38 pages • 1 hour read
Walter MosleyThe Last Days of Ptolemy Grey
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2010A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
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
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 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.
RecommendedReading Age
18+yearsBook Details
Mystery / Crime Fiction
Drama / Tragedy
African American Literature
Emotions/Behavior: Memory
Life/Time: Aging
Relationships: Family