Book of the week - One Last Thing Before I Go by Jonathan Tropper

Silver, a one hit rock star, is divorced from Denise and very distant from his one child, an 18 year old daughter, Casey. Here is some early dialogue in a conversation Silver has with Casey when she finally re-connects with him at age 18 after she finds out she is pregnant.

"Mom and Rich got me a G35 (a car) for my graduation."
"That was nice of them."
"Mom's still compensating for you. I milk it a little."
"I would. Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"Why'd you come to me?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"I care less about letting you down."

And it is the story of Silver's life, deeply loved by his family but never measuring up to their expectations. Silver is a doofus and he has become accustomed to playing the part.

In another part of the novel, after Silver has been admitted to the hospital after a mini stroke his younger brother, Chuck, comes to visit.

Chuck looks concerned. "You're in the hospital," he says, slow and loud, like Silver is an elderly man.
"I know that," Silver says. "I'm just wondering why you're here."
"You're my brother," Chuck says.
Silver says, "We're not really that close."

And so the novel goes with glib and occasionally snarky remarks between the characters which make the text funny and poignant at the same time. Silver, it seems, is always the underdog, but an underdog we root for even if he is a self sabotaging slacker.

The creative tension comes from the seeming inneptness of the hero, Silver, and the expected next bad thing to happen to him, but he is a likable character and we want things to turn out for him. Will they?

Tropper's novel is entertaining, engaging, funny, and yet poignantly insightful into the human condition at the same time.

I recommend the novel and it is available at the Lift Bridge Book Shop in downtown Brockport at 45 Main Street at one of America's best independent book stores.

Editor's note: The Brockporter book of the week is a regular feature of the Brockporter Online News Magazine which appears most Fridays. If you would like my copy of One Last Thing Before I Go it is available first come, first serve by requesting it from davidgmarkham@gmail.com.