-
The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
- Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 11-11-10
- Language: English
- Publisher: Penguin Audio
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $28.00
People who bought this also bought...
-
Down the River unto the Sea
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 792
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 724
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 725
Joe King Oliver was one of the NYPD's finest investigators, until, dispatched to arrest a well-heeled car thief, he is framed for assault by his enemies within the NYPD, a charge which lands him in solitary at Rikers Island. A decade later, King is a private detective, running his agency with the help of his teenage daughter, Aja-Denise. Broken by the brutality he suffered and committed in equal measure while behind bars, his work and his daughter are the only light in his solitary life. When he receives a card in the mail from the woman who admits she was paid to frame him those years ago, King realizes that he has no choice.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great story
- By Claudia Peebler on 03-03-18
-
John Woman
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 25
At 12 years old, Cornelius secretly takes over his father's job at a silent film theater in New York's East Village. Five years later, as his father, Herman, lives out his last days, he shares his wisdom with his son, explaining that the person who controls the narrative of history controls their own fate. After his father dies and his mother disappears, Cornelius sets about reinventing himself as Professor John Woman and spreading Herman's teachings. But some are attempting to influence the narrative of John Woman, and they might know something about the facts of his hidden past.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Walter Mosley Delivers
- By Mark Edens on 09-12-18
-
Gone Fishin'
- An Easy Rawlins Novel
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Paul Winfield
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
In the beginning, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins and Raymond "Mouse" Alexander were merely two young men hitting the road. In a "borrowed" 1936 Ford, they head for Pariah, Texas on a mission to retrieve money from Mouse's stepfather so he can marry his EttaMae. But on their steamy bayou excursion, Mouse chooses murder as a way out, while Easy's past liaison with EttaMae floats precariously in his memory. Easy and Mouse are coming of age - and everything they ever knew about friendship and about themselves is coming apart at the seams.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
I did not care for this one, but he is still one of my favorite Authors.
- By carolyn reed on 09-07-18
-
Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore
- A Novel
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 212
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 189
In this scorching, mournful, often explicit, and never less than moving literary novel by the famed creator of the Easy Rawlins series, Debbie Dare, a black porn queen, has to come to terms with her sordid life in the adult entertainment industry after her tomcatting husband dies in a hot tub. Electrocuted. With another woman in there with him. Debbie decides she just isn't going to "do it anymore". But executing her exit strategy from the porn world is a wrenching and far from simple process.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Do you Debbie!
- By N. Bradley on 12-30-14
-
Fearless Jones
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 166
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
Walter Mosley, "one of crime fiction's brightest stars" ( People), returns to mysteries at last! Fearless Jones is a dazzling new thriller, set in 1950s L.A. and featuring the most engaging hero since Easy Rawlins.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Mosley at Perfection
- By Gypsy Wife on 08-27-12
-
Barracoon
- The Story of the Last "Black Cargo"
- By: Zora Neale Hurston
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 951
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 865
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 860
In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview 86-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation's history. Hurston was there to record Cudjo's firsthand account of the raid that led to his capture and bondage 50 years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States. In 1931, Hurston returned to Plateau, the African-centric community three miles from Mobile.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Skip the introduction.
- By Michael on 06-04-18
-
Down the River unto the Sea
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 792
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 724
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 725
Joe King Oliver was one of the NYPD's finest investigators, until, dispatched to arrest a well-heeled car thief, he is framed for assault by his enemies within the NYPD, a charge which lands him in solitary at Rikers Island. A decade later, King is a private detective, running his agency with the help of his teenage daughter, Aja-Denise. Broken by the brutality he suffered and committed in equal measure while behind bars, his work and his daughter are the only light in his solitary life. When he receives a card in the mail from the woman who admits she was paid to frame him those years ago, King realizes that he has no choice.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Great story
- By Claudia Peebler on 03-03-18
-
John Woman
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 28
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 24
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 25
At 12 years old, Cornelius secretly takes over his father's job at a silent film theater in New York's East Village. Five years later, as his father, Herman, lives out his last days, he shares his wisdom with his son, explaining that the person who controls the narrative of history controls their own fate. After his father dies and his mother disappears, Cornelius sets about reinventing himself as Professor John Woman and spreading Herman's teachings. But some are attempting to influence the narrative of John Woman, and they might know something about the facts of his hidden past.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Walter Mosley Delivers
- By Mark Edens on 09-12-18
-
Gone Fishin'
- An Easy Rawlins Novel
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Paul Winfield
- Length: 3 hrs and 5 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 34
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 34
In the beginning, Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins and Raymond "Mouse" Alexander were merely two young men hitting the road. In a "borrowed" 1936 Ford, they head for Pariah, Texas on a mission to retrieve money from Mouse's stepfather so he can marry his EttaMae. But on their steamy bayou excursion, Mouse chooses murder as a way out, while Easy's past liaison with EttaMae floats precariously in his memory. Easy and Mouse are coming of age - and everything they ever knew about friendship and about themselves is coming apart at the seams.
-
3 out of 5 stars
-
I did not care for this one, but he is still one of my favorite Authors.
- By carolyn reed on 09-07-18
-
Debbie Doesn't Do It Anymore
- A Novel
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
- Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 212
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 189
In this scorching, mournful, often explicit, and never less than moving literary novel by the famed creator of the Easy Rawlins series, Debbie Dare, a black porn queen, has to come to terms with her sordid life in the adult entertainment industry after her tomcatting husband dies in a hot tub. Electrocuted. With another woman in there with him. Debbie decides she just isn't going to "do it anymore". But executing her exit strategy from the porn world is a wrenching and far from simple process.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Do you Debbie!
- By N. Bradley on 12-30-14
-
Fearless Jones
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 166
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 104
Walter Mosley, "one of crime fiction's brightest stars" ( People), returns to mysteries at last! Fearless Jones is a dazzling new thriller, set in 1950s L.A. and featuring the most engaging hero since Easy Rawlins.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Mosley at Perfection
- By Gypsy Wife on 08-27-12
-
Barracoon
- The Story of the Last "Black Cargo"
- By: Zora Neale Hurston
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 3 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 951
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 865
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 860
In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview 86-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation's history. Hurston was there to record Cudjo's firsthand account of the raid that led to his capture and bondage 50 years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States. In 1931, Hurston returned to Plateau, the African-centric community three miles from Mobile.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Skip the introduction.
- By Michael on 06-04-18
-
The Long Fall
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Mirron Willis
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 372
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 240
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 242
His name is etched on the door of his Manhattan office: LEONID McGILL , PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR. It's a name that takes a little explaining, but he's used to it. Ex-boxer, hard drinker, in a business that trades mostly in cash and favors: McGill's an old-school P.I. working a city that's gotten fancy all around him. Fancy or not, he has always managed to get by - keep a roof over the head of his wife and kids, and still manage a little fun on the side - mostly because he's never been above taking a shady job for a quick buck.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I am N love!
- By Nicole on 03-31-11
-
Devil in a Blue Dress
- An Easy Rawlins Mystery
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Michael Boatman
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 2,103
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,782
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 1,777
Los Angeles, 1948: Easy Rawlins is a black war veteran just fired from his job at a defense plant. Easy is drinking in a friend's bar, wondering how he'll meet his mortgage, when a white man in a linen suit walks in, offering good money if Easy will simply locate Miss Daphne Money, a blonde beauty known to frequent black jazz clubs.
-
4 out of 5 stars
-
Beware of Mysterious Sexy Women with Big Suitcases
- By Jefferson on 02-13-11
-
Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 7 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 48
Living in an abandoned apartment building in South-Central L.A., Socrates is one step away from the streets. He bags groceries at the supermarket, collects bottles and cans to recycle for pennies, and feels himself slipping toward invisibility - that is, until he meets 11-year-old Darryl, whose already committed murder and is perilously close to slipping into a life filled with only violence and bloodshed. Socrates' determination to fight for and save Darryl lights his own pathway to self-forgiveness.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Must read!
- By Kimberly on 03-09-16
-
Fortunate Son
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Lorraine Toussaint
- Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 52
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 52
Tommy's nickname is Lucky, but no one would think this crippled boy was blessed. Cursed with health problems and drawn into trouble more often than not, Tommy is the recipient of pity rather than admiration. He is nothing like his stepbrother Eric.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
exceptional
- By Debbie Crawford on 07-05-15
-
Pryor Convictions
- And Other Life Sentences
- By: Richard Pryor
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 7 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 119
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 107
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 110
Richard Pryor journeys from his childhood in a family that worked in whore-houses and bars, through to his years in Hollywood - the money, the women, the drugs - and the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The tragic life of Richard Pryor
- By Bighead on 03-04-18
-
47
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Ossie Davis
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
In his first book for young adults, best-selling author Walter Mosley deftly weaves historical and speculative fiction into a powerful narrative about the nature of freedom.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Poignant, powerful tale, richly narrated
- By Stef on 03-15-07
-
Fear Itself
- A Fearless Jones Novel
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Don Cheadle
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 264
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 123
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 125
Paris Minton is a man who would just as soon walk away from trouble as stand up to it. But in 1950s Los Angeles, sometimes trouble just comes and gets you. When one of L.A.'s wealthiest women hires Paris and his friend Fearless Jones to find a missing nephew, Paris steps into the a complex and terrifying corner of the black bourgeoisie, and wonders whom he should fear more - the people he's looking for or the people he's working for.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
One of the best
- By Jody R. Nathan on 03-10-05
-
Futureland
- Nine Stories of an Imminent World
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Richard Allen
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 93
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 71
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 68
Life in America a generation from now isn't much different from today: The drugs are better, the daily grind is worse. The gap between the rich and the poor has widened to a chasm. You can store the world's legal knowledge on a chip in your little finger, while the Supreme Court has decreed that constitutional rights don't apply to any individual who challenges the system.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Masterful SciFi from a master of mystery
- By Stephen on 08-31-10
-
Defining Moments in Black History
- Reading Between the Lies
- By: Dick Gregory
- Narrated by: James Shippy
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1,225
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,066
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,060
With his trademark acerbic wit, incisive humor, and infectious paranoia, one of our foremost comedians and most politically engaged civil rights activists looks back at 100 key events from the complicated history of black America. Defining Moments in Black History is an essential, no-holds-bar history lesson that will provoke, enlighten, and entertain.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Baba Gregory is an Awesome Teacher
- By Terrance on 11-01-17
-
The Wave
- By: Walter Mosley
- Narrated by: Tim Cain
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall3.5 out of 5 stars 114
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 27
-
Story3.5 out of 5 stars 27
Curious and not a little unnerved, Errol sneaks into the graveyard where his father is buried. What he finds there changes his life forever. Caught up in a war between a secret government security agency and an alien presence infecting our world, touched by "the Wave", he knows that nothing will ever be the same again.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
The Wave
- By Cheryl on 06-01-06
-
Parable of the Talents
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Patricia R. Floyd, Peter Jay Fernandez, Sisi Aisha Johnson
- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,088
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 888
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 890
Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of horrifying depravity. Assault, theft, sexual abuse, slavery, and murder are commonplace. And a zealous, bigoted tyrant has won his way into the White House. Directly opposed is Lauren Olamina, founder of Earthseed - a new faith that teaches "God Is Change". Persecuted for "heathen" beliefs as much as for having a black female leader, Earthseed's followers face a life-and-death struggle to preserve their vision.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Powerful, dark sequel that stands on its own
- By David on 09-27-11
-
The Book in Room 316
- By: ReShonda Tate Billingsley
- Narrated by: Will Blagrove, Almarie Guerra, Roger Casey, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 88
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 81
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 82
Savannah Graham thought she had the perfect marriage...until grief drove her husband into the arms of his best friend’s wife. Now, she believes revenge is the only way her heart can heal from the betrayal. For 52 years, Ollie Moss lived side by side with the love of his life, his wife Elizabeth. But now that she’s gone, so is his desire to live, despite the love from his children, and his beloved grandson Samuel. Can anything save Ollie’s life? Different circumstances lead them and many others to The Markham Hotel, where they hope to find solace, comfort, and answers.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
I am still in awe!!!!
- By sharonrich66 on 08-13-18
Publisher's Summary
A masterful, moving novel about age, memory, and family that will forever establish Walter Mosley as one of the true literary icons of our time.
Ptolemy Grey is 91 years old and has been all but forgotten - by his family, his friends, even himself - as he sinks into a lonely dementia. His grand-nephew, Ptolemy's only connection to the outside world, was recently killed in a drive-by shooting, and Ptolemy is too suspicious of anyone else to allow them into his life, until he meets Robyn, his niece's 17-year-old lodger and the only one willing to take care of an old man at his grandnephew's funeral.
But Robyn will not tolerate Ptolemy's hermitlike existence. She challenges him to interact more with the world around him, and he grasps more firmly onto his disappearing consciousness. However, this new activity pushes Ptolemy into the fold of a doctor touting an experimental drug that guarantees Ptolemy won't live to see age 92 but that he'll spend his last days in feverish vigor and clarity. With his mind clear, what Ptolemy finds - in his own past, in his own apartment, and in the circumstances surrounding his grand-nephew's death - is shocking enough to spur an old man to action, and to ensure a legacy that no one will forget.
In The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, Mosley captures the compromised state of his protagonist's mind with profound sensitivity and insight, and creates an unforgettable pair of characters at the center of a novel that is sure to become a true contemporary classic.
Critic Reviews
More from the same
What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars166
-
4 Stars75
-
3 Stars34
-
2 Stars4
-
1 Stars11
Performance
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars144
-
4 Stars42
-
3 Stars18
-
2 Stars1
-
1 Stars3
Story
-
4.5 out of 5 stars
-
5 Stars126
-
4 Stars52
-
3 Stars22
-
2 Stars4
-
1 Stars3
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gail
- 01-18-12
Great Story- Wonderful Reader
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, I could not stop listening.
What did you like best about this story?
Even though the topic was about death and illness, the story was about life and living.
Which character – as performed by Dominic Hoffman – was your favorite?
Of course he did Ptolemy perfectly.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I could not stop thinking about it after I completed it. It made me happy.
Any additional comments?
The first couple of chapters are actually hard to listen to. The writer wants us to feel the frustration Ptolemy has with his confusion, and I did. But the action picks up soon, and never stops until the end.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bill
- Kailua Kona, HI, United States
- 08-21-12
Wonderful Beyond Words
This is a sad, beautiful story ~ an amazing snapshot of a mind lost and found again ~ of a long forgotten mission and an urgent new one ~ of lovers and friends and family, in all their forms. Be patient as the story builds in its earliest pages. Bear with the befuddled old man and marvel at the sensitive, realistic, compelling portrait of his mind. And then soar with him through remembrance and love and adventure and ...
Easily one of the finest offerings in the Audible catalog.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- KayeTidwell
- SACRAMENTO, CA, United States
- 08-01-12
Pleasantly Surprised
This book was great. I loved this story! When I finished it, I restarted it and listened again. Definitely worth the purchase. It's one of my favorites in the 120 books I now own. You have to listen to understand.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- BooksOverTV
- Sacramento, United States
- 03-26-11
"Totally in Awe of Mr. Mosely"...
"PHENOMENAL"! This is my first Walter Mosley book. Wow, I am left speechless with teared filled eyes because I too love Ptolemy. I can say I love him just as much as Robin, if not more. It's been a long time since I've been able to connect with multiple characters in a story. I felt, while listening, like I knew these people personally and I was an invisible person with them on the bus, visiting Neicy, or visiting the Jewish Lawyer. Also, that I was there drinking tea with the antiques dealer and sitting on the couch with Mr. Grey as he gave Al his "gold coin". This was, for me, story telling at it's best. I was completely engrossed and engaged in the story. I didn't want it to end. I am reflective of our duty to assist and love our Nations Elders and how a little love and attention goes a long way.
I listened to the audio version of this "INCREDIBLE" work. I don't know if my opinion of the book would be any different if I read it and not listened however, I do know with certainty that listening to Ptolemy in an Elder's voice made the story come alive. It was exceptional. That voice gave remembrance to all the Elder men in my life that I love. I felt and not just heard the greed of the family members who believed they deserved what they didn't. I felt the fear with Ptolemy when he was confused and couldn't speak of what he wanted to do or say. I knew in my own heart, as Mr. Grey knew in his, that Robin meant him no harm and that she loved him. I just can't say enough. My wish is that everyone could read this endearing story. If there is only one book that you pick up this year to read know with "The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey" you will get a great read, a good learning, and a few tears.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
- David
- 01-13-11
THE LAST DAYS OF PTOEMY GREY
Yes! I just cannot find a Walter Mosley novel that leaves me 'moving right on', to next book. His books leave me thoughtful and reflective. Like every other novel I have read by Mr. Mosley I will be reading this one again. The great readings of his works are essential. Thank you.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- cj
- 01-15-12
Unforgettable main character
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
One of the hardest things I have ever done was say goodbye to Ptolemy Grey. If you desire to get up close and personal with death and dying, courage and dedication to family, this is the book...I did not want it to end.
What did you like best about this story?
The courage and conviction of the main character
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jim "The Impatient"
- 02-02-13
Old People Turn into Chores For The Young
Most of WM's books speak to me, but this one especially. My mother is 77 and going through dementia. One day she is kicking me out of her house, then next she is calling me begging me to come help her. She is paranoid, nothing is her fault and everybody is out to do her wrong. She tells the same stories over and over. She turns her cable tv to stations that don't exist and thinks her tv is broke. Her tv runs 24 hours a day and the volume is always way up. If anything Mosley did not show how bad dementia can be.
I have never meet WM in person, but through his books, I know that he is a warm loving person. No one can write the books he has, the way he has and not be someone special. I don't love all his books, but I have never hated any of them. This book touched my heart several times. In a neighborhood filled with crackheads and thugs, Mosley found two characters of great value. If you have not read Mosley before, I believe this is a good place to start. He writes in several genres and I first found him in Science Fiction. Most of his books are about the human condition of the black man. Yet none of it is preachy and neither is it a put down of all white men.
My favorite Mosley books are Futureland and The Man in My Basement.
Narrator is excellent.
16 of 22 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kaui
- 11-13-12
Excellent
I really enjoyed this book. I picked it up because I had heard that Walter Mosley is a highly regarded writer and I can see why. This book is hopeful yet sad, lyrically melancholy and ultimately, all about love and life, though dementia and impending death are the main "characters". Read this - you will enjoy it. Also, the narrator was sublime.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Dr. Abena
- 03-06-12
An Old Friend
Would you listen to The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey again? Why?
I have already listened to it at least 6 times.
Who was your favorite character and why?
I love the main character, Ptolemy
Have you listened to any of Dominic Hoffman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
No, this is the only one. I like him, but it's the story and the character that captured me.
Any additional comments?
Some parts of the story are vividly violent, and the language is authentic if you're sqeamish, but in the service of a brilliantly crafted story of an old man given the ability to make sense of his long life. My college-aged son found the pace of the story too slow, but I just went with it, and the main character got under my skin. Ptolemy has become part of my life.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars
-
Story5 out of 5 stars
- Denise C
- 06-27-18
Wow!!!!
Why did I wait so long to read(listen) to this book? It was excellent. Very warm and touching. I called my 94 year old aunt to check on her after reading this book. It really had me thinking about life, and being thankful for those who care about you. And it had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Great read!!!!