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Somewhere Towards the End: A Memoir (2008)

by Diana Athill

Other authors: See the other authors section.

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
6743734,132 (3.62)49
An esteemed memoirist and one of the great editors in British publishing examines aging with the grace of Elegy for Iris and the wry irreverence of I Feel Bad About My Neck.
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» See also 49 mentions

English (34)  Italian (2)  Spanish (1)  All languages (37)
Showing 1-5 of 34 (next | show all)
Delightful and succint insights and reflections from a woman reaching her late 80s. She has a positive outlook, intentionally so, accepting of the dwindling energy and appetites of age, but finding plenty still to take satisfaction in. If anything, she’s inclined to be a bit complacent or indulgent of her lot (smug, she says) but her poised and spirited phrases and descriptions are a joy: arresting, stimulating, and comforting in their graceful and candid delineation of our common humanity. The prose has a lush feel, and yet is ultimately rather thin in that not much really takes hold (as I was able to note on an almost-immediate reread, returning for more depth than was actually to be found). But dipping in to any page will bring pleasure. ( )
  eglinton | Mar 21, 2024 |
Pleasant enough but unessential. ( )
  elahrairah | Feb 1, 2024 |
Original "Somewhere towards the end"
  betty_s | Sep 27, 2023 |
I really enjoyed this. I'm 72 with asthma and the corianus virus is coming. I have enjoyed my life and am hoping for more time. ( )
  mahallett | Mar 10, 2020 |
I look forward to hearing conversations and varied wisdoms from senior citizens. Now that I am in my mid 60s, they often serve as a guide on what I can look forward to or from. I enjoyed Ms. Athill's book. It was very honest and touching in many places. She looks upon her life with little regret even as a mistress.

My notes from the book:

Not being able to take dogs for a walk
Sixties- within hailing distance of middle age
Faith-the decision to act as though you believe anything that you have no reason to believe. (Diana is an atheist.)
It's dying (not death) that I am afraid of.
No one past 80 has the right to complain about death.
Re-reading old favorite books
Two regrets: 1) childlessness and 2) never having the guts to escape the narrowness of my life.
God will forgive me, that's his job. ( )
  writemoves | Jun 17, 2019 |
Showing 1-5 of 34 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors (3 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Diana Athillprimary authorall editionscalculated
Dyer, PeterDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Edelstein, JillPhotographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
It ain't no sin
To take off your skin
And dance about
In your bones.

- Edgar Leslie
Dedication
For Sally, Henry, Jessamy and Beauchamp Bagenal
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Near the park which my bedroom overlooks there came to stay a family which owned a pack of pugs, five or six of them, active little dogs, none of them overweight as pugs so often are.
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An esteemed memoirist and one of the great editors in British publishing examines aging with the grace of Elegy for Iris and the wry irreverence of I Feel Bad About My Neck.

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