38 pages 1 hour read

Walter Mosley

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2010

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey follows ninety-one-year-old Ptolemy Grey, who struggles with memory loss and lives alone in a rundown Los Angeles neighborhood. After his caregiver and grand-nephew Reggie is killed, teenage Robyn becomes his new caretaker. With her help, Ptolemy takes an experimental drug to regain his memory for a final opportunity to right past wrongs. This novel explores dementia, elder care, and the impact of violence.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Walter Mosley's The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is commended for its poignant exploration of aging and memory, featuring a compelling protagonist and eloquent prose. Critics appreciate its emotional depth and thought-provoking themes. However, some find the plot pacing uneven. Overall, it is praised for its humanistic narrative and rich character development.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey?

Readers who enjoy The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley likely appreciate character-driven narratives with deep emotional and psychological themes. Fans of Toni Morrison's Beloved or Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go will find similar introspective and poignant storytelling in Mosley's work.

Recommended

Reading Age

18+years

Book Details

Genre

Mystery / Crime Fiction

Drama / Tragedy

African American Literature

Themes

Emotions/Behavior: Memory

Life/Time: Aging

Relationships: Family