This is Where I Leave You

Funny (there is a great scene with a birthday cake) and a true bawdy romp, but so misogynistic that I can’t really recommend it to anyone who despises a heavy-handed male perspective (what we call dicklit). Everyone’s appearance is fair game (male and female), but guys get away with being attractive as slobs, while the women have to be skinny and gorgeous to merit attention – the term “creamy thighs” was shamelessly overused. Great for an entertaining read, but if you find self-pitying, sex-obsessed dudes annoying (like ones who complain: I haven’t been with a woman in 2 whole months, I’m such a victim!!!), perhaps this isn’t the book for you. Most of the women in my book club loved it (as did my mom and some pretty famous film producers) so mine is a minority perspective perhaps.

This started out so clever and insightful regarding family dynamics. Then it fell apart and left me feeling vaguely depressed. If this is insight into the male mind, we are doomed as a planet.
Never mind it lost touch with reality around the second time this supposed slovenly loser got laid. Never mind the whole male-rape scene was smarmy and sad. It just didn’t deliver as far as exposing the complicated emotions that exist in every family. the potential was there, but it went from clever to ridiculous. There aren’t many families where grown men get together and end up beating up each other, and various other characters. It felt like reality TV.
And the women . . . there wasn’t one missed stereotype, I have to give Tropper credit. You have the bitch, the whore, the crazy hormonal housewife, even the lesbians. Oh, and the sad, lonely single woman. There wasn’t one woman character that you could stand. This was a misogynistic mess.
I struggled to finish it. The only positive thing I can say is that it didn’t wrap things up neatly with a bow. Thanks, Tropper.

On a positive note, it doesnt take long to read thus reducing the number of hours wasted. Admittedly, I did get hung up on the weird punctuation and poor writing style. I tried to get past it but then the storyline took a turn for the worst. Its like Woody Allen, Maury Povich and Howard Stern had a threesome and produced this book from their unholy alliance.

I bought the book because it was said to be funny and it did deliver on that. The family zings each other constantly and hilariously. The professional reviews that compare the author to Nick Hornby are tripping. Tropper writes well crafted entertainment, Hornby serious books, despite the often lighthearted tone.
But the author wants to mock pop psychology and still invokes bromides like letting go of your grief and moving past your anger. Worse, he seems to not realize that some things really are unforgivable, no matter how besotted you are.

This book was recommended to me and I was looking forward to reading it. Parts of the book were funny and endearing but I would not recommend this book to my book club or friends based on unnecessary graphic sexual scenes in parts of the book. I don’t mind sex in a novel but this was over the top. Call me a prude but it ruined the book for me.

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