tlacuiloarts

** spoiler alert ** When the book came out in 2006 I sold lots of copies. Considering it was a hardcover book back then at 19.80€ it was a great source of profit for my small bookshop. Yet, despite being a dog lover with a Labrador at home, I refused to read it. I knew that a story about a dog and his owner would inevitably end with the dog's death and I did not want to read a book that'd leave me in tears. I bought my mum a copy in Portuguese and she loved it. She couldn't put it down. She kept telling me how alike Marley and our dog Toffee were in terms of behaviour. Now that the movie came out I stupidly agreed to go to the cinema and watch it (my husband would like to see it and so did my mum). I thought that if I somehow did not watch the ending I'd be fine. My mum thought I was being pathetic. She hadn't cried with the book, after all. I did what I'd planned...towards the end I stared at a blue point of light on the floor and kept my eyes firmly on that spot while trying to engage my brain into "la la la la la" tune. I did hear a few snippets of what was being said in the movie and began to choke..."la la la la" I continued. So why did I decide to read the book? Basically it's obvious that the movie was unable to show completly the bond between a dog and its owner(s). It has the funny moments but there are things a movie cannot capture. So I decided it was time to read John Grogan's own words and feelings. I wasn't disappointed. I found myself laughing-out-loud quite often. His writing is extremely witty. Unfortunately, as the end approached and the book came to an end I also cried my eyes out. In fact, I cried myself to sleep and look a mess today. This may sound silly for people who never had a dog, but these "guys" are truly special and they are part of the family. My own dog is now approaching his 10th anniversary. He's began showing some signs of old age and that just made it all the more difficult to read this book. But the read was worth the cry. I really enjoyed myself. I can say with total certainty that I'd never trade my dog for any amount of money in the world. He's priceless. PS: By the way: when the movie finished my mum was almost curled up into a ball in her seat, crying like a baby.

2022-09-04 03:37