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A review by _onemorechapter_
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
โYouโre only as old as you feelโ.
๐ญThis is my second book by Pooley and I loved it! Pooley always meets our expectations and gives us a type of character who will remain in our hearts forever. Also, I love reading about characters who are old, grumpy and do not fit into society's norms. I love the title and I hope I will age as disgracefully as Daphne. That's a life worth living.
Mandel Community Centre is in trouble. It may soon be boarded up by the council if the members of the community are unable to raise sufficient funds for repair and maintenance. We meet different groups of people which include a kid's nursery, a senior citizen club, an AA club and a pregnant women's club. They are not ready to lose this space and try various means to stop the Demolition. I loved several aspects of the novel.
This story comes to us from different perspectives, all from a seventeen-year-old to a seventy-year-old. Their paths converge and, together, they find their different strengths and hidden depths as they strive for their own better futures and that of the dilapidated community centre where they met.
The story has a large number of pranks and revenge operations which lead to side-splitting laughs.
I love Pooley's eye sensibilities and older characters who are truly full unrealized adults not silly stereotypes of older people. Pooley stuck to what she does best...mix in a bunch of strangers and stir the pot to see what happens. The unlikely friendships trope is one of my absolute favourites and Pooley does it so well. Pooley writes engaging stories that have you cheering the characters on. She deftly blends humour and misery and ends up with a story with a cosy mystery vibe...with no mystery, just a bunch of seniors taking the world on by their own rules. From the very first page to the last, the story is compelling and laugh-out-loud funny. I found myself very attached to the characters, who are so unique and human and I loved every second of it!
Told from the points of view of several different characters: Daphne, a 70-year-old with secrets and no friends; Art, an actor, but at seventy-five, his agent has stopped taking his calls; Lydia whose job is the head of the Senior Citizen's Social Club at the Mandel Community Center; Ziggy, a teen father whose 8-month-old daughter attends daycare at the centre.
My favorite character Daphne - is a boss lady who refuses to submit to age and decline. She is unafraid to speak her mind and her immaculate plotting leads to some hilarious situations that left me wheezing. She is often the brain behind several efforts of the senior citizen's club.
Daphne finally connecting with the world after more than a decade of isolation was heartwarming to experience. Her slow and reluctant connection to Margaret (the dog) and Kylie (the baby) was delightful. She starts putting in roots, making friends, standing up for them and helping them. Her ways of going about it are often hilarious to read.
Art- washed-up actor, his character was heartbreaking. His sad past and dark present made the social club his only form of escape from reality. But you could never guess that based on his humour and his constantly smiling face in public.
Lydia - the well-meaning but inept local pensioners' day club co-ordinator who is utterly ground down by life. She finally has solid ground beneath her when she gets a job as the charge of the club. After being constantly put down by her husband, she loses her sense of self-worth. But with the support of the elderlies, she gains back her confidence and comes out stronger than before.
Ziggy - comes from a rough neighbourhood and as a single father (and a high schooler), he has a lot of responsibilities towards Kylie (his baby). He feels overwhelmed and loses hope of a brighter future. But with his teacher's trust in him, along with Daphne's support, the hope reignites.
Humour, spirit and unexpected twists keep the story moving to its satisfying outcome, which shows that age, social position and hardship can be no barrier to a happier future - especially if you have a Daphne in your corner. As the story progresses, you find yourself rooting for the characters and what they are hoping to achieve, by fair means or foul (A certain masterpiece of "yarnsy" in the book had me cackling.)
It is not just a book about humour. It also comments upon the ageist behaviour against the elderly. They are often stereotyped and their roles seem to be decided by the society at large. This book shatters those stereotypes. They are expected to act a certain way after an age. But why? They also wish to lead a Fun life. Why try to limit them?
All isn't fun and easy for the pensioners. They face loneliness after losing their partners, they face money troubles, and they are often ignored by the general public. Somehow, the people gloss over them every time, making them feel unseen and unheard.
Overall, I would classify this primarily as a comedy, Pooley seamlessly incorporates sprinkles of mystery, romance, and lighthearted suspense that help drive this narrative forward. The story was profound, and fun and I found myself immersed in it, not wanting to end.
๐.๐ Itโs official- I will forever read anything and everything Clare Pooley writes!!
๐ธ๐ด๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: โญโญโญโญ.5
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: 4.37 (1812)
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐: Humorous Fiction
๐ธ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Holy Moly YES!!
This was the most I've laughed at reading a book in a long time. I highly highly recommend it!
๐ญThis is my second book by Pooley and I loved it! Pooley always meets our expectations and gives us a type of character who will remain in our hearts forever. Also, I love reading about characters who are old, grumpy and do not fit into society's norms. I love the title and I hope I will age as disgracefully as Daphne. That's a life worth living.
Mandel Community Centre is in trouble. It may soon be boarded up by the council if the members of the community are unable to raise sufficient funds for repair and maintenance. We meet different groups of people which include a kid's nursery, a senior citizen club, an AA club and a pregnant women's club. They are not ready to lose this space and try various means to stop the Demolition. I loved several aspects of the novel.
This story comes to us from different perspectives, all from a seventeen-year-old to a seventy-year-old. Their paths converge and, together, they find their different strengths and hidden depths as they strive for their own better futures and that of the dilapidated community centre where they met.
The story has a large number of pranks and revenge operations which lead to side-splitting laughs.
I love Pooley's eye sensibilities and older characters who are truly full unrealized adults not silly stereotypes of older people. Pooley stuck to what she does best...mix in a bunch of strangers and stir the pot to see what happens. The unlikely friendships trope is one of my absolute favourites and Pooley does it so well. Pooley writes engaging stories that have you cheering the characters on. She deftly blends humour and misery and ends up with a story with a cosy mystery vibe...with no mystery, just a bunch of seniors taking the world on by their own rules. From the very first page to the last, the story is compelling and laugh-out-loud funny. I found myself very attached to the characters, who are so unique and human and I loved every second of it!
Told from the points of view of several different characters: Daphne, a 70-year-old with secrets and no friends; Art, an actor, but at seventy-five, his agent has stopped taking his calls; Lydia whose job is the head of the Senior Citizen's Social Club at the Mandel Community Center; Ziggy, a teen father whose 8-month-old daughter attends daycare at the centre.
My favorite character Daphne - is a boss lady who refuses to submit to age and decline. She is unafraid to speak her mind and her immaculate plotting leads to some hilarious situations that left me wheezing. She is often the brain behind several efforts of the senior citizen's club.
Daphne finally connecting with the world after more than a decade of isolation was heartwarming to experience. Her slow and reluctant connection to Margaret (the dog) and Kylie (the baby) was delightful. She starts putting in roots, making friends, standing up for them and helping them. Her ways of going about it are often hilarious to read.
Art- washed-up actor, his character was heartbreaking. His sad past and dark present made the social club his only form of escape from reality. But you could never guess that based on his humour and his constantly smiling face in public.
Lydia - the well-meaning but inept local pensioners' day club co-ordinator who is utterly ground down by life. She finally has solid ground beneath her when she gets a job as the charge of the club. After being constantly put down by her husband, she loses her sense of self-worth. But with the support of the elderlies, she gains back her confidence and comes out stronger than before.
Ziggy - comes from a rough neighbourhood and as a single father (and a high schooler), he has a lot of responsibilities towards Kylie (his baby). He feels overwhelmed and loses hope of a brighter future. But with his teacher's trust in him, along with Daphne's support, the hope reignites.
Humour, spirit and unexpected twists keep the story moving to its satisfying outcome, which shows that age, social position and hardship can be no barrier to a happier future - especially if you have a Daphne in your corner. As the story progresses, you find yourself rooting for the characters and what they are hoping to achieve, by fair means or foul (A certain masterpiece of "yarnsy" in the book had me cackling.)
It is not just a book about humour. It also comments upon the ageist behaviour against the elderly. They are often stereotyped and their roles seem to be decided by the society at large. This book shatters those stereotypes. They are expected to act a certain way after an age. But why? They also wish to lead a Fun life. Why try to limit them?
All isn't fun and easy for the pensioners. They face loneliness after losing their partners, they face money troubles, and they are often ignored by the general public. Somehow, the people gloss over them every time, making them feel unseen and unheard.
Overall, I would classify this primarily as a comedy, Pooley seamlessly incorporates sprinkles of mystery, romance, and lighthearted suspense that help drive this narrative forward. The story was profound, and fun and I found myself immersed in it, not wanting to end.
๐.๐ Itโs official- I will forever read anything and everything Clare Pooley writes!!
๐ธ๐ด๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: โญโญโญโญ.5
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐: 4.37 (1812)
๐ธ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐: Humorous Fiction
๐ธ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: Holy Moly YES!!
This was the most I've laughed at reading a book in a long time. I highly highly recommend it!