He was awfully disobedient, there was no minute when he’d be calm and quite, he was eating everything he saw: gold chain, shoes, curtains, kilograms of mangoes, plastic soldier, gum, towels, sponges, socks, napkins and many other interesting things. This is a non fiction book because it shows real events and it can give you information that is true. They were costs we came to accept and balance against the joy and amusement and protection and companionship he gave us. The title is borrowed from a chapter near the end of the story in which John and Marley share an evening together, just the two of them, unbothered by the expectations or weight of the world around them.

It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them. He’s a praiseworthy man – loving husband and father, a good friend for other people and especially for his dog. He taught me to appreciate the simple things- a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. God will send you help when in times of need, you won’t believe it because sometimes the help could be a four-legged mammal. Years passed, Jenny gave birth to 3 beautiful children, Patrick, Connor and Colleen, moved to better house in more prestigious region of country, John advanced up the career ladder.The family then moves to Allentown, Pennsylvania, where John takes an editing position at a gardening magazine.

Long after that Jenny saw, as she said, the “reincarnation” of Marley – eyes full thirst for life, and inscription – “Full of zip! Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. This book does have a sad ending, just to warn you, and it was actually the first book to make me cry.The whole story is soaked with the narrator’s/author’s/protagonist’s love to the dog, and the dog’s endless allegiance to his closest creature – the man. The book was adapted into a full-length film in 2008 and has also been adapted into a series of children’s stories about Marley. I was reminded of what should be obvious but to often is not, that each today, each hour and minute, is worth cherishing.

So, they bought the dog and were ready to start happy and carefree life with the pet, but no such luck. Then John grew up, met his future wife Jenny, who, by the way, also had a dog, Saint Winnie, being a child. John made sure even when his wife didn’t want marley no more that he made sure that marley would behave properly, which means not jumping on people when he sees them and slobber on them.

I loved how close you feel to Marley when you read this book, you can just imagine all of it so clearly as if you were there. His behavior is not perfect, it’s not even good: he eats everything he see, his saliva and hair is everywhere, he rushes both at friends and strangers, but everybody, who deals with him is deeply imbued with attachment to this madcap creature. John Grogan tells this story in the first person as he reflects on the 13 years he spent with Marley, the family’s purebred yellow Labrador retriever.