By Jessica Schneider Jan 14, 2009, 16:49 GMT
Such is the latest memoir title by Diana Athill. A slim book, finishing under 200 pages, the NYT has said:
“Ms. Athill’s book is welcome and original because she is such a robust, free-thinking, nonmawkish presence on the page. She catalogs the indignities of old age while reminding us how much joy can be sucked out of a physically diminished life, joy that often comes from unexpected places.”
The NYT article also provides a first chapter for readers to marvel over.
Publishers Weekly states: “She is bluntly unconcerned with conventional wisdom, unapologetically recounting her extended role as the Other Woman in her companion's prior marriage—then explaining how he didn't move in with her until after they'd stopped having sex, which is why it was no big deal for her to invite his next mistress to move in with them to save expenses. She is equally frank in discussing how, as their life turns sad and boring, she copes with his declining health, just as she cared for her mother in her final years. Firmly resolute that no afterlife awaits her, Athill finds just enough optimism in this world to keep her reflections from slipping into morbidity—she may not offer much comfort, but it's a bracing read.”
This is actually the author’s second memoir. The first, titled “Stet” deals with her experiences as a book editor. Read the full review here. Norton is the publisher.
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