
'''''Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog''''' is a ''[[The New York Times]]'' bestselling [[autobiographical novel|autobiographical book]] by [[journalist]] [[John Grogan (journalist)|John Grogan]], published in 2005.
Told in [[first-person narrative]], the book portrays Grogan and his family's life during the 13 years that they lived with their dog Marley, and the relationships and lessons from this period. Marley, a yellow [[Labrador Retriever]], is described as a high-strung, boisterous, and somewhat uncontrolled dog. He is strong, powerful, endlessly hungry, eager to be active, and often destructive of their property (but completely without malice). Marley routinely fails to "get the idea" of what humans expect of him; at one point, mental illness is suggested as a plausible explanation for his behavior. His acts and behaviors are forgiven, however, since it is clear that he has a heart of gold and is merely living within his nature.


Marley was filmed for a two-minute credited appearance in the 1996 movie ''[[The Last Home Run]]''.
==Plot==
Told in [[first-person narrative]], the book portrays Grogan and his family's life during the thirteen years that they lived with their dog Marley, and the relationships and lessons from this period. Marley, a yellow [[Labrador Retriever]], is described as a highly strung, boisterous, and somewhat uncontrolled dog. He is strong, powerful, endlessly hungry, eager to be active, and often destructive of their property (but completely without [[malice]]). Marley routinely fails to "get the idea" of what humans expect of him and at one point the comment is made that [[mental illness]] might be a plausible explanation for his behavior. His acts and behaviors are forgiven, however, since it is clear that he has a heart of gold and is merely living within his nature.


The strong contrast between the problems and tensions caused by his neuroses and behavior, and the undying devotion, love and trust shown towards the human family as they themselves have children and grow up to accept him for what he is, and their grief when he finally dies from [[gastric dilatation volvulus]] (a stomach torsion condition) in old age, form the backdrop for the biographical material of the story.
During his escapades he makes a two-minute credited appearance in the movie ''[[The Last Home Run]]'' (filmed in 1996 and released in 1998).


In the autobiography, Grogan states that the eulogy he wrote in his [[The Philadelphia Inquirer|newspaper]] following the death of his dog received more responses than any other column he had written in his professional life up until that point.<ref>"Marley & Me" ch. 29 p. 281-282: ''A recorded warning I had never heard before. "Your mailbox is full" [...]. I logged onto my computer and opened my e-mail. Same story. [...] This morning there were hundreds, far more than anything I had received before.''</ref> In a discussion on his website devoted to the book, he looks back on his family's time with Marley, and the lessons learned, and concludes that: "[C]ommitment matters. That 'in good times and bad, in sickness and in health' really means something. We didn't give up on Marley when it would have been easy to, and in the end he came through and proved himself a great and memorable pet."<ref>{{cite web |last=Grogan |first=John |title=Marley & Me Q&A |url=http://www.johngroganbooks.com/marley/qanda.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171112195214/https://johngroganbooks.com/marley/qanda.html |archive-date=12 November 2017 |accessdate=2009-06-11 |publisher=John Grogan's "Marley & Me" website}}</ref>
The strong contrast between the problems and tensions caused by his [[neurosis|neuroses]] and behavior, and the undying devotion, love and trust shown towards the human family as they themselves have children and grow up to accept him for what he is, and their [[grief]] when he finally dies in old age, form the backdrop for the biographical material of the story.

==Reception==
The [[eulogy]] written by the author in his [[The Philadelphia Inquirer|newspaper]] following the death of their dog is described as receiving more responses than any other column he had written in his professional life up until that point.<ref>"Marley & Me" ch. 29 p. 281-282: ''A recorded warning I had never heard before. "Your mailbox is full" [...]. I logged onto my computer and opened my e-mail. Same story. [...] This morning there were hundreds, far more than anything I had received before.''</ref>


==Adaptations==
==Adaptations==
''Marley & Me'' has been rewritten into three different books. One being for younger readers who would enjoy reading about Marley's story, minus the sexual content in the original book. The book is called ''Marley: A Dog Like No Other''. The second book is a picture book for readers learning to read in lower grade levels called ''Bad Dog, Marley!''. The third book is called ''A Very Marley Christmas''.
''Marley & Me'' has been rewritten into three different books:
* ''Marley: A Dog Like No Other'', for younger readers who would enjoy reading about Marley's story, without the sexual content in the original
* ''Bad Dog, Marley!'', a picture book for readers learning to read in lower grade levels
* ''A Very Marley Christmas''


In 2008, the novel was adapted into a [[family film|family]]-[[Comedy drama|dramedy]] [[motion picture]], also titled ''[[Marley & Me (film)|Marley & Me]]''. Released on December 25, 2008, the film stars [[Owen Wilson]] and [[Jennifer Aniston]] and is directed by [[David Frankel]].
In 2008, the novel was adapted into a family comedy-drama motion picture, also titled ''[[Marley & Me (film)|Marley & Me]]''. Released on December 25, 2008, the film stars [[Owen Wilson]] and [[Jennifer Aniston]] and is directed by [[David Frankel]]. A [[direct-to-video]] prequel followed in 2011, ''[[Marley & Me: The Puppy Years]]''.


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
<references/>


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.marleyandme.com/ Official Site]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090703143554/http://www.johngroganbooks.com/marley/index.html Official Site]

[[Category:2005 novels]]
[[Category:American novels]]
[[Category:Autobiographical novels]]
[[Category:Books available as e-books]]
[[Category:Human-animal relationships]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Marley and Me}}
[[it:Io & Marley]]
[[Category:2005 American novels]]
[[he:מארלי ואני]]
[[Category:American autobiographical novels]]
[[ja:マーリー 世界一おバカな犬が教えてくれたこと]]
[[Category:Human–animal interaction]]
[[pt:Marley & Eu]]
[[Category:American novels adapted into films]]
[[Category:American memoirs]]
[[Category:HarperCollins books]]

Latest revision as of 21:33, 1 December 2024

Marley & Me
AuthorJohn Grogan
LanguageEnglish
GenreAutobiographical novel
PublisherHarperCollins (US), Hodder & Stoughton (UK)
Publication date
October 18, 2005
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover), audiobook,
e-book
Pages304 pp
ISBN0-06-081708-9
OCLC58431841
636.752/7/092 B 22
LC ClassSF429.L3 G76 2005

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog is an autobiographical book by journalist John Grogan, published in 2005, about the 13 years he and his family spent with their yellow Labrador Retriever, Marley. The dog is poorly behaved and destructive, and the book covers the issues this causes in the family as they learn to accept him in addition to their grief following Marley's death. It was subsequently adapted by the author into three separate books, as well as into a comedy-drama film released in 2008.

Story

Told in first-person narrative, the book portrays Grogan and his family's life during the 13 years that they lived with their dog Marley, and the relationships and lessons from this period. Marley, a yellow Labrador Retriever, is described as a high-strung, boisterous, and somewhat uncontrolled dog. He is strong, powerful, endlessly hungry, eager to be active, and often destructive of their property (but completely without malice). Marley routinely fails to "get the idea" of what humans expect of him; at one point, mental illness is suggested as a plausible explanation for his behavior. His acts and behaviors are forgiven, however, since it is clear that he has a heart of gold and is merely living within his nature.

Marley was filmed for a two-minute credited appearance in the 1996 movie The Last Home Run.

The strong contrast between the problems and tensions caused by his neuroses and behavior, and the undying devotion, love and trust shown towards the human family as they themselves have children and grow up to accept him for what he is, and their grief when he finally dies from gastric dilatation volvulus (a stomach torsion condition) in old age, form the backdrop for the biographical material of the story.

In the autobiography, Grogan states that the eulogy he wrote in his newspaper following the death of his dog received more responses than any other column he had written in his professional life up until that point.[1] In a discussion on his website devoted to the book, he looks back on his family's time with Marley, and the lessons learned, and concludes that: "[C]ommitment matters. That 'in good times and bad, in sickness and in health' really means something. We didn't give up on Marley when it would have been easy to, and in the end he came through and proved himself a great and memorable pet."[2]

Adaptations

Marley & Me has been rewritten into three different books:

  • Marley: A Dog Like No Other, for younger readers who would enjoy reading about Marley's story, without the sexual content in the original
  • Bad Dog, Marley!, a picture book for readers learning to read in lower grade levels
  • A Very Marley Christmas

In 2008, the novel was adapted into a family comedy-drama motion picture, also titled Marley & Me. Released on December 25, 2008, the film stars Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston and is directed by David Frankel. A direct-to-video prequel followed in 2011, Marley & Me: The Puppy Years.

References

  1. ^ "Marley & Me" ch. 29 p. 281-282: A recorded warning I had never heard before. "Your mailbox is full" [...]. I logged onto my computer and opened my e-mail. Same story. [...] This morning there were hundreds, far more than anything I had received before.
  2. ^ Grogan, John. "Marley & Me Q&A". John Grogan's "Marley & Me" website. Archived from the original on 12 November 2017. Retrieved 2009-06-11.