Marley & Me

Since I enjoy reading memoirs and love animals, I chose to read Marley & Me by John Grogan. Although I read this book a few years ago when it was first published, I wanted to read it again after seeing the movie recently. Compared to the movie version of Marley & Me, the book is filled with many more details and emotion; with the exception of certain parts, I feel as if I could better connect with the story through reading as opposed to on the screen.

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3.04.09 - For some reason, I have never become emotional while reading a book or watching a movie. However, when I finished reading Marley & Me the second time around, it was the first time I was ever emotionally touched by a book. Although I anticipated what would happen to Marley, I still got choked up (and probably would have cried had I not been in class) as I read the visually descriptive and heartbreaking story of the "world's worst dog." Most importantly, I was able to make a very personal connection to the experience shared by John Grogan and his family in Marley & Me.

As a lifelong animal lover and pet owner, I have experienced firsthand the pain of losing a pet. In addition to going through the loss of my grandparents' dog over a decade ago, this past May my outdoor cat, Tripod, had to be put to sleep at a mere six years old. Since his death is still fresh in my mind, I could not stop thinking about his final day while reading the ending of Marley & Me. From the last trip to the vet, to the beloved pet's final breath, to the emptiness experienced in the wake of the loss, I drew instant parallels between losing Tripod and Marley's death.