this is where i leave you

Hi guys! So I took a big chunk of the summer off from my Cannonball for a variety of reasons, most prominently the giant time suck that is buying a house.

But I’m back, and thankful my first review in almost two months is for a book I truly enjoyed.

This is Where I Leave You is a book many people have heard of in recent months due to the movie that came out last week based on the book (staring my girlfriend Tiny Fey as well as Jason Bateman, Adam Driver and Jane Fonda). It’s the story of the Foxmans, who come to sit Shiva when the patriarch of the family dies. Our narrator, Judd, is the middle son and currently going through a horrific divorce but he isn’t the only Foxman with a trouble personal life. His oldest brother has been trying to get his wife pregnant for years, his older sister has a financially successful but mostly absent husband and his youngest brother is dating his significantly older life coach. Needless to say seven days together, under one roof, stirs up a lot of emotions and memories- and the Foxmans aren’t quite mature enough to navigate.

The pace is quick and there is a lot of humor mixed into an otherwise serious time. While I haven’t seen the movie yet I could see the characters clearly as the actors Warner Bros. chose to portray them. Seriously, Judd Foxman could be played by no one other than Jason Bateman.

Also you need to know that the Rabbi is played by Jean Ralphio.

There is a lot crammed into the span of one week and the craziness of the family members’ current situation unravels as the week progresses exponentially. Affairs. Old romances revisited. Pregnancies. Lesbians.
Clearly the amount of drama is high to make for an enjoyable read which Tropper delivers.

“Even under the best of circumstances, there’s just something so damn tragic about growing up.”