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The End of Your Life Book Club

by Will Schwalbe (Goodreads Author)

3.91 of 5 stars 3.91 · rating details · 12,529 ratings · 2,800 reviews

“What are you reading?”

That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was diagnosed with a form of advanced pan...more

Hardcover, 336 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Knopf (first published January 1st 2012)

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Jan 22, 2013 Nancy Kennedy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Will Schwalbe began accompanying his mother to chemo treatments for her pancreatic cancer at Sloan Kettering. To pass the time, Mr. Shwalbe asks his mother, "What are you reading?"

Fortunately, Mr. Schwalbe and his mother had always shared a love of reading and enjoyed spirited conversations about their favorite books. While the endless chemo treatments proceed, and his mother's disease progresses, the two make their way through books of all kinds, from the popular (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Ag...more Will Schwalbe began accompanying his mother to chemo treatments for her pancreatic cancer at Sloan Kettering. To pass the time, Mr. Shwalbe asks his mother, "What are you reading?"

Fortunately, Mr. Schwalbe and his mother had always shared a love of reading and enjoyed spirited conversations about their favorite books. While the endless chemo treatments proceed, and his mother's disease progresses, the two make their way through books of all kinds, from the popular (The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) to the obscure (Eleanor Rathbone and the Politics of Conscience).

The mother-son book club not only serves to pass the time, but it deepens their relationship and provides an outlet for discussing uncomfortable end-of-life issues. They read Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture and Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking. With his "book club," Mr. Schwalbe gives a wonderful gift to his mother, an outlet for discussing issues that make most people around a sick person uncomfortable -- and a way to talk about something other than being sick.

I also appreciated that Mr. Schwalbe, a person of no professed faith, does not denigrate the books his mother cherishes at the end of her life -- The Book of Common Prayer and Daily Strengths For Daily Needs. He comes to see not only the good they did his mother, but how their underlying messages shaped his mother's character all her life. (She was a well-known activist for refugee causes. She was raising funds for a library in Afghanistan at the end of her life.)

Mr. Schwalbe's portrait of his extraordinary mother is respectful and well balanced. He acknowledges all the people who loved her, honored her and cherished her. He hints at frustrations ("How, I wondered, could anyone always want to talk to everyone?"), but it's clear that he and his mother shared a close and loving relationship. This is a son's gentle tribute to his mother, a memoir that shows how one family negotiated the reality of death and dying with creativity, love and respect. (less)

39 likes · like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Alexandrea rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012, favorites

An absolutely wonderfully written book that is not just the personal experience of Will Schwalbe. This book explores the power of books, reading them, discussing them and intagrating them into our lives and the lives of others. I think we all have an understanding of how important our friends and family are, but this book brings home the importance of letting those people know not just how much you love them, but how proud you are of them or how much you respect them and what they have done or t...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Eric Kibler rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: booktopia-2013

A beautiful book about the connection through books a mother and son were able to make it the years leading up to her death from pancreatic cancer. I lost my mother to cancer six years ago, and I really envy how Will and his mother Mary Ann were able to find a common language to discuss the questions of life, death, and the possibility of the hereafter.

I wish my mother and I had had that common language. And I wish my stepfather, through his own bitterness and lashing out, hadn't poisoned my pro...more

25 likes · like · see review

Nov 30, 2012 Tom rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-kelly-told-me-to-read, non-fiction, biography, best-books-of-the-year

This book is one hell of a journey; it is not always easy to read. Some parts are hysterically funny, and others are crushingly sad.

"The End of Your Life Book Club" details the final two years of Mary Ann Schwalbe, who died after battling metastatic pancreatic cancer. In the pantheon of cancers, pancreatic is one of the most deadly, especially once it spreads to other organs, the liver, in Mrs Schwalbe's case.

She is a woman unaccustomed to sitting still. She was an educator, a philanthropist, a...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Linda by: Booktopia Vermont 2012 gift from Ann & Michael

Shelves: arc, botns, booktopia, own, signed

This book is such an intimate sharing that I feel as if I, too lost a family member. I relived books that I read, added books I want to read, thought of those I loved who have died - that I shared books -my love of books.
The fact that I will be meeting Will Schwalbe in April at Booktopia Vermont now feels as if I'll be meeting my brother for the first time.

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 02, 2013 JanB rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club, re-read

Edited to add:
Re-reading this book in March/April 2013 for book club. I was sick and housebound with a husband who was was woking very late so I re-read the entire book on 4/1/13. I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. What a great tribute to books and reading as well as to his mother.

5++ stars!!
This book will be in my top reads of 2013. While the author’s mother underwent chemotherapy for pancreatic cancer, he and his mother traded books and discussed them, forming a type of “book club”....more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 10, 2013 Tish Sundar rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Rarely do I take the time to write a review for the books I read, but I felt that I owed it to the author (and, most definitely, to his mother) to at least try and type out my thoughts as coherently as possible.

This was one of the few select books that captivated me from the very first page. I, undoubtedly like many others, couldn't help but grow attached to Mary Ann Schwalbe, a bibliophile who prefers to start off a book by reading the ending first. She seems to convey the type of woman that ev...more Rarely do I take the time to write a review for the books I read, but I felt that I owed it to the author (and, most definitely, to his mother) to at least try and type out my thoughts as coherently as possible.

This was one of the few select books that captivated me from the very first page. I, undoubtedly like many others, couldn't help but grow attached to Mary Ann Schwalbe, a bibliophile who prefers to start off a book by reading the ending first. She seems to convey the type of woman that every girl would dream of growing up to be - an avid reader and theatre enthusiast, a loving mother and grandmother, but also a humanitarian who spends a great portion of her life in the most dangerous zones of places like Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Schwalbe successfully takes turns alternating between periods of grief, nostalgia, and sentimentality to periods of enlightenment and inspiration. He'll make you cry and laugh on the same page, but he'll also make you think twice about things that would originally cross your mind for a mere couple of seconds - things like health care, happiness, death, fate, and finding your purpose in life.

His writing is often simple, and flows with such elegance that the words will linger in your mind for hours to come.

“Mom taught me not to look away from the worst but to believe that we can all do better. She never wavered in her conviction that books are the most powerful tool in the human arsenal, that reading all kinds of books, in whatever format you choose - electronic (even though that wasn't for her) or printed, or audio - is the grandest entertainment, and also is how you take part in human conversation. Mom taught me that you can make a difference in the world and that books really do matter: they're how we know what we need to do in life, and how we tell others. Mom also showed me, over the course of two years and dozens of books and hundreds of hours in hospitals, that books can be how we get closer to each other, and stay close, even in the case of a mother and son who were very close to begin with, and even after one of them has died.”(less)

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Apr 15, 2013 Glenda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

This is a wonderful story of Will Schwalbe and his mother Mary Anne. After Mary Anne is diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, she and Will start a "book club" to pass the time while she receives chemotherapy treatments. They stayed connected by sharing with each other their love of reading. This also made it possible for them to discuss faith and courage as well as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfor...more This is a wonderful story of Will Schwalbe and his mother Mary Anne. After Mary Anne is diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, she and Will start a "book club" to pass the time while she receives chemotherapy treatments. They stayed connected by sharing with each other their love of reading. This also made it possible for them to discuss faith and courage as well as expressing gratitude and learning to listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite of dying.
Mary Anne really was a amazing woman. She was an educator and a champion for human rights, especially for refugee women and children in war-torn nations. She worked passionately and tirelessly until the end. This memoir is a touching tribute to her and her life. It made me want to be a better person. There were many touching passages that I wanted to mark and remember from these pages.

"Mom taught me not to look away from the worst but to believe that we can all do better. She never wavered in her conviction that books are the most powerful tool in the human arsenal, that reading all kinds of books, in whatever format you choose - electronic (even though that wasn't for her) or printed, or audio - is the grandest entertainment, and also is how you take part in human conversation. Mom taught me that you can make a difference in the world and that books really do matter: they're how we know what we need to do in life, and how we tell others. Mom also showed me, over the course of two years and dozens of books and hundreds of hours in hospitals, that books can be how we get closer to each other, and stay close, even in the case of a mother and son who were very close to begin with, and even after one of them has died.”

"We're all in the end-of-your-life book-club, whether we acknowledge it or not; each book we read may well be the last, each conversation the final one.” (less)

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Mar 01, 2013 Diane D. rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction, saw-it-on-a-friends-shelf, own-already, favorites

A loving tribute to life and to reading.

I want to tell everyone I know -- READ THIS BOOK! The book cover's flap has the best word to described this book: profoundly moving, joyful (in spite of loss) and a celebration of life, love and the written word.

I'm very fussy about reading non-fiction and more judgmental of non-fiction than fiction; very often I think someone wants to tell a story just to 'hear' themselves 'talk'. But this book was not about that, and easily earned 5* from me.

If you do p...more

10 likes · like · see review

May 18, 2013 Kathryn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kathryn by: BookBrowse

Shelves: bets-on, 2012

So well written with lots to appreciate. Will and his mother's had the golden opportunity to spend time over books during her chemo treatments. They began to realize they had virtually been in a book club together his entire life.

I loved the last paragraph of the book

"...Mom taught me not to look away from the worst but to believe that we can all do better. She never wavered in her conviction that books are the most powerful tool in the human arsenal, that reading all kinds of books, in whateve...more

4 likes · like · see review

Apr 01, 2013 Mari Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

I started out loving the book and the story behind it... who wouldn't love a book about books. The whole idea of his mother dying of cancer didn't worry me as I am very much a realist about things like that. I LOVE to talk about books and I also love to read books where books are either the center of the story or almost another character (i.e. The 13th Tale, The Angels Game, Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society, The Book Thief, 84 Charing Cross Road.... I could go on and on). This one how...more

7 likes · like · see review

Jan 24, 2013 Naomi King rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, literary-essays, caregiving, dying

Will Schwalbe opens a window on the books he shares with his mother in their journey through the last years of her life. When his mother receives a diagnosis of treatable but not curable, Schwalbe finds himself facing the big questions, and facing them as he and his mother ever have, with books as companions and dialogue partners. The memoir is a moving testament to his mother and to the power of stories to bring people more intimately together.

6 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2013 Ann rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-read

What a treasure of a book! Will Schalbe and his mother Mary Anne start their private book club, revisiting old friends and sharing new ones, during her two year journey suffering from pancreatic cancer. She would not have called it suffering as she was an extraordinary woman who accomplished extraordinary tasks and continued to bring joy to all she met during those two years. Many of the books highlighted were ones I had many, some are now or order at the library. I felt an immediate kinship whe...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 01, 2013 Suzy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: listened-to

4 1/2 stars
It would be 5 stars except I had a hard time getting into the book. The set-up seemed superficial and I was wondering if I would actually enjoy the rest of the book. Boy was I wrong! I was totally inspired by this beautiful tribute to a mother from a son.

This book was enjoyable on so many levels. At the very least it's interesting to learn about the books they read together and their discussions because they LOVE books and have been reading/discussing books since Will was a boy. It i...more 4 1/2 stars
It would be 5 stars except I had a hard time getting into the book. The set-up seemed superficial and I was wondering if I would actually enjoy the rest of the book. Boy was I wrong! I was totally inspired by this beautiful tribute to a mother from a son.

This book was enjoyable on so many levels. At the very least it's interesting to learn about the books they read together and their discussions because they LOVE books and have been reading/discussing books since Will was a boy. It introduced me to quite a few books that I've put on my "want to read" list and also has shown me great ways to talk about books.

But at deeper levels, it's a moving story of the relationship of Mary Ann, the author's mother, and the author and how books provided a common focal point throughout their lives and a means of being together while Mary Ann was dying. If you've lost a parent or are in the process of losing one, it will make you think of your own process and relationship with that person - not just while they are dying, but over your life. Will brings up so many aspects of dealing with a dying parent that you can't help but resonate with their experiences. One thing that struck me is that there's a perception that we need to have the "big conversation" before someone dies. But in reality those conversations are hard and, in this case, the books allowed Will and Mary Ann to be with each other in a more profound way than the big conversation would have provided. It made me think of my Dad, who had cancer for 17 years before it took his life, and what our focal point might have been that allowed us to connect. I think sports and love of nature were our books.

And Mary Ann's life story as told by her son is awe-inspiring! She is a great role model and I'm glad to have heard her story. Highly recommended. Oh, and the narrator of the audio book was outstanding, although I wished at times that I had a hard copy of the book. I think there would be some heavy highlighting!(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jun 09, 2013 Joanne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-writing-reading, memoir-death-grief

I enjoyed this book a lot and read it quickly. Even though Will Schwalbe's mother has pancreatic cancer and will die in a fairly short period of time, as most (all?) pancreatic cancer victims do, this is not a sad or depressing book. In fact, it is very uplifting because of the tremendous spirit and will to productively live on that Mary Anne Schwalbe has and because of the love of books that she and her son share during the last twenty or so months of her life.

I have read many books about termi...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 22, 2012 Diane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookishness, memoirs

"Reading isn't the opposite of doing; it's the opposite of dying."

This is an amazing memoir. Mary Anne Schwalbe was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007, and she and her son spend time sharing books and holding informal book club chats, partly because they were both avid readers and partly to take Mary Anne's mind off of her illness. So it's a book about books, but it's also about the lessons Will learned from his mom.

I would recommend this book to any book lovers, but also to those who are...more

17 likes · like · see review

Mar 20, 2013 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

After letting it sink it:
http://amandagates.com/a-musings/end-...

----

I'm going to need to let it all sink in and re-read all the passages I dog-eared because they struck such a chord with me. But, I really, really liked this book. It may not be for everyone. But for a girl who had a mother who read all the time and passed on this hobby and gift to her child at a young age, and for that same girl who spent time in hospitals with her mom and spent the final weeks of her mom's life reading by her...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 10, 2013 Michelle Lines rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think that anyone who loves reading and enjoys reflecting back on what they have read and discussing their meaning with others will appreciate this book. I found that I could not sit down to read it without having the ipad nearby because I was constantly looking up the books that were mentioned or dicussed on goodreads (many of which I had never heard of).

Among my favorite 'passages or chapters' was the discussion of the Iraqi tale "Appointment in Samarra" and also the chapter that talks about...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 21, 2012 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is absolutely one of the best books I have read this year by far. As a book lover who is married to a book lover, given birth to book lovers and the daughter of a book lover, I really identified with the story. The author is a wonderful narrator and I found him very relatible. He would be great fun at a dinner party. I find his mother extremely appealing and he does a wonderful job paying tribute to her in his portrayal of the kind of woman she was and the life she lived. I felt challenged...more

7 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Alena rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Considering the subject matter, this book was not as affecting as I thought it would be. I did like the discussion of books I've read that have mattered to me, but it was a bit heavy-handed about the importance of books and reading. Wouldn't anyone choosing to read this book already come in with that assumption?
A sad memoir, but not a book that will last in my memory.

3 likes · like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lisa by: Ann

Shelves: i-own, booktopia

I enjoyed this story of a mother/son book club. The author did a great job telling me who his mom was and about their discussions about books. I like that he kept the book to these topics and didn't explore so many more things that could have muddled the story although they would have been interesting. The narrow focus was perfect. I love Mary Ann Schwalbe and would like to be more like her. This is a book I will consider giving as a gifts to people who love books. I got a few book ideas and enj...more

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Jan 27, 2013 Diana rated it 3 of 5 stars

At times I was a little bored with all the details but overall I enjoyed this book. I felt pretty inadequate while reading the book because the author and his mother had such great accomplishments. I also enjoyed the book because my brother-in-law works for the Women's Refugee Commission and this book offered more insight into his career. I admire Mary Anne and her passion for making a difference. She was quite a wonderful woman, caring for others. I was shocked when she paid the medical bill fo...more

7 likes · like · see review

Mar 30, 2013 Doug added it

A two person Book Club, between a mother who was diagnosed and is being treated for stage IV pancreatic cancer and her son. They started the Book Club with the simple question during one of her out-patient treatments, "What are you reading?" The book is used as a medium to pay tribute to his mother, his mother's accomplishments, and accomplishments by the way that we mere mortals will never approach. It is also about life, death, his mom's illness and most importantly how they stayed connected b...more

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Jun 08, 2013 Alison rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book wasn't always the easiest to read on several levels: the writing style of the author; the storyline; and the never ending book reviews (although essential to the story). With that said, however, I found the story fascinating and thought provoking. How wonderful to be able to sit with your mother and discuss all those normally unapproachable subjects but do it through the discussion of books you've read (or are reading) in common. We know the outcome of the story from the beginning whic...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Dianne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013

When the author's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007 he began taking her to her chemo treatments so that she wouldn't have to face them alone and so he could spend as much time with her as possible in whatever time was left. They were both avid readers and naturally fell into sharing and discussing the books they were reading. This book is Schwalbe's tribute to his mother (Mary Anne) and to the books that helped them through the two difficult last years of his mother's life.

When...more When the author's mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2007 he began taking her to her chemo treatments so that she wouldn't have to face them alone and so he could spend as much time with her as possible in whatever time was left. They were both avid readers and naturally fell into sharing and discussing the books they were reading. This book is Schwalbe's tribute to his mother (Mary Anne) and to the books that helped them through the two difficult last years of his mother's life.

When I was thinking about how to describe this book, the word that kept coming to mind was "admirable". It's easy for an author to take a story of tragedy and emphasize the negatives to wring out all the emotion possible - we've all read books like that - and I was impressed with Schwalbe's restraint. His love for his mother and his loyalty to her are beautiful. He writes honestly about her struggles as her condition deteriorates, but he does it tastefully, honouring her by allowing her to maintain her dignity in the telling of the story. He had great respect for her, and even for the faith that helped shaped many of her opinions but that he didn't share. It's an emotional story, deeply personal, but he never let it become morbid and never wallowed in emotion. I found that refreshing and, well...noble.

I also liked his style of writing. It's intelligent but easy to read and every page was interesting. He doesn't go deeply into their book discussions, but he does share enough to let us see what direction their conversations took and some of what they were learning on their individual journeys. At the back he lists every author and title mentioned in the book and there's a wide variety - from Alices's Adventures In Wonderland and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and Seventy Verses on Emptiness. It's a great list - fun to look through for me because I recognized about half of the authors and/or titles whereas most book lists leave me wondering why I don't recognize any of the titles at all and feeling rather out of touch (and, you know...stupid).

This is a well told, moving story, but in some way's it isn't the average person's cancer story, if there is such a thing. The family is quite well-to-do and had access to the very best care available, something a lot of this book's readers would not have. That isn't in any way a criticism of the book or the author - it's just a reality. It's a simple fact of life that having enough money makes things easier. At no point in the book is any of it taken for granted; several times Mary Anne acknowledges and expresses gratitude for the advantages she has. She spent years herself working with various charities and helping the disadvantaged around the world, and toward the end of the book she encourages people to get involved and support health care reform in America so that no American has to go without the care they need.

I liked this book very much and recommend it highly. (less)

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Jun 03, 2013 Michelle Morrell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, read-2013

The author's story of his mother's life and death from cancer, and the books they read together. Very much a book for book lovers, there is a reverence for both his mother's meaningful life and the written word, and how books can transcend and lead people to life, and to death, to conversation and to coping. A couple of quotes that struck me as quite powerful:

"We didn't read only 'great books," we read casually and promiscuously and whimsically." (I am forever now going to call myself a promiscu...more

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May 30, 2013 Elizabeth rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs

One could only hope to have a son grow up and be like Will Schwalbe.

Things I really liked about the book:

1) the mother-son bonding over books! And the best way I have ever heard to deal with profound grief.

2) the plethora of new book recommendations!

3) the author and his late mother's discussions of books I had read, which reminded me of why I loved/hated the books discussed or gave me a fresh perspective of those books. (Ms. Schwalbe and I have a fundamental disagreement about the merits of K ...more

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May 29, 2013 Dandy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook-2013

It would hard to be a real book lover and not be impressed by the love of books written on these pages. The bond between a mother and son is strengthened by this book club they create between the two of them in the years leading up to her death from pancreatic cancer.

Told in a wonderful narrative that mixes memories, book discussions and his thoughts through those years is seamless and effortless. We learn about Mary Ann Schwalbe and I can't help but admire her. What I truly loved was the impor...more

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May 25, 2013 Debby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Debby by: Book Club - Carol

Although slow and repetitive in places, I found this book interesting. His mom was an amazing woman with the positions she held and the organizations she headed and her travel to war torn areas of the world. He had helpful advice for relating to people with terminal diseases. And, of course, there is his extensive book list.
A couple of quotes:
p.41 - mom- when you can't decide, choose the course that you can undo if necessary
p.44 - advice from a book Will read ' The Etiquette of Illness' by Susan...more

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May 19, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I always start my reviews with what I didn't like and then tack on what I did like at the end, thereby justifying the three star rating in a review that is 75% negative and 25% positive. So I decided to inverse the usual order (but leave the standard ratio).

What I like: Books about books are probably my favorite genre (or sub-genre). And I'd read a lot of the books mentioned here! That's always exciting. And based on the descriptions, I've added some new ones to my mental to read list. So that'...more I always start my reviews with what I didn't like and then tack on what I did like at the end, thereby justifying the three star rating in a review that is 75% negative and 25% positive. So I decided to inverse the usual order (but leave the standard ratio).

What I like: Books about books are probably my favorite genre (or sub-genre). And I'd read a lot of the books mentioned here! That's always exciting. And based on the descriptions, I've added some new ones to my mental to read list. So that's exciting too.

And even though it seems to be luke warm praise, the book was an easy read, easy to follow and didn't *often* annoy me, so that's enough for a three.

Okay, now to what I didn't like.

Turns out, before he was the editor-in-chief of a publishing house, that the author of this book started his professional career as a reporter. Both pieces of information surprised me. First, that he was a reporter, because he's not the best at telling compelling stories. This one was very linear and pretty much lacks nuance. And second, that he worked in publishing. Not because he doesn't love books, he clearly does, but because he rarely captures the wondrous, philosophically transcendental purpose of reading. His descriptions of the books he and his mother read could be plucked from this website by any number of its prolific readers. I don't doubt that he (really, the whole family) is crazy smart. But he is certainly no Nick Hornby.

Also, I get that this is a tribute to his mother, but in trying to write the book that she would have wanted him to write, he fails to tell us an interesting story. I think the NYT Review got it exactly right:

"A great memoirist, even one moved primarily by love and devotion, must possess a certain amount of ruthlessness — toward himself if no one else. Schwalbe’s book contains little of the lacerating honesty that marks Didion’s recent memoirs of loss.... 'The End of Your Life Book Club” too often reads like “Will’s Mary Anne Schwalbe Book.'"

We have descriptions about how she was so selfless that the only way the family could convince her to get treatment was to convince her that by treating her and learning from her illness, doctors would then be able to help more people. Or of how she wanted him to write the book so that it could be used to advance the cause of health care reform. Or of how she paid other cancer patients pharmacy bills while insisting on taking the bus herself. That's not to say that I think the stories aren't true. I bet they are. I bet she was a fascinating, driven, charismatic and inspiring woman. It sounds like she did amazing things and really made a different in thousands of people's lives. But. But, in the eyes of her son, she comes across as two-dimensional. And a little controlling. A woman's whose every action is motivated by a selfless desire to help, whose every conversation contains a moral and where every disagreement is really just his failure to have his mother's deeper understanding of life. (less)

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About Will Schwalbe

Will is the author of The End of Your Life Book Club (Knopf 2012, Two Roads/UK 2012).

He is also the founder and CEO of cookstr.com, a recipe site featuring great recipes from many of the world's best chefs and cookbook authors.

Prior to that, he was SVP and editor in chief of Hyperion Books. He has also worked as a journalist, writing articles and reviews for such publications as The New York Times...more

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“One of the many things I love about bound books is their sheer physicality. Electronic books live out of sight and out of mind. But printed books have body, presence. ... I often seek electronic books, but they never come after me. They may make me feel, but I can't feel them. They are all soul with no flesh, no texture, and no weight.” — 50 people liked it

“We're all in the end-of-your-life book-club, whether we acknowledge it or not; each book we read may well be the last, each conversation the final one.” — 44 people liked it

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The End of Your Life Book Club

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