John Grogan on Marley & Me

In The Times, Kevin Maher talks to John Grogan about how his novel Marley & Me has become a hit film.

The greatest misconception, he says, surrounding the entire Marley phenomenon is that it’s simply about a naughty but loveable dog. “People respond differently to this story,” he explains. “There’s the core audience who are [does Southern drawl] ‘Ah love that story, and ah love ma dawg’. Then there’s another audience who get the bigger picture involving me and Jen, as a couple. But then finally, there’s an audience that sees the more metaphysical overarching themes.”

Marley & Me, adapted by Scott Frank and Don Roos, will be released in the UK on 13 March.