This is Jacob Appel's best novel yet. Millard Salter is a successful doctor at a large New York hospital. He's respected by his colleagues, loved by most of his patients, and his children still speak to him. On his 75th birthday, although still working and financially secure, he's not sure about his future. He spends this day visiting former places and people, even his ex-wife who he hasn't spoken to in almost 20 years. He tries to meet his middle-aged son, adrift in his own world for years, for lunch. (Great scene.) Millard loves his children and worries about this one in particular. He goes to visit the grave of his beloved second wife who died within the past year. He plans to meet his youngest daughter for dinner but doesn't know she's planned a surprise party. Still evaluating life Millard goes on with his day.
This is a sweet and powerful story and the ending will surely surprise you. Highly recommend it!

A very enjoyable story about a 75 year old who wants to die with dignity and has a plan. Details of his last planned day make up the entire story. I didn't expect the ending at all.

I was mesmerized by this book. So engrossing that I couldn't put it down. It doesn't leave your thoughts.
Was captivated by this storyline. One of the best books this year

This is the first book I have read by this author. The synopsis of the story was very interesting to me. I had high hopes for this book. I am a reader and not gifted to be writer. I appreciate all the energy and time it takes to write a novel. I am sorry to say this, after I know the author has invested so much of themselves into this book, that I really disliked this book.

I was so temped at many times to give up and not finish it, but I pushed through it. I don't like to leave a story before it is ended, although I have been doing that in the past year, when the book I have select was just not for me.

I rated this book 3 stars, since I did enjoy parts of it. I especially loved some of the specific lines of the story. I really liked the idea of the book, I just did not care for most of it. I think all the characters were so much unlikable that I would hate a life having to deal with them. Honestly, I did not come away from this story liking Millard very much either.
Sorry to the author, this story just wasn't for me.

Interesting book, ending somewhat disappointing, as the whole book seemed to be leading to a different conclusion

Interesting book. It was both humorous and introspective. Millard Salter, who will be 75 shortly, has decided to commit suicide on his birthday. The book chronicles the events of his last day. His interactions with people he wants to see one last time to say goodbye (without saying goodbye - doesn't want to tip anyone off about his plans) - his family and friends, as well as patients (he's a psychiatrist) and co-workers. He has quite an interesting and eventful day as he reflects on his life. This is a topic that is both contemporary and controversial, do people have a right to take their own lives?

The laws in the US are certainly not in favor of it, and neither are the various religions. And yet, aren't people supposed to have freedom of choice? Why should any other person be allowed to choose that a person should relinquish that choice? I certainly don't want to start a debate - everyone has their own opinion - but the book does make you think about it.

Thanks to Jacob M. Appel and Gallery books through Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was hesitant to read this book since the publisher's blurb compared it to A Man Called Ove, one of my favorite books. However, it seemed quite dissimilar in a way that enabled the book to stand on its own. Therefore, I feel like it was not the best marketing technique. Anyone who really wants it to be a clone will be disappointed.

I rarely laugh out loud when reading a book but did so often when reading this one. I felt that the writing style was brilliant and I enjoyed being in the writer's hands. It was richly textured. The moments of excitement balanced with moments of description. There were twists and quirks. In other words, a definite rhythm. That is until the very end which seemed too abrupt. In a way, I felt as if I'd been left hanging.

Millard is a 75 year old psychiatrist. He still woks and is healthy but doesn't want to experience the decline in health that age can bring, so he and his girlfriend have decided to end their lives on his birthday. He spends his last day getting things in order and reminiscing about his time on this earth and the people that have shared this time with him.
I have mixed feeling about Millard Salter. There are so many irrelevant characters and needless rambling. On the other hand, it has some wonderful parts that made it hard to put down. The sad thing is, I don't believe these enjoyable parts outweighed the monotonous ones.

As a policy, I do not write reviews on books that rate less than 3.5 stars. Working notes on the book have been sent to the publisher for their use.

This novel is about a 75 year old man who has made the choice to end his life before he becomes, what he considers, a burden to his family. This story tells about the events of what may or may not be the last day of his life. This is the first Jacob Appel novel I have ever read. This is the second novel I have ever read dealing with suicide but what I think what makes this novel unique is the reason why this character has made the decision to commit suicide rather than let nature take its course. Millard Salter is a psychiatrist and I think that gives him a unique perspective on suicide.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this novel very much at all. Its overdescriptiveness and ornate vocabulary made it very tedious. I did not develop any emotional attachment to any of the characters or to the story itself.

From the very beginning to the very end I felt like the new girl in a group of very old friends. There were exhausting and very specific descriptions of New York City throughout the entire book. So specific, in fact, that someone who is not familiar with the city (like me) would have little interest in these details. It got very boring very quickly. The descriptions became like an inside joke that an outsider (like me) could never understand.

There were a lot of tangents going on throughout this novel as well, and by the time the tangent was wrapped up and the story itself was picked up again I had forgotten what was going on in the first place. The tangents themselves were about the most random things and made the story seem very choppy and disjointed.

The excessive use of vocabulary in this book made it a lot of work to read. I felt like I was constantly looking up words that I’d never even heard before let alone know what they meant. I’m all about expanding my vocabulary through reading but there is a point where complicated vocabulary gets in the way of the story itself and I think that’s what happened here.

The whole story felt like it was being told from distance. It didn’t cause me to stop and contemplate the issue of suicide or the reasons that an individual has to end his or her own life. What could have been a perceptive and affective story about a controversial topic ended up being a tedious story that was a struggle to get through, it felt as though the story was making light of subject that is heavy no matter how you feel about it.

I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Jacob M. Appel, and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me.

Millard Salter is the senior fellow of a team of psychiatric care givers at St. Dymphna's Hospital in Manhattan's East Side. After watching his second wife Isabelle whittled down by cancer he makes the educated decision to commit a rational suicide on his 75th birthday. To educate himself on the art of a successful trip out, he volunteers with a group who offer compassionate care, where he is assigned to coach Delilah, a widow in the final stages of life, who also becomes his third great love.

His birthday comes before he is quite ready. There are still many things he needs to do. We follow him through the frantic day that is his 75th birthday.

When an educated doctor reaches his 75th birthday he decides to end his life before he declines and can't make his own choices. He spends his day putting his life in order, visiting the cemetery, talking to his ex-wife and children and saying goodbye to friends. This is a book to think about and I imagine that book clubs will have some wild discussions and arguments about this story. I'm not sure I would recommend this book to strangers because suicide can be easily triggered if people see this as a solution to problems and depression. This is the first book I've read by Jacob Appel and I'm not sure if this is a common theme to his writing, I'll have to take a look at some of his many titles.

I’ve been a huge fan of Jacob M. Appel for years. This is the ‘only’ book I’ve read of Jacob’s - that I think is a ‘mess’! A reader has to work their ass off to read this novel -
A lot is expected of the ‘reader’ when there is very little emotional connection - yet filled with side details - rants - and choppy disjointed writing.
There were too many characters - and name dropping of chairman’s and co chairman’s - accountants - etc.
Then there were the intellectual stories - impressive fancy ones —( but I felt there were so many it all became pretentious)
One example is when Millard shared about his son Arnold ( the son he was ‘not’ disappointed with.....like he is with Lysander who walks his dogs at age 43 but not too much else)
With Arnold - Millard “brushed up his knowledge of philately of numismatics...Buffalo nickels on a drive to the Smithsonian to see a rare Swedish stamp called ‘Treskillg’ Yellow”
And soon he is talking about World fruit - and African and southern American monkeys with another daughter, Maia....... “stalactites and stalagmites”—

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I'll start by saying that I really wanted to like this book! Having enjoyed Ove and seeing the comparison in the actual words of the author, I had high hopes. However, I don't feel the comparison is accurate. Both are elderly men who have loved and lost throughout their lives but that's about the extent of the comparison I can comfortably make.
So many of the details in the story were incredibly intricate, some almost too much. I still don't understand the lynx or the post office incident during the lunch with Lysander. Can too much detail make a book go astray?
I also feel as though another age reader might be more appreciative of some of the references to decades and events gone by (I'm in my mid-30's but there was a lot of reminiscing that would have been before my time).
Overall I feel that this book, while beautifully written and highly thought out was just not the right book for what I'd anticipated.

Millard Salter was a psychiatrist who talked people out of committing suicide yet he wanted to avoid old age and its trials so he was planning his own suicide with no one stopping him because no one knew.

We walk with Millard on his last day as he visits patients and his family members and thinks about this being his last day. He avoids any promises so he won't feel bad when the promise can't be kept since he won't be here.

MILLARD SALTER'S LAST DAY isn't morose or morbid. In fact, Millard makes you laugh out loud with his last day antics and his last day actually being his birthday.

A few unexpected people stopped to see him on his "big" day, and he wondered how they knew what day it was going to turn out to be. Then they would say Happy Birthday, and he knew that is what they meant about his big day.

We get a trip down memory lane with Millard as well as learn some psychiatric trivia.

All in all, MILLARD SALTER'S LAST DAY had marvelous, detailed writing and characters.

MILLARD SALTER’S LAST DAY had some touchy issues discussed, some sad moments, and an unexpected ending. 4/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the author and Net Galley in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

After reading Millard Salter's Last Day by Jacob M. Appel I find myself in a quandary. Somehow I feel it is not my place to judge someone who has the marvelous capability to write and publish a novel. I wanted to enjoy this book. I found the writing disjointed, also very broken up and choppy. I think the main character has no emotional value. I could not for the life of me even feel anything towards him. He is a narcissistic psychiatrist who only worries about what will become of him when his body starts to fail. I believe he could have been a very interesting character but some how I felt the author missed a great opportunity here. Too many innocuous details weigh down the story. I felt the book dragged and found myself skimming parts.

I also believe that readers who flock to this novel because of the author’s other novel A Man Called Ove should not pickup this book. I think it would be a very disappointing and dangerous comparison. I think the expectations are way too high and frankly there is no comparison to be had.

I don’t like giving reviews like this, I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review of this book. So unfortunately I have honesty given my opinion

I'd rate this 3.5 stars.

Today is Millard Salter's 75th birthday. He has a pretty full day planned—a busy day as a psychiatrist at New York's St. Dymphna's Hospital, lunch with his seemingly unambitious, 43-year-old son Lysander, and a visit to the grave of his second wife Isabelle, whose death he's still mourning. He has promised to help his current flame, Delilah, take care of an important task, and then he plans to end the day by killing himself.

Millard isn't sick or depressed or frail. But he knows all too well the indignities and infirmities that old age can bring, and he's determined to exit before his quality of life is impacted by any of them. He also doesn't want to be a burden to his children, nor does he want people to chronicle or lament his eventual decline.

He's trying to get everything in his life as settled as possible so his death doesn't cause a lot of disruption. He has divested himself of most of his patients and tied up as many loose ends as he can. But the course of life, even when you're planning to end your life, never runs smoothly—Millard encounters frustrated bureaucrats, power-hungry colleagues, depressed patients, a fiercely loyal employee, and a student looking for a recommendation. Oh, and there's a lynx on the loose at the hospital. Luckily, Millard's sly sense of humor helps him take everything in stride.

As Millard goes through the day, he realizes he won't leave this world without some regrets, but he tries to make things right where he can, so he can end his life feeling reasonably satisfied with how things will be after his death. And as he reminisces about his childhood, his marriages, and his career, he sees how much everything has changed, and he doesn't want to feel like a dinosaur.

This was a really interesting concept on which to build a book. Millard is a complex character—he definitely cares about his family and his patients but he's not above some mostly good-natured ribbing of his colleagues. Given the book's plot, this could have veered into either maudlin or treacly territory, and to Jacob Appel's credit it really didn't. You could see as the book unfolded that this was a man who was proud of his life and his accomplishments, but didn't want to linger too long.

Appel is a fantastic writer—he's written some fantastic short story collections I've absolutely devoured—Einstein's Beach House, Coulrophobia & Fata Morgana, and Miracles and Conundrums of the Secondary Planets. His writing is always characterized by a healthy balance of quirk and heart, and both are on display here. I just felt this book meandered a little too much—some of Millard's pranks and reminiscences went on a bit too long, and so many subplots, supporting characters, and odd situations were shoehorned into the book that I felt it distracted from the story at the book's core.

One other caveat, which may be a positive or a negative one for you: the book's marketing blurb mentions A Man Called Ove, and while Millard may have his cranky moments, I don't think he's quite the curmudgeon that Ove was. So don't go into this book expecting that, or don't steer away from this book because you feared that.

Millard Salter's Last Day isn't perfect, but it's tremendously thought-provoking and well-written, with an immensely vivid main character. I think it's a great book club selection, because it could be the source of some fascinating conversation. And as always, Appel demonstrates his talent as a storyteller.

NetGalley and Gallery Books provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

I got this from NetGalley. It's about a psychiatrist who decides to kill himself on his 75th birthday. He's not depressed or lonely; he just wants to die before he gets ill and suffers. This is, as the title suggests, the story of his last day, which is packed with reflection, interesting encounters and even an explosion. It was not bad, not great. There were some funny parts, mainly the lynx storyline. I liked the ending.

First, i want to say that I wanted to love this book. A Man Called Ove is one of my favorite books. Actually any book that is about quirky people and how with others, they are better together in life, I love. I like the idea behind this book. I think it was very dangerous in the opening pages to compare this book to A Man Called Ove. I think that sets expectations very high and it would be hard to compare.

I found the book very choppy and disjointed in the writing. I think Millard could have been a very interesting character but too much time was spent on details that were not necessary to the storyline.

Don't let Simon and Schuster fool you. Millard Salter's Last Day is NOT another "Man Called Ove". But I admit that it's a good hook to get you to pick up Jacob M. Appel's new novel.

Millard Salter is a twice-married three times in love psychiatrist who on the day in question is turning 75. His last love, a former actress, is dying of cancer, and Salter has determined that after he helps her exit, he will hang himself.

Hop on for the ride. You will hear about Millard's parents, his early life, and day to day drama at St. Dymphna's, his hospital. Like a Murphy's Law kind of day, it unfolds to everything going wrong. He is accosted by numerous unpleasant people and even an escaped lynx. Appel's humor (aside from the retelling of some old but good jokes) is laugh out loud funny. There is barely a page that doesn't have a giggle or a guffaw. Yet this book is a serious, beautifully crafted story of a life. One could believe it was autobiographical except that the author is too young to remember some of the things he writes about. Jacob Appel is a doctor, an ethicist, a lawyer and a psychiatrist and his knowledge of all these areas is impeccable.

I particularly enjoyed his character's names. (one puzzlement: Why is Carol, his first wife, surnamed Sucram, Marcus backwards? I hate to feel I've missed something.)

As only with the best fiction, I sat thoughtfully for a long time after I finished reading Millard Salter's last day. That only happens with the best writing.