I looked forward to reading this book but was a bit disappointed in reading it. I wanted very much to like the author and his take on the retirement process, but it seemed like he dithered and fussed so much over the "should I or shouldn't I" and "do I really want to do this" struggle in his own mind, that it began to wear thin, to seem redundant. He also seemed peevish and indecisive about the issue of keeping an office at the university as an emeritus prof. And his financial situation was also picked over a bit too thoroughly, until a certain air of smugness seemed to prevail, with numerous references to his very comfortable pension and health benefits through TIAA-CREF, as well as to what sounded like a very luxurious life style, with gourmand tastes and fine wines often cited, lunches in fine restaurants. Then there is the vacation trip he takes with his wife soon after his retirement takes effect. Lotsa money involved, or so it seemed. Finally Klaus seemed to come across as a little too self-involved, too "all-about-me-ish," something even his wife commented on, as she apparently reads his various entries in the journal. Not that he really changed his ways.

Klaus writes well - no surprise as he taught English at Iowa for decades. I just kept wishing there'd been a bit more personal stuff here, that it had been more of a memoir. But maybe I wouldn't have wished for that if I had read his previous two books, which I haven't. I suspect there may be more of his life in those books. Klaus is obviously an avid gardener, which he apparently wrote at lenght about in his other books. Having a "brown thumb" and little interest in gardening, I'm not sure I'd want to read the earlier books.

The truth is, this is probably a painfully honest and accurate account of the very things one does consider upon retiring from a long and cherished career. I keep a daily journal myself, and I'm sure I would come across as small-minded and peevish when I write of certain things. It's the nature of a journal/diary - it's "private." I liked that Klaus is a Doris Grumbach fan. Me too. I wish he would have talked a little more about books. I mean he is - or was - and English teacher. He must have liked books, right? Oh, well ... My late father, a dedicated gardener his whole life, would probably have enjoyed his thoughts on plants, gardening and food.

You can probably tell my feelings are very mixed on this book. I liked it sometimes - when I was not liking it. So let's say 3 and half stars, okay? (One of these days I'll have to figure out how to put that half-star symbol in my ratings.) ( )