David Hastings is a retired business executive on a grim mission: He’s going to end his life. That’s the dramatic setup of Emma Cline’s latest novel, “Switzy.” When the story opens, David is on a plane, traveling to Europe. Throughout his life, he sacrificed friendship and family to climb to the top of the professional ladder. But now he is suffering from dementia, and his mind is fading. Determined to die on his own terms, David has decided to travel to Switzerland for a medically assisted suicide. But before he lands at his ultimate destination, he wants to settle a few relationships in his life. Bringing us deep into David’s fragmented consciousness, “Switzy” asks: What will we do when we know the end is near? On this episode of the Book Review Book Club, the host MJ Franklin discusses the novel with his colleagues Emily Eakin and Jennifer Harlan. You can follow along, and add your own comments to the discussion here. Other books, essays and movies mentioned in this episode: “The Girls,” “Daddy” and “The Guest,” by Emma Cline“You’ve Got Mail,” directed by Nora Ephron“Moby-Dick,” by Herman Melville“A Separate Peace,” by John Knowles“Etna,” by Paul Yoon“Flesh,” by David SzalayNora Ephron’s essays “What I Will Miss” and “What I Won’t Miss”“Atonement,” by Ian McEwan“Tinkers,” by Paul Harding“Orbital,” by Samantha Harvey“Small Rain,” by Garth Greenwell“On Being Ill,” by Virginia WoolfHermione Hoby’s essay “Why Is Illness So Hard to Write About?” Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
