Somewhere Towards the End: A Memoir

Writer has a natural gift for writing, but her immorality is off-putting. Her denial of GOD has deprived her of any wisdom she might have gained over her lifespan. She wrote nothing here that contributes any worthwhile advice to the aging.

This is one of my favorite books. Athill is a wonderful writer - direct, clear language, great sense of humor, and one senses that she is unfailingly honest. She is wholly individual, equally enthusiastic recalling gardening and sexual highlights of her life. A riveting, unsentimental but beautiful portrait of a deep thinker somewhere towards the end. Hopefully not too close.

Athill may be approaching 90, but in clear precise prose she explores aging in an intelligent, fiercely honest and original way. She's like a refreshingly interesting dinner partner. I'm disappointed her other books aren't availabe on kindle.

Diana Athill's beautifully-written new book, Somewhere Towards the End (Norton, 2009) has the unique quality of being a memoir of being very old and happy about it without the maudlin set pieces or generic nostalgia one might expect in a fin de siecle. The 90-year-old Athill was during her 20th century career a notable British editor who worked with Andre Deutsch in setting up one of Europe's most-respected publishing houses... Read Full Review

An excellent book for anyone grappling with the issues of aging. It's inspiring to know someone approaching her ninth decade can still be so vibrant and articulate. It gives me hope for my own future and ambitions for projects yet to be accomplished as the days wind down.