Yup... and any others that you do

Ive just finished it. Id give it a 7. I did enjoy it but its not all its made out to be and it is definately more about him than Marley, but like i said i did enjoy it

Adding a thread with a poll in...

Just to add that i found his website (just typed Marley & Me into yahoo..came up at the top of the list), if you go to the question and answer section, he explains why the book is about the family and Marley. Also he explains as to why they did not get the dog 'Lucky' from the rescue centre.

There are also photos of Marley, but did't stop to look as i'm at work at the mo so will have a look tonight

Well, despite being a really quick reader, I haven't even started it yet as my daughter is still reading it.

Please don't exclude me from the club for not having finished my homework on time.

Couldn't find it, but the book is billed as Marley and Me, life and love with the world's worst dog.
Marley was nowhere near the world's worst dog, he was poorly trained and had a genuine phobia with thunderstorms. The book on the whole irritated me more than anything, most of the situations described as funny just weren't. They bought the dog for its kerb appeal, basically they liked the look of them, they only researched the breed after buying him. All the books stressed how much exercise and stimulation he would need if not to turn into a destructive dog. His training was brief and hit and miss and yet he constantly refers to him as having a screw loose or similar. I don't think it was the dog that had the screw loose to be honest.
I don't dispute that he loved his dog, but I love chocolate and for me he gave his dog no more thought than I give a bar of chocolate. Maybe that's why I thought the end was the best part, it showed genuine emotion and of course we all relate to it if we have ever been in that situation ourselves. I've been there a few times myself and obviously related to that part of the book. Yes, I had tears in my eyes at the end but that was more to do with my own memories than anything the author had written.
I definately would not recommend the book

Sorry but I think some views are a bit harsh. From what I remember from the story they didn't just wake up one morning and go and get the first dog they came across. Not everyone does thorough research into dogs, and realise in a lot of cases this can be disatrous. (personally I did as I have children and wanted a dog that would fit in well with the family). Labs/retrievers a popular breed, and I believe he did have one as a family pet growing up. As far as I could tell they did thier very best for him, although no, not the best of methods, but bear in mind this was the 1980.s when choke chains etc were the 'in thing'. Training methods progress all the time, so think people need to take the book as it was meant, an average family and their lives with their pet dog, no more and no less.

I totally se your point Marean, I think the trouble was the way the book was marketed...the book wasn't funny...IMO at least!!!!

Surely that's the whole point, we do have differing opinions.

" we were young, we were in love. We were rollicking in those sublime early days of marriage when life seems about as good as life can get. We could not leave well enough alone.
And so on a January evening in 1991, my wife of fifteen months and I ate a quick dinner together and headed off to anwer a classified ad in the palm beach post."

Why were we doing this, I wasn't quite sure. A few weeks earlier I had awoken just after dawn to find the bed beside me empty. I got up and found Jenny sitting in her bathrobe at the glass table on the screened porch of our little bungalow, bent over the newspaper with a pen in her hand.

Apparently according to the book they bought a dog because she killed the houseplant, and she wanted to practise her nurturing skills on something before trying for a baby if I remember correctly.

Not all of us that owned dogs in the 70's and 80's used choke chains either, most used common sense and knew they weren't for them or their dog

I finished it. I cried..but I cried because it was a reminder, of the dogs I've lost and the dogs I will lose in the next few years (my old guys are...well...getting older.) I cried for myself really and my dogs.
The writing did improve towards the end, but I think that is because it was more about Marley and his relationship with his owner...not just Marley as he fitted into the owner's life.

As an owner I have to say, I thought the man was pretty selfish. There was the crate incident, that has already been mentioned. I have to say though, Marley was old and fading and they put him into kennels where he got bloat...they then , in order to go to Disneyland....put him in the ICU at the vets...at the kennels....
I personally wouldn't do that. I couldn't. Had my old and fading dog become more ill when away from me, I would put holidays aside until the inevitable happened. The way Marley's health was, the inevitable was going to happen sooner rather than later, the family would hardly have outgrown Disneyworld by the time Marley faded away. Disneyworld could have waited and IMO should have waited. It tore my heart out when they put him back in a situation that had made him ill....poor dog. Just my opinion, but that left a bad taste...then they make money out of his story....