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Ammonites and Leaping Fish
Ammonites and Leaping Fish: A Life in Time | Penelope Lively
4 posts | 5 read | 3 to read
A memoir that addresses ageing, memory, time and a life in the 20th century, by one of our greatest writers, Penelope Lively. 'This is not quite a memoir. Rather, it is the view from old age. And a view of old age itself, this place at which we arrive with a certain surprise - ambushed, or so it can seem. One of the few advantages of age is that you can report on it with a certain authority; you are a native now, and know what goes on here.' In this charming but powerful memoir, Penelope Lively reports from beyond the horizon of old age. She describes what old age feels like for those who have arrived there and considers the implications of this new demographic. She looks at the context of a life and times, the history and archaeology that is actually being made as we live out our lives in real time, in her case World War II; post war penny-pinching Britain; the Suez crisis; the Cold War and up to the present day. She examines the tricks and truths of memory. She looks back over a lifetime of reading and writing. And finally she looks at her identifying cargo of possessions - two ammonites, a cat, a pair of American ducks and a leaping fish sherd, amongst others. This is an elegant, moving and deeply enjoyable memoir by one of our most loved writers.
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review
Graywacke
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Mehso-so

I know it‘s on me, but this just wasn‘t what I was looking for. I was hoping for a memoir, but this is a collection of five personal essays on somewhat random topics. It's all written with her sharp intelligent prose, and reads beautifully. And, reading her essay on being 80, you can't help but be struck by how mentally sharp she is as a writer. And she does have some lovely quotes. See comments.

Graywacke On writing versus life:
You are looking to supply the deficiencies of reality, to provide order where life is a matter of contingent chaos, to suggest theme, and meaning, to make a story that is shapely where real life is linear.
4w
Graywacke On memory:
We can make a choice from accessible memories...but we can't choose what to remember. There is something disturbing about the thought that, if some other, hither to unavailable retrieval system were activated, I might find myself with a series of entirely unfamiliar memories - an alternate past that happened, but of which I had ceased to be aware.
4w
Graywacke On Reading:
What happens to all this information, this inferno of language? Where does it go? Much, apparently, becomes irretrievable sediment; a fair amount, the significant amount, becomes the essential part of us - what we know and understand and think about above and beyond our own immediate concerns. 👇
4w
See All 8 Comments
Graywacke 👆 It becomes the life of the mind. What we have read makes us what we are - quite as much as what we have experienced, and where we have been and who we have known. To read is to experience. 4w
CarolynM What an absolutely marvellous quote about reading! 4w
sarahbarnes I‘m reading Moon Tiger right now and her writing really is brilliant. 4w
Graywacke @CarolynM isn‘t it?! I do love that 4w
Graywacke @sarahbarnes oh, I‘m vicariously happy knowing that. It‘s one of my favorite novels of all time. 4w
44 likes8 comments
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Graywacke
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Trying to get into this. I am infinitely more excited about it than my pup. (Well, her interest is zero) So far a lovely look at being 80.

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful pup 🐶 🐾 1mo
batsy 😍 1mo
See All 6 Comments
Graywacke @dabbe @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @batsy well, of course she‘s flattered. It‘s not easy looking cute while sleeping all day. 🙂 1mo
dabbe @Graywacke She makes it look effortless! 🤩🤩🤩 1mo
ShelleyBooksie Adorable pup! 1mo
53 likes6 comments
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Graywacke
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I had fun ordering/buying/requesting books on my birthday. They‘ve all arrived now. 😍🙂☺️

JamieArc Happy Belated Birthday 🎉. May these gifts keep giving for a long time 😁 12mo
Ruthiella Happy Birthday! 🥳 Enjoy your stack. 😀 12mo
IndoorDame Happy birthday! Birthday books are the best! 12mo
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Graywacke @JamieArc long time… yeah, a bit of a chunk to add to my tbr pile. @Ruthiella I hope to enjoy these. @IndoorDame I agree! They come guilt free. Thanks all 12mo
CarolynM Ooo! You did well! Happy belated birthday 🥳 12mo
batsy Happy birthday! You did well—the best presents 🎁🎉 12mo
DivineDiana Wishing you a year filled with great books! Looks like you are ready to begin! 🥳👏🏻📚 12mo
Tamra I really enjoyed this one - I hope you do too! Happy Reading Birthday! 📖 12mo
Graywacke @CarolynM @batsy ☺️ thanks! @DivineDiana it‘s a good start. 🙂 12mo
Graywacke @Tamra someone suggested I read Enoch next. (I read Tinkers shortly after it won the Pulitzer.) so i will probably read them in order. They are a trilogy, as far as I understand. So it shouldn‘t make a real difference. 12mo
Tamra @Graywacke 😲 it‘s a trilogy? I didn‘t know that and now I‘m happily going book browsing! 12mo
Graywacke *not 🤦🏻‍♂️ Sorry! Pesky little word i have a habit of neglecting to actually type. They are -not- a trilogy. 😁☺️ 12mo
Graywacke @Tamra 👆 12mo
Tamra @Graywacke 😆 well I‘ll still investigate! 12mo
56 likes14 comments
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Ruthiella
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Thank you @BkClubCare for asking Bybee to pass this on! And just in time for Nonfiction November!🥰❤️🥰❤️

BkClubCare Cool 😎 I am going to print this out and send to Bybee 😁 4y
Ruthiella @BkClubCare Great ! I am also sending her a thank you note. 😍 4y
33 likes3 stack adds2 comments