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stevienlcf 's review for:
One Last Thing Before I Go
by Jonathan Tropper
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.