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)

Humorous, but Flat

Sarcastic humor pervades this and all Jonathan Tropper novels. Judd's having a bit of a rough patch. His wife is having an affair (no spoiler, happens in first chapter), his father's passed, and he has to spend 7 days sitting "Shiva" with his dysfunctional family. Navigating current affairs and reliving past issues, Judd shares observations in raw, candid speech about sex and his future.

The characters and situations are comical, but lacking development. A funny anecdote is not supported by bridging one scenario to another. Good idea, laughed several times. Bought this from a $4.95 sale and enjoyed for an easy amusing listen. Had I paid full price or a credit, would have been a little miffed.

Very Enjoyable "Guy Lit"

I don't usually read "guy lit", but this book got some great reviews. I knew a movie was coming out this fall and the previews made me curious about the book. I am very glad I read it. Although the premise was a little unbelievable and none of the characters seemed to question their mother about it, the author took a unique event and made it into a homecoming, a reunion and a healing for a family that was splintered and falling apart. There are lots of stories centered around families coming together for a funeral. But the type of funeral involved in this book allowed the author to spread the angst, humor, misunderstanding and forgiveness over several days.

I thought the ending was appropriate, although probably not the ending a woman author would have chosen. And I thought most of the main characters were portrayed sympathetically. I wish the author had spent a little more time on some of the secondary characters though.

Tropper's writing style is quick, to the point and not overly wordy. I really appreciated that. The narration was excellent. I will look for more books read by de Ocampo and I will read Tropper's other books as well. I really recommend this one.

Solid family drama

This book is in the category of movies like "Dan In Real Life" and "The Family Stone".
The Family Drama.

I enjoy these family drama stories for their simple ability to entertain without challenging the intellect. A steady diet of them is humdrum, sure. But sometimes you just don't feel like doing mental acrobatics with an audiobook that requires note-taking and rewinding.
Or being on an emotional rollercoaster. Or having your blood pressure rise because the action is nuts. Yes, sometimes you just want to passively enjoy a decent narrative.

So here it is: a good story that won't bore you. If that's what you're looking for, go for it.

Disappointing

I was surprised this got such high reviews. I really wanted to like this book, but I just didn't. I'm hoping the movie adaptation will be better. I found the performance itself to be a distraction, the narrator sounded very much like David Sedaris, so he was not believable as a scorned straight man. I also found him to be monotone much of the time. The tone of the writing seemed misogynistic and demeaning to the female characters in several cases. Overall this just didn't provide much progression in the characters' personal growth and felt very flat and negative.

Highly Recommended!!!! Troppers best book

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

Yes and I already have! I read this book years ago and loved it. Recent a friend asked me to list/ recommend some of my favorite books and this one instantly came to mind. I tried to find my paperback copy to loan it out but unfortunately it was lost to time. Wanting to reread it again myself I downloaded the audio book and was not disappointed.

Any additional comments?

This book is a great combination of funny, emotional, and thought provoking. Although I feel this book and it's characters aren't perfect, it is incredibly entertaining, and lets be honest what is 100% perfect anyway. I became very invested in the story and it's characters, unable to put this book down after starting it. This book made me realize how events are not simply black and white but more a shade of gray with many people at fault and affected by it. I also realized how easy it is for people to settle when faced with hardship and then become complacent. While reading this book I fell in love with its dysfunctional family and laughed the whole time.

If you liked this book I would suggest How to talk to a widower and the book of joe by the same author.

A heck of a story

I picked up this book and couldn’t put it down. I know the Foxman family is totally unrealistic with its interactions and over the top situations that Judd finds himself in but it didn’t make the story any less enjoyable. I found it heartfelt, interesting, well written and funny all at the same time. A great book for those who are feeling a bit down on their situations to help put it all in perspective and give you some food for thought.

Mr. De Ocampo does a great job with the narration and bringing all of the characters to life, from the kids to the elders!

Smart, funny, moving, and thought-provoking

Jonathan Tropper has proven to be an outstanding storyteller with each of his novels. 'This is Where I Leave You', from front to back, is overflowing with witty writing, touching moments that can easily bring tears to one's eyes, and a style that would appeal to most readers, as it is written from a perspective that each of us can relate to in one way or another. Family drama ranging from sad, disturbing dysfunction to persistent hilarity is the key factor in this story. Each character feels real, as if they are my own family members... this is a clear sign of outstanding writing. Tropper has a way with words, but it goes much further than that. He has a way of pulling the reader into the lives of the characters, individually and as a group, making the reader care about each character without bogging down the story with too much explanation about relationships.

The narration was brilliant, in my opinion. Ramon de Ocampo nails the flavor of the story, with a perfect depiction of every character. Often male narrators leave me annoyed with how they read the female dialogue (whiny, nasally interpretations of women), but in this story, Ramon de Ocampo was able to read the women in ways that fit with the story. I will be looking for other books read by this narrator, as I rank him among the best.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who wants to enjoy a solid, witty story. Prepare to be moved to tears from time to time, as this story will take you there. And be sure you want to do a lot of laughing, because you won't be able to stop yourself.

Just OK, nothing great!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Not a fan on books, or in real life, when family members are just mean to each other. I think I would change the book so that the formerly unloving family members come together after bonding over the deaf of one of their own.

If you’ve listened to books by Jonathan Tropper before, how does this one compare?

No I haven't so I have nothing to compare it.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Yes, the narration was fine and easy to follow.

Do you think This Is Where I Leave You needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Definitely not. There was a clear ending to the story, no need for follow up.

Any additional comments?

Would not recommend.

Smart, moving, and just the right amount of humor

Tropper captures the painfully beautiful mess that is the Fox family so well, with a particularly imlressive knack for figurative language. Great narration is an added bonus to this touching gem of a book.

With both laughter and tears

You wouldn't expect so many moments of hilarity while sitting shiva. Tropper hits just the right balance.
Very impressed with the narrator's pronunciation of the Hebrew words.