👶👶👶👶 This is Where I Leave You, by Jonathan Tropper

This was a wonderfully humorous, heartfelt novel. I love Jonathan Tropper’s breezy writing style, his ability to throw in witty remarks with tender moments, blending them seamlessly. Of course, with my penchant for good vocabulary, he had me at, “quotidian” and “profligate”. This book had several layers: touching on love in all of its messy, clandestine, unrequited, and censored forms, offering flashes of forgiveness where it was least expected, and inviting the reader to ponder the fleeting passage of time from infancy to life’s end. Tropper did a fine job of emphasizing the complicated relationships within families and the common idiosyncrasies that we can all relate to. However, I could’ve done without the disturbing scene with Judd and his sister-in-law; there are just some places you shouldn’t go with family. Had it not been for that paradigm-shifting scene leaving such a bitter taste in my mouth, I may have rated this novel 5 stars. Truth be told, I don’t bounce back easily from things like that.

If the movie is done right, it has the ability to become a classic, the likeness of The Big Chill, as it is strikingly similar in plot, but involves family members rather than best friends. I’m really excited to see it!

Read 10/9/14