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Diana Athill
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Somewhere Towards The End Paperback – 4 Dec. 2008

by Diana Athill (Author)
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 1,158 ratings
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What is it like to be old? Diana Athill made her reputation as a writer with the candour of her memoirs - her commitment, in her words, 'to understand, to be aware, to touch the truth'. Now in her nineties, and freed from any inhibitions that even she may once have had, she reflects frankly on the losses and occasionally the gains that old age brings, and on the wisdom and fortitude required to face death. This is a lively narrative of events, lovers and friendships: the people and experiences that have taught her to regret very little, to resist despondency and to question the beliefs and customs of her own generation.
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  1. Print length
    192 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Granta Books
  4. Publication date
    4 Dec. 2008
  5. Dimensions
    12.7 x 1.1 x 19.8 cm
  6. ISBN-10
    1847080693
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1847080691
  8. See all details
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Product description

Review

Guardian, The Times, Daily Mail, New Statesman, Observer --Review

Book Description

'There is a sense throughout Athill's work that you are making a new friend as much as reading a new story ... a delight to read' Observer

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Granta Books; First Edition (4 Dec. 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1847080693
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1847080691
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 1.1 x 19.8 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 1,158 ratings

About the author

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Diana Athill

Diana Athill

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Born in 1917 and educated at Oxford University, DIANA ATHILL has written several memoirs, including "Instead of a Letter," "After a Funeral," "Somewhere Towards the End," and the New York Times Notable Book "Stet," about her fifty-year career in publishing. She lives in London and was recently appointed an Officer of the British Empire.

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

David
5.0 out of 5 stars Athill is sublime describing her gentle descent into old age
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 August 2015
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I recently came across Diana Athill in a TV series about Bohemians and found her fascinating to listen to. I decided I'd take a look at her published work and bought 'Instead of a Letter'. I was captivated by the refreshing honesty of the writing and I felt I was part of a conversation with the author who has a fine eye for life and the human condition.
I'm at an age now when the natural end of things is not as far away as it used to be. Recently I was sitting at a lecture on world economics and the presenter brought up a slide forecasting the shift in global economic power in 2050. As I listened it rather forcefully struck me that it is highly unlikely I'll be here in 2050 and if I am I doubt the economy will be my first waking thought. This little 'ah ha' moment has remained with me so I thought having discovered Ms AthilI I would give 'Somewhere Towards the End' a read.
It's a 'tour de force' on getting old; incisive, amusing and very honest in a conversational way, where her life experiences are examples to mark her finely observed views on getting older. Diana Athill rather than descending gracefully into older age has discovered replacements for many of the things she cannot or does not want to do. I found myself smiling and nodding in agreement with much of what she had to say.
I doubt if you are still thinking about the here and now and worrying about the economy in 2050 that you will get the same measure of enjoyment as I did, but for those of a certain age it is a delightful read.
As a postscript I have now caught the Athill bug and I'm reading her volume of short stories published in 1960 entitled 'Midsummer Night in the Workhouse' available from the excellent Persephone Books (also on Amazon)
Now...where did I leave my glasses?
55 people found this helpful
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PB
4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read, although uneven
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2011
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It is a measure of this book's controversy that it has stirred up so many, differing, reviews. It is certainly not a self-help book for the ageing, nor is it a standard biography. It is mercifully free of pop-psychology or suggestions that ageing somehow automatically confers wisdom (although Athill clearly has this in abundance).

I did not experience the 'coldness' that some other readers felt. Diana Athill lives a different life to the norm, breaks many conventions and clearly enjoys doing this. The book, itself, breaks many conventions. The style is sometimes uneven, moving from the chatty to the profound. The book does have quite a number of typos in it and - ironically - could have been better edited. Despite these issues, I found it a wonderful read.

I was saddened by some of the reviews here that somehow seem to imply that older people should not write about or particularly enjoy sex. I also feel that this forum is no place to air old, personal, grievances about the author.

I was left cheered by someone with a sharp intellect who has an ability to review her own life openly and honestly. I was left with the feeling I rarely get from reading a book, that this is someone I would love to meet and chat to. Athill is both pragmatic and enthusiastic, with a continuing curiosity about the world and about people. A refreshing book for those of us who are no longer particuarly young.
21 people found this helpful
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MRS L A ROWE
3.0 out of 5 stars Bit wordy
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 June 2017
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Her sentences were very long - too long to make this book an easy read. However, the observations and anecdotes went a good way to make up for that. As an editor, maybe she was throwing out all the rules and endulging herself? Perhaps, as one gets older one can chuck away the 'rules' as they are someone else's? Nevertheless, it's an truthful portrayal of how she feels about her past adventures, her current situations and potential future events.
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Joe Mcnally
5.0 out of 5 stars Shopping for words at Waitrose
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 July 2013
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You will read few books where the first thing you do on finishing is Google the author's name to see if she/he is still alive.

Diana wrote this when she was 89. It is worth reading for the quality of the writing alone; the wisdom and entertainment are a beautiful bonus.

Miss Athill's life seems a fine example of the maxim that says, it isn't what happens to you that matters, it's your attitude to it. The big adaption she makes, in my opinion,is to Barry, her long term partner/friend/flatmate. We are all deluded to some degree, but Barry is a real humdinger.

Anyway,it's a book which will stay with you. The clarity of the writing, well, it's like paddling at Blackpool for most of your reading life then wading into a miracle strip from the Seychelles.

If you could shop for words and use them straight from the bag, Miss Athill goes to Waitrose (I suspect she does anyway) rather than Asda.

Oh, and as of today, July 5, 2013, she's still alive. At ninety five. I'd love to read A Hundred, Not Out.
18 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging book
Reviewed in Canada on 19 April 2019
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Loved this book. Athill provides an engaging and thought provoking glimpse into the story of an incredible life lived. She has an eloquent but simple style that never loses the reader. Recommended.
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erika
3.0 out of 5 stars Somewhere near the End
Reviewed in Italy on 8 March 2019
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La Athill scrive bene e analizza i suoi sentimenti. Ma libri come quelli della Lively sono meglio. Ho trovato noioso la descrizione dei suoi rapporti con il compagno (o i compagni) e solo nei ultimi capitoli valeva la pena leggerlo.
I wonder if Athill would have been published so much if she weren't part of a publishing house. She analyzes her feelings well, but I got tired of hearing about her relationships. The last chapters were worth reading though. Prefer Penelope Lively. And of course Jenny Diski.
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Amazon Customer D T Joseph
5.0 out of 5 stars Truly wise, and old...
Reviewed in India on 27 February 2016
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I read the book with great pleasure. I was looking to read on the process of growing old. While the book is not on, is still written in such a simple style, highly enjoyable.
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Roberta
4.0 out of 5 stars Great CD and fun to listen to
Reviewed in France on 1 September 2014
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Diana Athill's CD is terrific. It is full of wise words and interesting thoughts on the passage of time and growing older. I will keep it handy as the years go by.
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J. B. Dunn
5.0 out of 5 stars I NEED MANY MORE THAN 5 STARS FOR THIS BOOK.
Reviewed in the United States on 2 January 2010
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When was the last time you encountered someone new and the word 'wisdom' popped into your head? Not very often lately? Me neither. Until last week. I read right through this book, "Somewhere Towards the End," as soon as I finished reading right through Diana Athill's earlier book, "Stet."

I bought "Stet" because it was the memoir of a superb book editor, a job I had done once myself, though not superbly. She had been one of the founders of a small, elite British house and worked with Mailer, Vidal, and Updike to name but three of their stable.

I bought "Somewhere Towards The End" because I was wondering what it is like to be old. I knew about arthritis, wrinkles and a sense of irrelevance. Who doesn't? I had been wondering if there was anything more appealing to be said for it. Diana Athill was close to 90 when she wrote this book, and the answer she personifies is 'Yes, there is.'

You see from the first page that she herself is a wonderful writer, a very unusual writer, and she must have been hell on wheels as an editor. (Not in the way you may be thinking though; Gordon Liss she is not. Her insights are penetrating, but her touch is very light., just short of self- effacing.) She embodies more than a few paradoxes. She she did not bring the kind of clear, rational insights to her own personal and financial life that she invested in her authors' books. She is quite frank about it, but never self-pitying. Fortunately for the reader, she made interesting mistakes with interesting people. One of the things that charmed and fascinated me is how lucidly and candidly she writes about her misadventures.

One minute she seems quite eccentric and the next you may realize that you've done the same thing for the same reason but never quite admitted the latter to yourself. She is extremely discrete about the affairs of others but not at all politically correct about her own sexual history. Nor does she romanticize the emotional history that went along with it. And outlives it.

I hope I have done this book and this writer justice. She has had a real impact on the way I look at some things, and I hope many others will get the same opportunity.
42 people found this helpful
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