Description
Soon to be an Apple Plus series starring Samuel L. Jackson, a?masterful, moving novel about age, memory, and family from one of the true literary icons of our time.
Marooned in an apartment that overflows with mementos from the past, 91-year-old Ptolemy Grey is all but forgotten by his family and the world. But when an unexpected opportunity arrives, everything changes for Ptolemy in ways as shocking and unanticipated as they are poignant and profound.
Soon to be an Apple Plus series starring Samuel L. Jackson, a?masterful, moving novel about age, memory, and family from one of the true literary icons of our time.
Marooned in an apartment that overflows with mementos from the past, 91-year-old Ptolemy Grey is all but forgotten by his family and the world. But when an unexpected opportunity arrives, everything changes for Ptolemy in ways as shocking and unanticipated as they are poignant and profound.
As the title suggests, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey chronicles the sunset of an old man’s life. In his final months, Ptolemy is ripped from the debilitating throws of memory loss and the degeneration that often accompanies aging. At 91, he’s given a fresh mind and the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong promise once forgotten—both made possible by his chance encounter with the young Robyn.
The story opens with an Afterward which I found unusual for a novel. Many novels begin with a forward or prologue, but our story began with a reflection on the recent past. It’s only when we come to the end of our journey that we understand the beginning.
There is nothing about this story that I would change. It’s poetic in it’s telling—the story unfolding as the recesses of Ptolemy’s mind slowly came into view. While the author, Walter Mosley, is most recognized Easy Rawlings novels, I find his most poignant work are stories like these that explore the complexities, diversities, and experiences not often described of Black men.