This Is Where I Leave You

By: Jonathan Tropper

Narrated by: Ramon De Ocampo

Length: 10 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family - including Judd's mother, brothers, and sister - have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd's wife, Jen, whose 14-month affair with Judd's radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public.

Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch's dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.

As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it's a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family.

©2009 Jonathan Tropper (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"The affectionate, warts-and-all portrayal of the Foxmans will have fans wishing for a sequel (and clamoring for all things Tropper)." (Amazon.com review)
"Tropper strikes an excellent balance between the family history and its present-day fallout, proving his ability to create touchingly human characters and a deliciously page-turning story." ( Publishers Weekly)

So good, you don't want it to end

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Would highly recommend, the narrator handles each character so well that you can see this as a movie playing out in your head.

What did you like best about this story?

The vulnerability and honesty of the main character, he bares it all.

What does Ramon de Ocampo bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This was the best narration of an audiobook so far, better than David Sedaris, and I've heard him read many times. His voice sounds similar to the actor Steve Carrell.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Lots of moments, I saw that this story is being made into a movie, which I can't wait to see. I hope they stick closely to the book as the twists and turns play out quite nicely.

ehhh it was fine

Any additional comments?

I thought it was very funny in the beginning, but the negative current never lets up or changes. It was a fine audio- reader does a fine job. I thought the story could have been better.

Great Book

Any additional comments?

I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to relate to this book. A friend recommended it, so I went for it. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It's a great story with wonderful narration. I'll definitely re-listen to this after some time has passed so that I can relive it.

a very funny "read"

Would you listen to This Is Where I Leave You again? Why?

I might listen to it again on a road trip. It is very fun and easy to listen to.

Any additional comments?

This book was just plain entertaining. I listened to it while painting my kitchen, and laughed out loud.

One big happy family, not!.

Shame reviews for this are so mixed. I love it. Ramon does a perfect job at narrating it. I feel sorry for the guy with the brain damage, have similar issues to his, though blind and other issues. 10/10.

After the candles scene, it’s all downhill

This is a book about a self indulgent, whiny guy who judges all women by whether he’s willing to have sex with them. Above a certain age, they’re too old for sex and, thus, must also be judged harshly based on age and looks. Thank goodness girls were off limits.

At the same time, he’s less attractive and certainly less charming than he realizes, making me wonder if his attractive wife is blind and deaf or just an idiot. Although the book is supposed to be about sitting shiva for the dead dad, it’s really not. It’s caustic criticism of women, some fun antics, a few moments of existentialism, and a lot of a narrator who is too oblivious to realize he’s a jerk. You’re supposed to root for him, but I was hoping for death or dismemberment of this fictional character.

I had hoped that the candle scene in the beginning, with its amazing comedic timing, was a hint of more to come. It wasn’t — it was the peak.

Story line great

The story line was great but was not prepared for all the swearing and sexual stories

Don’t miss this book!

I Love a book that makes me laugh out loud. This is a great story about a somewhat dysfunctional family getting through a sad but enlightening time. It’s worth a credit.

skip the movie, read this

I am a 27 year old black woman who LOVES dry, witty, UNPOLITICALLY correct humor. The movie certainly wasn't based on this laugh out loud novel, hollyweird has to make everything touchy feely and what they think is digestible. I loooved the narratorators emotionless reading as it made the emotional unavailability in each character (except for Phillip) shine!!

Loved the movie, so the book had a lot to live up to.

And it knocked it out of the park. I could relate a lot to where Judd was at in life. It was nice to hear someone explain it so well. The narrater was amazing too.