Title: The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Author: Walter Mosley
Publisher: Riverhead Books
ISBN: 978-1-59448-772-9
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 277
Quick Review: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I Read It: The synopsis caught my interest when I saw it on Goodreads.
Where I Obtained the Book: The publisher sent me a pre-released copy through the Goodreads give-away program.
Synopsis: At ninety-one years old, Ptolemy Grey is one of the world’s forgotten: by his family, by his friends, by even himself. Marooned in a cluttered Los Angeles apartment overflowing with mementos from his past, Ptolemy sinks deeper into lonely dementia and into a past that’s best left buried. He’s determined to pass the rest of his days with only his memories for company. Until, at his grandnephew’s funeral, he meets Robyn and experiences a seismic shift, in his head, his heart, and his life.
Seventeen and without a family of her own, Robyn is unlike anyone Ptolemy has ever known. She and Ptolemy form an unexpected bond that reinvigorates his world. Robyn will not tolerate the way he has allowed himself to live, skulking in and out of awareness barely long enough to cash his small pension checks, living in fear of his neighbors and the memories that threaten to swallow him. With Robyn’s help, Ptolemy moves from isolation back into the brightness of friendship and desire. But Robyn’s challenges also push Ptolemy to make a life-changing decision that will affect both of them: to recapture the clarity and vigor of his fading mind and unlock the secrets he has carried for decades.
Review: First things first: Toll-Lah-Me. I had to look it up and it made reading the book a much smoother experience. (An alternate is Toll-Lei-Me).
There is a lot in this book about what it is like to get old and to experience dementia and most reviews I have seen focus on this. To be fair there are a lot of insights to be gained about those topics. As someone in their forties I found myself thinking about my future and getting old. How will I cope?
What really stuck with me though is the beauty that can be found in the world, the clarity of thought if we stop making blind, stereotypical assumptions about people and just engage. It would be rare the person who would see a beautiful young woman involve herself in the life of an old man with the onset of dementia and think it was on the up and up. Especially when we learn he gives her control over his complete, and somewhat substantial financial life. But it is in this relationship that truth is found, dignity restored, and justice served.
We all lead cluttered lives that distort our perception of reality (Ptolemy’s apartment and dementia) and so we rely on prejudices and our varieties of experience to quickly make decisions. To often those decisions will not lead to happiness. Such as Ptolemy relying on family to get him through, because isn’t family what you can trust? It isn’t until a truly helpful person turns up, someone who we would all dismiss as a gold-digger, that Ptolemy gains clarity of thought. It is then he can confront his inner demons and set the world right before he leaves.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey exemplifies the work of Danny Gilbert (Stumbling Upon Happiness). Our various devices we use to navigate and shortcut the world for the most part causes us to miss the greatest treasures in life, caring relationships. Or in Ptolemy’s case, a literal treasure.
Author Biography: Walter Mosley is one of the most versatile and admired writers in America today. He is the author of more than 34 critically acclaimed books, including the major bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins. His work has been translated into 21 languages and includes literary fiction, science fiction, political monographs, and a young adult novel. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times Magazine and The Nation, among other publications. He is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, a Grammy and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.
Other Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
Bookpage
FYI:
Interview in Chicagoist Magazine
Author: Walter Mosley
Publisher: Riverhead Books
ISBN: 978-1-59448-772-9
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 277
Quick Review: 4 stars (out of 5)
Why I Read It: The synopsis caught my interest when I saw it on Goodreads.
Where I Obtained the Book: The publisher sent me a pre-released copy through the Goodreads give-away program.
Synopsis: At ninety-one years old, Ptolemy Grey is one of the world’s forgotten: by his family, by his friends, by even himself. Marooned in a cluttered Los Angeles apartment overflowing with mementos from his past, Ptolemy sinks deeper into lonely dementia and into a past that’s best left buried. He’s determined to pass the rest of his days with only his memories for company. Until, at his grandnephew’s funeral, he meets Robyn and experiences a seismic shift, in his head, his heart, and his life.
Seventeen and without a family of her own, Robyn is unlike anyone Ptolemy has ever known. She and Ptolemy form an unexpected bond that reinvigorates his world. Robyn will not tolerate the way he has allowed himself to live, skulking in and out of awareness barely long enough to cash his small pension checks, living in fear of his neighbors and the memories that threaten to swallow him. With Robyn’s help, Ptolemy moves from isolation back into the brightness of friendship and desire. But Robyn’s challenges also push Ptolemy to make a life-changing decision that will affect both of them: to recapture the clarity and vigor of his fading mind and unlock the secrets he has carried for decades.
Review: First things first: Toll-Lah-Me. I had to look it up and it made reading the book a much smoother experience. (An alternate is Toll-Lei-Me).
There is a lot in this book about what it is like to get old and to experience dementia and most reviews I have seen focus on this. To be fair there are a lot of insights to be gained about those topics. As someone in their forties I found myself thinking about my future and getting old. How will I cope?
What really stuck with me though is the beauty that can be found in the world, the clarity of thought if we stop making blind, stereotypical assumptions about people and just engage. It would be rare the person who would see a beautiful young woman involve herself in the life of an old man with the onset of dementia and think it was on the up and up. Especially when we learn he gives her control over his complete, and somewhat substantial financial life. But it is in this relationship that truth is found, dignity restored, and justice served.
We all lead cluttered lives that distort our perception of reality (Ptolemy’s apartment and dementia) and so we rely on prejudices and our varieties of experience to quickly make decisions. To often those decisions will not lead to happiness. Such as Ptolemy relying on family to get him through, because isn’t family what you can trust? It isn’t until a truly helpful person turns up, someone who we would all dismiss as a gold-digger, that Ptolemy gains clarity of thought. It is then he can confront his inner demons and set the world right before he leaves.
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey exemplifies the work of Danny Gilbert (Stumbling Upon Happiness). Our various devices we use to navigate and shortcut the world for the most part causes us to miss the greatest treasures in life, caring relationships. Or in Ptolemy’s case, a literal treasure.
Author Biography: Walter Mosley is one of the most versatile and admired writers in America today. He is the author of more than 34 critically acclaimed books, including the major bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins. His work has been translated into 21 languages and includes literary fiction, science fiction, political monographs, and a young adult novel. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times Magazine and The Nation, among other publications. He is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, a Grammy and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.
Other Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
Bookpage
FYI:
Interview in Chicagoist Magazine
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