Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
Silver knows that he's done a rubbish job of taking care of his family. He knows that because he's 44, living in an efficiency hotel called The Versailles, and divorced. He was lured into the world of fame and fortune when his band, The Bent Daises, had a one-album-hit following their song Rest in Pieces. The celebrity life-style was short lived, but Silver couldn't stop riding the wave and lost everything in the process. Now his ex-wife Denise and daughter Casey live with Denise's new doctor fiance Richard, and Silver occasionally plays drums for an orchestra and languishes by the Versailles pool, ogling women much younger than he is with his friends Jack and Oliver.
It's on one of these pool days that Casey turns up, tells him that she's pregnant and asks for his advice. Silver can't decide whether he's more surprised about his daughter’s news or the fact that she has come to him rather than Denise. Silver resolves to do the right thing and help his daughter, but it's not as easy as it looks. Soon afterwards, Silver receives some news of his own that makes him reassess his outlook on life, and look back over where he has gone so wrong.
One Last Thing Before I Go is undoubtedly a romantic comedy. The story's told mainly from Silver's point of view, and occasionally Casey's and Denise's. Silver is a man with many faults, and with an often infuriating attitude to life and responsibility, but I warmed to him immediately. He knows he is far from the perfect husband or father, and yet he doesn't quite believe he has it in him to change for them, a point of view that, while defeatist, is pretty realistic. He wanders through things, saying what he feels and managing to upset almost everyone on a regular basis.
Some of the situations he gets himself into are beyond awkward and, as a result, hilarious. The humor running through the book is dry and honest, often painfully so. A side effect of a health complication means that he ends up speaking his inner monologues aloud without realizing, and this makes for some brilliant, jaw-dropping moments. But the book's also incredibly poignant. As Silver is forced to consider the choices he has made and the choices he has in front of him, he remembers the women he has loved throughout his life. He recalls the perfect moments when his life began to change, and how those moments slipped away.
I loved Silver, and his friends Jack and Oliver, who are similarly hopeless but with their own redeeming features. I loved Silver's pragmatic father Ruben, unable to deal with the decisions his son is making but willing to support him as he always has. The scenes between Silver and Ruben are full of humor, honesty and love, and often had me on the verge of tears. But for me, the highlight is the relationship between Silver and his teenage daughter Casey. Casey has a brilliant, sharp wit, an understandable bitterness towards her father but also a huge amount of love for him that she finds difficult to find a home for. Her story is compelling. She realizes life is rarely predictable, that it's easy to make mistakes, and that maybe her father isn't as hopeless as she thought or, more accurately, that hopeless doesn't have to mean beyond redemption.
One Last Thing Before I Go is a brilliant book. It's warm and funny, original and moving. I laughed out loud and I cried. I thought the book could end one of two ways, and I wondered and worried which way Silver's story would go. The ending is surprising, and perfect, and I won't say any more because I don’t want to give it away. I would highly recommend this book. It has a lot of romance in it, an awful lot of comedy, and could warm anyone up on a cold night.
An honest an touching story of the things we all do to totally screw up our lives, and a hopeful message that maybe there's hope for redemption. Funny and heartwarming, even in its saddest moments. An ending that leaves us hanging, but that's fairly honest too.
Very close to earning five stars, for its humor and realness and easy depth. And I don't mean it's shallow -- Tropper has a way of casually getting to the hearts of people and situations and making them clear to the reader.
Reminds me a bit of Perotta, but funnier. And it's got an email that may be the most pathetic thing I've ever seen in a novel.
And hits on an idea I've discussed before -- it can sometimes be hard to feel like you're living an original life. "We're all clichés, all following scripts that have been written and played out long before we landed the role."
Plus a lot of other great lines, only a few of which I recorded:
Wisdom is largely a function of intelligence and self-awareness, not time on your hands.
We're all aging, coming apart cell by cell at an alarming rate.
Reminds me a bit of Perotta, but funnier. And it's got an email that may be the most pathetic thing I've ever seen in a novel.
And hits on an idea I've discussed before -- it can sometimes be hard to feel like you're living an original life. "We're all clichés, all following scripts that have been written and played out long before we landed the role."
Plus a lot of other great lines, only a few of which I recorded:
Wisdom is largely a function of intelligence and self-awareness, not time on your hands.
We're all aging, coming apart cell by cell at an alarming rate.
Sometimes when it comes to reading books by an author who is new to me, I tend to do things out of order. There's no real rhyme or reason as to why I do it this way. It could be because their latest work is what caught my eye first, or it could be the working theory that like fine wine, writers get better over time.
Only writing isn't like fine wine and, if anything, most writers spend years trying to recreate whatever was their best seller. Unless you're the likes of say Stephen King, most writers are known for their biggest accomplishments, or biggest misses as the case may be. This needs to be said because I have no idea if Jonathan Tropper has been around long enough to have a "best" book yet, but the latest is what I started with nonetheless. And while I enjoyed the book, admittedly I wasn't blown away.
One Last Thing Before I Go is the story of a middle aged, former semi rock star named Silver. Divorced seven years ago, Silver's life has pooled into a mass of near misses and could have been moments. He has failed in his professional life as well as his personal with no hope of ever seeing either of those things change.
So when Silver gets word that without a serious operation he will die, he does the unthinkable- he turns down the operation. Everyone in his life sees this as selfish and typical Silver, while Silver sees this as the only respectable thing he could do for everyone he has let down over the years. It's a heartbreaking premise, however Tropper manages to make it darkly humorous through out.
So what didn't I like about this book? Well nothing that I can put my finger on exactly. It was a good balance of humor and heart and I could see it being turned into an engrossing movie easily. I suppose my only real gripe was that it wasn't an entirely refreshing premise. Oh and without giving too much away, I wasn't a fan of the ending. And that's the last note I'll leave you with before I go.
Only writing isn't like fine wine and, if anything, most writers spend years trying to recreate whatever was their best seller. Unless you're the likes of say Stephen King, most writers are known for their biggest accomplishments, or biggest misses as the case may be. This needs to be said because I have no idea if Jonathan Tropper has been around long enough to have a "best" book yet, but the latest is what I started with nonetheless. And while I enjoyed the book, admittedly I wasn't blown away.
One Last Thing Before I Go is the story of a middle aged, former semi rock star named Silver. Divorced seven years ago, Silver's life has pooled into a mass of near misses and could have been moments. He has failed in his professional life as well as his personal with no hope of ever seeing either of those things change.
So when Silver gets word that without a serious operation he will die, he does the unthinkable- he turns down the operation. Everyone in his life sees this as selfish and typical Silver, while Silver sees this as the only respectable thing he could do for everyone he has let down over the years. It's a heartbreaking premise, however Tropper manages to make it darkly humorous through out.
So what didn't I like about this book? Well nothing that I can put my finger on exactly. It was a good balance of humor and heart and I could see it being turned into an engrossing movie easily. I suppose my only real gripe was that it wasn't an entirely refreshing premise. Oh and without giving too much away, I wasn't a fan of the ending. And that's the last note I'll leave you with before I go.
Not as funny as This Is Where I Leave You, but I am finding I love Tropper's approach. I will definitely read more of his books!
Washed-up drummer, dead-beat dad Silver decides to die. The next week or two forces him to interact with his family, especially his 18 yr old daughter.
Tropper has a way with dialogue -- the chapters that are solely dialogue are some of my favourites. It's pithy and emotional and so much gets said in so few words. If he and [a:Aaron Sorkin|225509|Aaron Sorkin|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1247937179p2/225509.jpg] got together, wow.
All the characters are characters, they are interesting and complex. There's heartache and laughter in the wit of the writing. The emotions described are so real. Much of the narrative is very perceptive and profound, too. Even about little things, but certainly about the big things. The dynamics of a family are spot-on.
My favourite thing about the writing is that it is told in third person omniscient, but almost seems first person. Artful and effective!
One complaint: When she's trying on her wedding dress, Denise remembers the chair where her mom sat when Denise tried on a dress for her first wedding, watching her, both of them teary because Dad had died a few years earlier. But in the scene where everyone's at Elaine and Ruben's house for the intervention, the narrative says that Elaine was like a mother to Denise because Denise's mother died when she was 13 of breast cancer. And at Denise's wedding, Silver notes her father.
Where was the eagle eye of the editor in this???
Tropper has a way with dialogue -- the chapters that are solely dialogue are some of my favourites. It's pithy and emotional and so much gets said in so few words. If he and [a:Aaron Sorkin|225509|Aaron Sorkin|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1247937179p2/225509.jpg] got together, wow.
All the characters are characters, they are interesting and complex. There's heartache and laughter in the wit of the writing. The emotions described are so real. Much of the narrative is very perceptive and profound, too. Even about little things, but certainly about the big things. The dynamics of a family are spot-on.
My favourite thing about the writing is that it is told in third person omniscient, but almost seems first person. Artful and effective!
One complaint: When she's trying on her wedding dress, Denise remembers the chair where her mom sat when Denise tried on a dress for her first wedding, watching her, both of them teary because Dad had died a few years earlier. But in the scene where everyone's at Elaine and Ruben's house for the intervention, the narrative says that Elaine was like a mother to Denise because Denise's mother died when she was 13 of breast cancer. And at Denise's wedding, Silver notes her father.
Where was the eagle eye of the editor in this???
Drew Silver is a 44 year old man, the former drummer for a one-hit band that fails when its front man launches a successful solo career. Silver, as he is known to friends and family, lives off of his residuals, weekly sperm donations, and the few weddings and bar mitvah gigs he lines up. He resides at the Versailles, a drab furnished apartment house that has become "the inevitable destination of all the sad, damaged men of Elmsbrook, banished from their homes in the wake of disintegrating marriages," lolling around the pool watching the nubile teens that he and his friends, Jack, a realtor and oversexed misogynist, and Oliver, a rich middle-aged man who likes the camaraderie, invite to swim. If Silver's life doesn't seem bleak enough, he was diagnosed with an aortic dissection, a condition that could kill him if he continues to decline surgery. His illness causes Silver to become completely uncensored, and secrets are revealed and unkind truths told as he tries to reconnect with his ex-wife, Denise, who is about to marry Rich, the decent physician who diagnosed Silver's condition, and their daughter, Casey, the Ivy league bound valedictorian who has discovered that she is pregnant after a first romance.
While this set-up could easily veer into cliches, Tropper makes Silver sympathetic and even likeable, despite his flaws. Interspersed with the humor are truly tender moments -- Silver's love for Denise is heartbreaking and his awkward attempts to reconnect with his daughter are sincere. Although Tropper has been criticized for serving up "lad lit," he has created an endearing character in Silver and a compelling story as Silver tries to be a better father and a better man.
While this set-up could easily veer into cliches, Tropper makes Silver sympathetic and even likeable, despite his flaws. Interspersed with the humor are truly tender moments -- Silver's love for Denise is heartbreaking and his awkward attempts to reconnect with his daughter are sincere. Although Tropper has been criticized for serving up "lad lit," he has created an endearing character in Silver and a compelling story as Silver tries to be a better father and a better man.
This book made me laugh and cry, sometimes simultaneously.
I like it not as mush as I felt in love with "The Book of Joe", so it is a little bit lower 5 than usual 5 for Jonathan Tropper.
Some motivations are questionable, some twists are felt like deus ex machina, a lot of described situations are really cringy to read and sometimes the face of main character is too punchable.
But Tropper still knows all the tricks about writing a perfect text and he knows all the buttons to make me emotional.
What he does the best is leaving a reader with a thought:
– This plot is so unbelievable. But it's exactly how it happens in real life.
Some motivations are questionable, some twists are felt like deus ex machina, a lot of described situations are really cringy to read and sometimes the face of main character is too punchable.
But Tropper still knows all the tricks about writing a perfect text and he knows all the buttons to make me emotional.
What he does the best is leaving a reader with a thought:
– This plot is so unbelievable. But it's exactly how it happens in real life.
I really love this authors style. The wit and sarcasm and humor have me laughing out loud, and I love all the characters, even when you're supposed to hate them. However, what the hell book?!? I want a clear cut ending, not one open to interpretation! Not fair. Not fair at all!