I'm not sure whether it's because of the cute pup on the cover, but Marley & Me has the dubious honour of being the book I've most frequently picked up and put down again without buying of the past year (do you think they should make that a category in the next British Book Awards?). So when my sister-in-law offered me her copy, I almost bit her hand off.
John and Jenny are young and in love and decide to get a dog. Partly because they both have fond memories of their own dogs growing up and partly because they think it will be good practice for the children they hope to have. They pick Marley from a litter after meeting his sweet and placid mother. Apparently it's important to check out a dog's parentage before buying and the Grogans realise why when Marley's father rounds the house like a demented wild animal.
Reading up on the subject later, they discover that labrador retrievers are a particularly demented breed and Marley's a good example. He eats everything - all and any food, paychecks, a gold necklace - later, horribly, cat poo. He escapes one day and returns with a pair of knickers in his mouth. He's neurotic too - terrified of thunderstorms to the point of trying to dig his way through the wood and concrete of the garage (and succeeding to a point). Despite all his faults the Grogans love him. Until the babies come along and his destructive behaviour threatens their marriage.
Marley & Me isn't just about the dog or the family's relationship with a dog, it's also the story of the Grogans themselves. Babies, jobs, miscarriages, depression, loving and living. It's beautifully written, sometimes very funny and it even made me cry. Well worth waiting for.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Like this, try The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery
