A review by brughiera
Dancing Fish and Ammonites: A Memoir by Penelope Lively

3.0

Serendipity drives this memoir and renders this a charming but personal reflection. At eighty there is obviously a lot to look back on, but what consistently appears more vivid are the childhood years in Cairo, memories of which recur throughout the book. There is little about what appears to have been a long and very happy marriage, even though the book is dedicated to her husband. In fact, family appears to have receded and the reflection focuses on personal considerations about old age, the elusive and selective nature of different types of memory and inspirations for reading and writing. These give many interesting clues about the drivers for Dame Lively's own work and some hints for other budding authors. The final section on the six things is again very personal, and, unlike the previous sections, less susceptible to adaptation to others' possible interests. In fact, the book ends very abruptly with the sixth object and leaves one a little dissatisfied with the lack of a rather more generalized conclusion. But perhaps that is the prerogative of a serendipitous memoir!