Book Review: Marley & Me

For our paper anniversary, Mr. gave me a couple of books. Knowing I've breezed through quite a few novels on my commute, he chose two New York Times Bestsellers: Marley & Me and Peony in Love. I'm certain he has not read them and likely either chose them because they were under a section called 'Great as Gifts' or because he was advised to do so by a Borders salesperson. Mr. is very bright, but a literary scholar he is not. To be fair, neither am I, but I would argue that my grandmother, both my parents, and my brother are. The bar was set high.

I started with Marley & Me by John Grogan because the title was more familiar and who can resist that adorable puppy on the cover? My first impressions were lukewarm. Sure, it seemed like a nice story and the writing wasn't bad, but it didn't strike me as great literature either. When I lived with my brother, an unpublished poet and unapologetic literary snob, he would lend me works by the likes of Dave Eggers, Tom Perrotta and Michael Chabon. When I read their books, I couldn't help but feel a sort of pride and pretension knowing that I had stumbled upon the works of great talents of our generation. I didn't have that reaction to Marley & Me.

However, I've read "US Weekly" shortly after finishing Anna Karenina; I don't demand that everything I read be brilliant, just entertaining, so I continued. Suddenly I was engrossed in the story. Disobeying the unwritten rule to remain stoic on the subway, I chuckled at the crazy antics of that wild yellow lab, Marley. Without pretension, Grogan brought me in with the clean, crisp writing of a columnist, and I fell in love with his family and their beloved pet.

This morning on my commute as I finished the memoir, while I managed to prevent the many tears in my eyes from falling down my cheeks, I wasn't able to prevent myself from sniffling. Even worse than giggling, I was crying on the subway. The classic rave review - I laughed; I cried - holds true in this case.

The purpose of art, no matter the medium, is to provoke and stir emotion. Sometimes there is a bigger agenda attached, such as a political message of some sort, but what good is that message if it doesn't stir people to act? Marley & Me met this objective head on, and I now see why it reached that coveted #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller list. I'd give it a 4 out of 5.