MARLEY AND ME...the book and the movie

THE BOOK...
WHAT IT'S ABOUT (taken from Doubleday Book Club)
Putting a whole new spin on the notion of “puppy love,” John Grogan’s funny, light-hearted chronicle of how an overactive yellow Lab changed the lives of a young Pennsylvania couple has become the year’s biggest sleeper hit. Slobbering toward superstardom and onto the New York Times bestseller list, Marley & Me has touched the hearts of people all over the country by asking a simple question: What happens when that adorable new family pet turns out to be a bad-mannered problem child?

Dog days
Hoping to test the waters of parenthood, Grogan and his wife Jenny adopted a cute, exuberant yellow pup they dubbed Marley. Loyal and loving, this affectionate mutt was also a naughty, neurotic basket case who massacred furniture, terrorized sitters, and devoured anything it could wrap its whiskered mouth around—including stereo speakers and an 18-karat gold necklace. Booted out of obedience school for chronic noncompliance, the maddeningly high-strung Marley nevertheless endeared himself to the Grogans, comforting them after Jenny’s miscarriage. Whether you’re a dog lover or not, this tender, touching story of animal misbehavior will leave a big, fat pawprint on your heart forever.

WHAT I THOUGHT...
I have read this book twice now and absolutely love it. The adventures and emotions that this book take you on cannot be expressed in words. I have wondered each time I read this book why on earth they kept this dog considering all that he destroyed. I do understand that some people seem to make their dogs a part of their family (my husband and children included); however in my mind a pet is simply that...a pet. Simply put, a dog like Marley would not last long in my house! I definitely recomend this if you're looking for a quick and enjoyable read!

THE MOVIE (click here to go to the movie's website)
Definitely a cute movie...but I was a bit diappointed. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson did an amazing job in this movie (as did Eric Dane...but would you expect any less from McSteamy?). What disappointed me the most was the lack of consistency the movie had with the book. Owen Wilson, who plays John Grogan, states at the beginning of the movie that him or Jennie ever owned a dog as a child. Anyone that has read the book knows that this is a true discrepency...in fact they both owned dogs as children that were amazing dogs; I believe they classified them as Saints in the book. The movie continued to have discrepencies with the book from how they got the dog, how they named the dog and many more. I don't even remember there being a Sebastian (Eric Dane) in the book. Had I not read the book prior I probably would have enjoyed the movie more than I did. My advice; if you've haven't seen this movie but have read the book...watch it but with an open mind, if you've seen the movie and liked it...read the book you will like it even more, if you haven't seen or read either you so need to!