Hmmm. I am torn about this book. The reason why I am torn is I think I am becoming burnt out with the whole older person who cracks wise yet is endearing in his/her crankiness genre that has sprung up since Man Called Ove became a best seller. I have read 5 books like this one in the last year, so it may be a case of its me and not you.

What I did enjoy is the focus on regret in the midst of death. Salter wants to die simply because he has seen what old age does to a person and he does not want to go through that, but it means leaving behind a world of regret and a loss of loved ones. It also means he gets out of a job where he dislikes his co-workers, so there is a conflict. I did enjoy that approach to the genre, but for some reason it just didn't stick with me. I do not think that is the author's fault at all, I just think it is entering a world where these types of books have hit their peak. Again, I think it is more me and I apologize for that.

*I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review* ( )

-- DNF at 43%. --

I adored A Man Called Ove, so the many comparisons to this book - also concerning an elderly curmudgeon, grieving the loss of a longtime partner - grabbed my attention. Sadly, the two are nothing alike.

The titular character of MILLARD SALTER'S LAST DAY is unlikable. Not in a "hard on the outside, secretly soft on the inside" kind of way (think: Ron Swanson; Edward Teach, born on a beach), nor in a lovable grump kind of way (Ove; Ethel Beavers). Rather, Millard is a walking, talking "OK Boomer" meme, constantly waxing nostalgic about the good ole days. He spends his last day on earth complaining about how "stewardesses" are now "flight attendants" and "secretaries," "office administrators,", or about how the names of the subway lines have changed; he is perpetually disappointed that colleagues 40+ years his junior aren't hip to the celebs of his day; he whips out the n-word in defense of a off-color joke about his (Jewish) son Lysander naming his dogs Adolf and Benito (really Onion and Puddles - dear Millard can't bother to remember the names of two creatures so dear to his offspring); and he quizzes a panhandler on his alleged armed service record.

Between the long-winded digressions and Millard being, well, Millard, I was about ready to throw in the towel at 39% - but then I saw that Millard's lunch meeting with his ne'er do well son, Lysander, was coming up next. Given the many mentions of Lysander's affinity for animals (always couched in negative terms - why???), I just had to find out what was going on there. Turns out, some pretty toxic shit. Millard is kind of a dick, and not just to Lysander. It's 90 degrees out; Lysander, justifiably worried about Onion and Puddles, keeps trying to steal away and find them some water. In turn, Millard scoffs at his son's compassion: "He cared for those mutts as though they were royalty. If only the boy could muster such passion for something more productive." (To be fair, Millard has this thought when Lysander wrests a chicken bone from one of the dogs, which somehow makes it worse.)

Lysander is a vegan (the horror!); when he turns down Millard's suggestion that he order the noodles, since they're likely cooked in chicken broth, Millard's inner monologue reads thusly: "So get your lousy Coke, thought Millard. Why does everything with you have to be so goddamn difficult?" Yeah, clearly Lysander is just trying to inconvenience you with his food choices! Fuck your son and his ethics!

The bottom line is that Millard has zero respect for his son. News flash: kids are not your carbon copies. Also, Lysander is in his forties, stop thinking of him as a "boy." (Yes, I am a fellow Gen X'er who is vegan, loves dogs, and has experienced her share of aimlessness. Why do you ask?)

Another thing I hate about this book? It's pretentious AF. Normally I roll my eyes when reviewers complain that a book has too many Big Words - reading is an excellent way to expand your vocabulary - but I had to look up so many terms that reading became downright tedious. And my Kindle couldn't even find entries on them all! I mean, seriously. I don't want my leisure reading to feel like homework, okay. ( )

Millard Salter’s Last Day: a sad romanticism about life and ending it.

A few years back I read a collection of short stories by Jacob M Appel and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. I get annoyed by short stories because they spit shine and pretty up a series of scenarios which end immediately after getting good, leaving me annoyed. So surprised enjoyment means job well done!

Given the opportunity to read a full novel by Appel, I took the shot and accepted an ARC copy... which sat on my digital shelf.. for a couple months..

When I finally picked up Millard Salter’s Last Day and began reading it, I was super happy! It is an unusual story about a 75 year old man who had a wonderful life, and wants to end it on his terms while he is still strong and and respected.

Unfortunately, this novel was very enjoyable but disjointed... Throughout Millard’s final day, he visits his work, finishes tying up loose ends, disparages his son over lunch, visits his ex-wife, and visits his burial plot next to another loved one . These normally mundane tasks are interesting to read because while Millard reminisces throughout, he also is tinged with ambiguous joy/fear of his upcoming private hanging. The book was very much ‘This was your life’ with only one section being heavy handed but absolutely critical to the story.

What bothered me about this book (and may be the root cause of me taking over a month to read it) was that there are several important events through the day which are glossed over. At first I thought ‘Hey, the guy is dying.. these matters are trivial’ but then I noticed his co-workers were also non-plussed.. Not one character treats these situations as actual people would, instead brushing them off with no effort. The lack of realistic emphasis on abnormal situations really dropped the spark..

—
Disclosure- based on an ARC copy provided by the Author/Publisher. ( )

I was excited to read this book because I really enjoyed his Book of short stories Einstein’s Beach House. There were some things I like about this book but also things that bothered me. In the end I like the idea of the story but it’s difficult to get over how much Millard is concerned with all the old forgotten celebrities and buildings yet never seems concerned at all about how his suicide might affect his children and grandchildren. If he were depressed then I could see it because he might not think it would hurt them but he is written as a character who isn’t depressed and he is a psychiatrist to boot. I feel like he should know and care but he doesn’t even give it any consideration. I still liked it but I’m stuck on this and a couple other points that won’t allow me to get this book up to 4 stars. There is a question, in my mind, whether Millard might really be depressed. For instance, the way he goes about doing his job of being a psychiatrist certainly seems to be lacking - he neither seems to be interested in or to care about his charges. Same goes for his family. Finally, I find that I’m not so sure I really like Millard. How does your son get to be 43 years old before you realize what’s going on with him? I don’t want to spoil part of the ending, so I won’t go into detail but I threw up my hands at this part of the book. But trying to figure out whether Millard is really depressed or someone who just doesn’t connect to people he should in his life ended up making this interesting enough to give it an “I liked it” rating of 3. ( )

I was only able to get less than 30 pages into this novel. It is not my style of novel and not for my. I DNF'd at 23 pages and wish I could give a better review, but I didn't read far enough to really get a better understanding of the story. ( )