The Last Days of Roger Federer and other Endings by Geoff Dyer
This is a book about endings, Roger’s last match, authors’ last books, musicians’ last concerts, the author’s last trip to Burning Man, and, of course, COVID. Dyer is a tennis enthusiast, so while Roger lends himself to the title and to motifs throughout, it’s more of a philosophical book about endings in general rather than one complete narrative. Endings we long for – like, curiously, the end of a show as soon as we get in the seat – and endings we don’t see coming. The author’s quest to never buy shampoo ends with the lockdown and the loss of travel as an option. Dyer’s interests range far and wide, so he pulls in anecdotes about Nietzsche and Wagner, Beethoven, Milan Kundera, and Don Delilo in addition to numerous references to D.H. Lawrence, of whom he’s written extensively. What does it mean for a new author to have a blockbuster novel right out of the gate? Do an author’s books necessarily degrade with age? What about the author who decides to stop writing? Or the painter whose style falls out of favor? How do humans deal with ends? Dyer notes that time seems to accelerate as we get old and likens this to a roll of toilet paper. The nearer we get to the end, the more you spin the roll to get the same amount of paper. And what, really, is sadder than an empty roll.
If you’re thinking of giving this one a go, I’d direct you to his earlier book Yoga for People Who Can’t be Bothered to Do It. It’s shorter and just as funny, and you’ll get a chance to taste his style.
Cher Time 