This Is Where I Leave You is one of the funniest books I have ever read. After the death of his father, Judd Foxman returns home to sit shiva with his family. He and his three siblings have not spent any significant amount of time together in years, and the seven days that follow their father's funeral are filled with comedy and tragedy, heartbreak and hilarity. Judd's marriage to his college sweetheart is in shambles after he discovers she's been cheating on him with his slimy boss. And each of Judd's siblings is similarly wrapped up in their own personal life disasters. To be back in their childhood home again, and their small hometown, with all of its memories and trappings and possibilities, offers the Foxmans a break from reality and a chance to contemplate the condition and direction of their lives.

Jonathan Tropper is a talented writer, skillfully toeing the line between poignant and hilarious. His use of metaphors and similes seems to be his signature style, and while the novel is littered with them, they are most often spot-on. The were times when I laughed out loud so hard that it brought tears to my eyes, and others when I felt Judd's pain and frustration acutely. I did feel there was a gratuitous amount of sex and language in the book. I did not find it particularly offensive, but rather unnecessary; the plot was funny and real enough, and I don't think the use of graphic sex and language added anything. It did make the book seem a bit more cutting edge, and perhaps that was Tropper's intent. It is no surprise that This Is Where I Leave You is being adapted for screenplay, I only hope the writers are able to find a way to convey the voice of Judd with all its wit and humor and insight.

I loved This Is Where I Leave You, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good contemporary fiction. One note, however: I actually listened to the audio version (from audible.com), and the narration was awful. It was flat and tinny, and I consider the fact that I am rating this book 5 stars despite such an awful listening experience to be a tremendous testiment to the book itself. Kudos to Tropper! ( )

Mostly enjoyable read about a family coming together to sit shiva after the death of their father.

I enjoyed the book very much as an escape from my life and as a way to pass the time but I think the level of wacky hijinks push it into the realm of silly more than a serious exploration of the family relationships and resentments that face the Foxman clan.

I'll be sure to catch the movie when it comes to cable. ( )

Well, I usually save reading reviews until after I've read the book, but I broke my rule on this book and read some reviews first. Most of them were negative, so I entered the story with great skepticism. I was surprisingly delighted by a story filled with honestly depicted truths about family, love, death, disappointment, losing and finding the way, and redemption. (And, as an afterthought, I must admit the ending was a little hokey. But that doesn't take away from the rest of the book.) ( )

Purchased for my five-hour flight from LAX to HNL. Purchased whilst in long lines at security. Finished this morning as my body woke to West Coast time, a wee bit earlier than I needed to be up. This is the fastest adult fiction read I've had in a long time.

The plots unfolds like it was written for a Hollywood sell. Not necessarily a bad thing. But the words, the phrasing, the verbiage will be missed should it ever become a movie. Heavy emotional situations are balanced with humor and detached point of view--ha, my kind of story. ( )

Nope. The entire thing just felt like that guy at the party who is trying so, so hard to be clever and funny. ( )