Marley & Me《Marley & Me》

December 12 2006

This is the feel-good dog-lover's book of the year a run-away bestseller. So it's only natural that I need to read it. It however started rather disappointingly. The author I can see is trying hard to be humorous but so hard that is feels mechanical. My feeling is that the author is someone who learned the techniques of how to write humor (he is after all a well-trained professional journalist) but not a born humorist--like many American professionals who have mastered all the techniques but lack the real gift.

For the first half or so of the book there isn't too much of a story there. Yes the dog is mischevious and funny but there are plenty of such dogs out there--and more importantly for any dog owners their own dogs are always funnier and cuter than someone else's canine companions. And the author's recounting of his own family's expansion (three new kids) was simply boring. Who cares you're not Paris Hilton or Tom Cruise.

But the book got better in the final chapters when Marley the Dog got old deaf sick paralyzed and eventually dead. Finally there is something deeper than someone else's mischievous dog and reproductive activities. We are looking at the existential question of the relationship between human being and their animal companions. We see a Marley who used to possess boundless energy now struggles to pull his arthritic hind legs up and down the stairs just to lie beside his masters. We see his masters wrenching their hearts to prepare for Marley's evenutal passage a decision which they had to make for Marley. We see the burial of the beloved dog in the backyard and the lingering memories of 13 years' of life together that refuse to be buried. We see the void left in our life by the departure of a true companion. And after all those comedies tragedies and mishaps presented by Marley we see the spirit that makes this particular dog and all other dogs lovable and admirable.

So overall a worthy reading especially for someone who also has a canine companion in life and sooner or later will drink from the same emotional well. But I still believe our Yo-Yo is funnier and cuter.