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The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple
While hunting for a room in London, Ben Aitken came across one for a great price in a lovely part of town. There had to be a catch. And there was. The catch was an 85-year-old widow who doesn't suffer fools. Full of warmth, wit and candor, The Marmalade Diaries tells the story of an unlikely friendship built during an unlikely time. One of the pair, a grieving aristocrat in her mid-eighties. The other? A millennial snowflake. What could possibly go wrong? What could possibly go right? Out of the most inauspicious of soils comes a book about grief, family, friendship, loneliness, life, love, lockdown and marmalade.
325 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
98 people are currently reading
1110 people want to read
About the author
Ben Aitken
11 books137 followersBen Aitken was born under Thatcher, grew to 6ft then stopped, and is an Aquarius. He is the author of six books: Dear Bill Bryson, A Chip Shop in Poznan (a Times bestseller), The Gran Tour ('Both moving and hilarious', Spectator), The Marmalade Diaries, Here Comes the Fun and Shitty Breaks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 209 reviews
September 18, 2022
Love, love, love this. Moved in to assist an elderly dame after the death of her husband, our author diaries nearly day by day their months together. She, a snip of a thing near curmudgeonly, with a saucy wit and zest for life.. albeit mostly within her own home. Winnie is a hoot! She’s easy to love, tho it’s not something expressed. Thrifty, opinionated, cantankerous, and grief-stricken, she relies on Ben to keep things going (especially the fires that heat the house) and her entertained. What a great match they are! His patience is most admirable and his growing fondness for the old duck quite understandable. I’m appreciate the book ending as it did, with an unknown to it..and I will not google to see if Winnie is still eating marmalade and calling in her brood.
I know her loss. I wish I had a Ben to get me through it.
I know her loss. I wish I had a Ben to get me through it.
October 25, 2023
Die erste und einzige Story, die mir Lust gemacht hat etwas aus der Pandemiezeit zu lesen… eine alte Dame die nicht allein sein möchte ( und um ihren kürzlich verstorbenen Ehemann trauert ) und ein junger Schriftsteller, der eine Bleibe braucht und ihr im Haushalt zur Hand geht.. Es klang einfach nach einer Geschichte, wie sie nur das Leben schreiben kann.
Wir lernen Ben und Winnie kennen mit all ihren Eigenarten ( und davon gibt es viele) und den Geschichten ihres bisher gelebten Lebens. Wobei wir die ganze Zeit aus Bens Augen auf Winnie schauen. Er selbst bleibt etwas sparsam mit seiner eigenen Vergangenheit und auch seinem Privatleben. Sind sich die beiden zu Beginn noch sehr fremd, gewöhnen sie sich allmählich aneinander und bauen eine außergewöhnliche Freundschaft auf. Leider sind viele Begriffe und kulturelle / britische Dinge mir nicht geläufig gewesen und das Nachblättern im Glossar im E-Book schwierig, da es mich aus dem Lesefluss gerissen hat. Es ist ein spröder und zuweilen sehr schwarzer Humor, den man mögen muss, vorherrschend. Außerdem ist dieses Buch in einer Tagebuchform geschrieben, was ich nicht so gerne mag.
Leider waren mir weder Winnie noch Ben äußerst sympathisch, sodass ich insgesamt etwas ernüchtert war. 3 Sterne 🌟
Wir lernen Ben und Winnie kennen mit all ihren Eigenarten ( und davon gibt es viele) und den Geschichten ihres bisher gelebten Lebens. Wobei wir die ganze Zeit aus Bens Augen auf Winnie schauen. Er selbst bleibt etwas sparsam mit seiner eigenen Vergangenheit und auch seinem Privatleben. Sind sich die beiden zu Beginn noch sehr fremd, gewöhnen sie sich allmählich aneinander und bauen eine außergewöhnliche Freundschaft auf. Leider sind viele Begriffe und kulturelle / britische Dinge mir nicht geläufig gewesen und das Nachblättern im Glossar im E-Book schwierig, da es mich aus dem Lesefluss gerissen hat. Es ist ein spröder und zuweilen sehr schwarzer Humor, den man mögen muss, vorherrschend. Außerdem ist dieses Buch in einer Tagebuchform geschrieben, was ich nicht so gerne mag.
Leider waren mir weder Winnie noch Ben äußerst sympathisch, sodass ich insgesamt etwas ernüchtert war. 3 Sterne 🌟
March 10, 2022
It’s not often I venture into the world of non-fiction but I was attracted to this one – and it is one terrific read!
Ben is a young man of the 21st century; with little hope of affording to buy a home in London, he is looking for a room to rent when he comes across one at a cost which appeals in a great part of town – so what’s the catch? Well, it comes in the shape of 85-year-old Winnie, whose family, deciding she can no longer lives alone, have advertised for a lodger to help out a bit, hence the affordable cost. Very much set in her ways, this is the story of how Winnie and Ben managed to rub along together during lockdown – when they weren’t rubbing each other up the wrong way!
The first thing which strikes me about this one is how absolutely perfect the title is! Whoever came up with that earns a very big pat on the head – it couldn’t be bettered. Ben is a young man who freely admits that he doesn’t know much about the privileged kind of life that Winnie has lived; Winnie, on the other hand, is a woman who likes to think she knows it all and, let’s face it, she does know an awful lot! The house is huge, but she has lived there for a long time and is grieving for her late husband, Henry, but – as women, especially of her generation, are wont to do, she carries on with her day to day life. Ben is, to begin with at least, a necessary evil in her life which allows her to remain in her beloved home and, to begin with, she views him with suspicion. However, as any two people who are thrown together, they soon learn how to live with each other and who knows? They may even learn something to their benefit! This is a truly wonderful story, entertaining all the way through and at times I could recognise anything from a little to a lot of myself in each of them. A delightful read which shows the ‘May to December’ relationship quite beautifully and the story is told with warmth and humour. Marvellously entertaining and honest to the very core, I just adored everything about this novel and can’t recommend it highly enough. Add it to your reading list – you won’t regret it! Easily earns all five glowing stars!
Ben is a young man of the 21st century; with little hope of affording to buy a home in London, he is looking for a room to rent when he comes across one at a cost which appeals in a great part of town – so what’s the catch? Well, it comes in the shape of 85-year-old Winnie, whose family, deciding she can no longer lives alone, have advertised for a lodger to help out a bit, hence the affordable cost. Very much set in her ways, this is the story of how Winnie and Ben managed to rub along together during lockdown – when they weren’t rubbing each other up the wrong way!
The first thing which strikes me about this one is how absolutely perfect the title is! Whoever came up with that earns a very big pat on the head – it couldn’t be bettered. Ben is a young man who freely admits that he doesn’t know much about the privileged kind of life that Winnie has lived; Winnie, on the other hand, is a woman who likes to think she knows it all and, let’s face it, she does know an awful lot! The house is huge, but she has lived there for a long time and is grieving for her late husband, Henry, but – as women, especially of her generation, are wont to do, she carries on with her day to day life. Ben is, to begin with at least, a necessary evil in her life which allows her to remain in her beloved home and, to begin with, she views him with suspicion. However, as any two people who are thrown together, they soon learn how to live with each other and who knows? They may even learn something to their benefit! This is a truly wonderful story, entertaining all the way through and at times I could recognise anything from a little to a lot of myself in each of them. A delightful read which shows the ‘May to December’ relationship quite beautifully and the story is told with warmth and humour. Marvellously entertaining and honest to the very core, I just adored everything about this novel and can’t recommend it highly enough. Add it to your reading list – you won’t regret it! Easily earns all five glowing stars!
February 20, 2025
"Wir haben uns als Kinder aus Spaß Stromstöße verpasst", sagt sie.
"Warum?"
"Nun, wir hatten kein Netflix oder so."
"Warum?"
"Nun, wir hatten kein Netflix oder so."
December 15, 2022
I’ve tried and tried to stick with this book, picking it up and putting it down repeatedly. I felt sure I should like it: a whimsical, heartfelt story about a 30-something man learning how to live with an 85-year-old woman during the Covid lockdown in London. Winnie is a real character, and there are lots of wonderful details about the house, their conversations, her history, etc. But somehow, after 122 pages, I am absolutely bored and can’t continue reading. Perhaps it’s my own shortened attention span during these Covid years, but I find the diary entries dull. There’s a little more meaning-making as we go along, more introspection and big-picture themes, but it’s coming too late for me to care, unfortunately. “This happened and then that happened” does not make a compelling story, at least for me.
January 20, 2025
Utterly charming made even more fun by knowing some of the characters in real life…👀👀 really funny, lots of laugh out loud moments for me but also moved me to tears ! A joy I would say
March 6, 2022
This is really a story of the current age, we’ve all been through the same period(s) of lockdowns and restrictions and have our own tales to tell but The Marmalade Diaries presents quite a heartwarming story of a rather eccentric odd couple.
I was worried starting out, that this book might become a bit repetitive given that it was written under Covid conditions when many of us were living very limited and repetitive lives ourselves. But that is not the case, sure there are the daily tasks that Ben completes for Winnie, like lighting the fire but these are a unique perspective to a wider discourse at the time.
As Winnie’s and Ben’s relationship develops this becomes a much more heartwarming story. If you’ve ever had an elderly relative living alone like Winnie I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to some of the diary entries. Winnie’s memory issues and her love for her family, particularly her disabled son is clear but you can’t help think as the diary entries unfold that time is not on Winnie or Ben’s side.
This is a great story told over a relatively short period of time of two people stuck together in unlikely conditions. Ultimately Winnie has a very quick wit and really steals the show from Ben but the ‘odd couple’ appeal and interactions between them are a bit of soul food for the pandemic age.
I’d recommend reading this, but I think would advise that if you have an elderly relative in a similar situation then you might want to have a box of tissues handy for some of the more touching moments.
I was worried starting out, that this book might become a bit repetitive given that it was written under Covid conditions when many of us were living very limited and repetitive lives ourselves. But that is not the case, sure there are the daily tasks that Ben completes for Winnie, like lighting the fire but these are a unique perspective to a wider discourse at the time.
As Winnie’s and Ben’s relationship develops this becomes a much more heartwarming story. If you’ve ever had an elderly relative living alone like Winnie I’m sure you’ll be able to relate to some of the diary entries. Winnie’s memory issues and her love for her family, particularly her disabled son is clear but you can’t help think as the diary entries unfold that time is not on Winnie or Ben’s side.
This is a great story told over a relatively short period of time of two people stuck together in unlikely conditions. Ultimately Winnie has a very quick wit and really steals the show from Ben but the ‘odd couple’ appeal and interactions between them are a bit of soul food for the pandemic age.
I’d recommend reading this, but I think would advise that if you have an elderly relative in a similar situation then you might want to have a box of tissues handy for some of the more touching moments.
September 7, 2023
Ben Aitken kann sich die hohen Mieten in London nicht leisten und findet unmittelbar vor dem zweiten Lockdown in England eine kleine Wohnung bei der frisch verwitweten Winnie (d. i. Winsome Delores Lovelock Carter). Die 85-Jährige bewohnt einen renovierungsbedürftigen alten Kasten mit riesigem Garten, Kohleöfen und gemeingefährlicher Hausinstallation. Aus Randbemerkungen ihrer ebenfalls betagten Kinder kann Ben schließen, dass der Versuch von Winnies Familie bereits gescheitert ist, sie in vertrauter Umgebung zu unterstützen. Winnie fährt noch Auto, hat ehrenamtlich als Museumsführerin gearbeitet und einige Jahre auf den Philippinen gelebt, wo ihr Mann Henry für Shell arbeitete. Über ihren Haushalt und das Leben an sich vertritt sie entschiedene Positionen (Ich hasse Entspannung, sie bringt mich aus der Spur); das junge Greenhorn Aitken liefert in ihren Dialogen meist den ahnungslosen Städter.
Als Mitte 2020 der britische Alltag durch die Corona-Epidemie zum Erliegen kommt, erweist sich die Wohngemeinschaft zwischen Alt und Jung als äußerst segensreich. – Und das, obwohl Winnies Gesprächsführung täglich neue Missverständnisse erzeugt. Als weitreichenderes Problem als Winnie im wenig seniorengerechten Gemäuer erweist sich ihr körperbehinderter Sohn Arthur, der im „Betreuten Wohnen“ lebt - und damit in der Pandemie nahezu isoliert. Ben erkennt, dass einige Dinge einfach getan werden müssen, weil Winnie sie schon immer tat – und weil sie sich ihr Leben lang schuldig daran gefühlt hat, dass Arthur (circa 1960) mit einer Cerebral-Lähmung zur Welt kam.
Ben Aitkens Tagebuch seiner generationsübergreifenden Wohngemeinschaft umfasst den Lauf eines Jahres und besteht aus Dialogen und eingeschobenen datierten Erinnerungen Winnies. Vermutlich zeigen die gegensätzlichen Textarten Winnie abwechselnd auf der Höhe geistiger Fitness und beim scharfzüngigen Frotzeln mit Ben, das man nicht zu ernst nehmen sollte. Die Dialoge der kleinen Zweckgemeinschaft zeigen beispielhaft das Denken hochbetagter Menschen. Streckenweise schien mir Aitken ein Lehrbuch über das Altern für Auszubildende der Altenpflege verfasst zu haben. Von Winnie lässt sich einiges fürs Leben lernen, z. B. warum Orangenkerne beim Marmeladekochen nicht weggeworfen werden dürfen. Hoffentlich vergesse ich das nicht, bis ich 85 Jahre alt bin …
Fazit
Der junge Aitken steht der überaus nüchtern argumentierenden Winnie an britischer Verschrobenheit nicht nach, beiden Persönlichkeiten gibt der Übersetzer Werner Löcher-Lawrence in der deutschen Ausgabe eine glaubwürdige Stimme.
Als Mitte 2020 der britische Alltag durch die Corona-Epidemie zum Erliegen kommt, erweist sich die Wohngemeinschaft zwischen Alt und Jung als äußerst segensreich. – Und das, obwohl Winnies Gesprächsführung täglich neue Missverständnisse erzeugt. Als weitreichenderes Problem als Winnie im wenig seniorengerechten Gemäuer erweist sich ihr körperbehinderter Sohn Arthur, der im „Betreuten Wohnen“ lebt - und damit in der Pandemie nahezu isoliert. Ben erkennt, dass einige Dinge einfach getan werden müssen, weil Winnie sie schon immer tat – und weil sie sich ihr Leben lang schuldig daran gefühlt hat, dass Arthur (circa 1960) mit einer Cerebral-Lähmung zur Welt kam.
Ben Aitkens Tagebuch seiner generationsübergreifenden Wohngemeinschaft umfasst den Lauf eines Jahres und besteht aus Dialogen und eingeschobenen datierten Erinnerungen Winnies. Vermutlich zeigen die gegensätzlichen Textarten Winnie abwechselnd auf der Höhe geistiger Fitness und beim scharfzüngigen Frotzeln mit Ben, das man nicht zu ernst nehmen sollte. Die Dialoge der kleinen Zweckgemeinschaft zeigen beispielhaft das Denken hochbetagter Menschen. Streckenweise schien mir Aitken ein Lehrbuch über das Altern für Auszubildende der Altenpflege verfasst zu haben. Von Winnie lässt sich einiges fürs Leben lernen, z. B. warum Orangenkerne beim Marmeladekochen nicht weggeworfen werden dürfen. Hoffentlich vergesse ich das nicht, bis ich 85 Jahre alt bin …
Fazit
Der junge Aitken steht der überaus nüchtern argumentierenden Winnie an britischer Verschrobenheit nicht nach, beiden Persönlichkeiten gibt der Übersetzer Werner Löcher-Lawrence in der deutschen Ausgabe eine glaubwürdige Stimme.
November 5, 2024
I loved this book which was such a welcome break from the pacey crime I have recently read.
Ostensibly this is the story of recently bereaved Winnie, a mid 80s woman who, the family feel, cannot live alone and Ben who for a peppercorn rent, looks out for her, sharing her life, which coincidentally happens during the lockdown period.
It is Winnie who is the feisty one, her (to an observer) strange habits speak of a long life where social norms have changed beyond recognition. Whilst she is open to new technologies, I felt she had more to teach and pass on than learn, albeit in a very idiosyncratic way. Ben provides the companionship where generational gaps can intertwine, nurturing both without the emotional baggage of family.
Brilliantly observed developing friendship as Winnie becomes more frail, although maybe not as frail as the outide world suggests. Ben notes, for example,that the cloak of dementia that is suggested, may in fact be that Winnie is non responsive because she can't hear rather than not understand.
I kept thinking of another story of an ageing woman with a fiery intellect - The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence. In both books the reader is challenged by an internal voice defying what is seen by society.
Ostensibly this is the story of recently bereaved Winnie, a mid 80s woman who, the family feel, cannot live alone and Ben who for a peppercorn rent, looks out for her, sharing her life, which coincidentally happens during the lockdown period.
It is Winnie who is the feisty one, her (to an observer) strange habits speak of a long life where social norms have changed beyond recognition. Whilst she is open to new technologies, I felt she had more to teach and pass on than learn, albeit in a very idiosyncratic way. Ben provides the companionship where generational gaps can intertwine, nurturing both without the emotional baggage of family.
Brilliantly observed developing friendship as Winnie becomes more frail, although maybe not as frail as the outide world suggests. Ben notes, for example,that the cloak of dementia that is suggested, may in fact be that Winnie is non responsive because she can't hear rather than not understand.
I kept thinking of another story of an ageing woman with a fiery intellect - The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence. In both books the reader is challenged by an internal voice defying what is seen by society.
November 7, 2022
For reasons that I'm still not sure about, the author Ben Aitken spent the 2020/1 lockdown in the same house as a woman old enough to be his Nan, her name is Winnie Carter and she is 'a character'.
Winnie doesn't think much of Ben, and Ben isn't quite sure about Winnie. But as they spend far too much time together out of necessity they come to rely on each-other and something similar to a familial/friendly love arises between them. Winnie is such an interesting person that Ben can't help but write about her idiosyncrasies, but without the author's patience and understanding of grief and loss a friendship might never have developed.
I've read a couple of lockdown memoirs - and this is the only one that hasn't bored me to tears. There's no recipes, no moaning about how unfair and oppressive everything is, no tales of death an destruction. It features COVID-19 the way most regular people experienced it - as something to be adapted to rather than the central driving force of existence - and the little politics that is written about is refreshingly free from polemic.
'The Marmalade Diaries' reminded me of 'Diary of a Nobody' by the Grossmith brothers.: it is funny in parts, meaningful in parts and somehow about nothing in particular. There is definitely a 'beginning, middle and an end' but there isn't a big bang, or a long and lengthy treatise about the meaning of life hidden between the pages. There's no reason to read this book, and every reason to read it.
If you are taking a trip on a train or canal boat and would like to read a little and then look out of the window a little, this would be a good book for you.
If you want a meandering, easy-to-read, lighthearted take on the pandemic divided into short sections (something you can read in a queue) then this would be a good book for you.
If you are a history student in 2050 writing an essay entitled 'How the 2020/1 lockdown impacted the daily life of Britian' I highly recommend this as a primary source.
If you are looking for a comprehensive and detailed timeline of the 2020/1 lockdown with a breakdown of how it impacted different parts of society and some good analysis of the crisis then you will need to look elsewhere.
Winnie doesn't think much of Ben, and Ben isn't quite sure about Winnie. But as they spend far too much time together out of necessity they come to rely on each-other and something similar to a familial/friendly love arises between them. Winnie is such an interesting person that Ben can't help but write about her idiosyncrasies, but without the author's patience and understanding of grief and loss a friendship might never have developed.
I've read a couple of lockdown memoirs - and this is the only one that hasn't bored me to tears. There's no recipes, no moaning about how unfair and oppressive everything is, no tales of death an destruction. It features COVID-19 the way most regular people experienced it - as something to be adapted to rather than the central driving force of existence - and the little politics that is written about is refreshingly free from polemic.
'The Marmalade Diaries' reminded me of 'Diary of a Nobody' by the Grossmith brothers.: it is funny in parts, meaningful in parts and somehow about nothing in particular. There is definitely a 'beginning, middle and an end' but there isn't a big bang, or a long and lengthy treatise about the meaning of life hidden between the pages. There's no reason to read this book, and every reason to read it.
If you are taking a trip on a train or canal boat and would like to read a little and then look out of the window a little, this would be a good book for you.
If you want a meandering, easy-to-read, lighthearted take on the pandemic divided into short sections (something you can read in a queue) then this would be a good book for you.
If you are a history student in 2050 writing an essay entitled 'How the 2020/1 lockdown impacted the daily life of Britian' I highly recommend this as a primary source.
If you are looking for a comprehensive and detailed timeline of the 2020/1 lockdown with a breakdown of how it impacted different parts of society and some good analysis of the crisis then you will need to look elsewhere.
September 29, 2022
The premise of this sounded really interesting - the reality? BORING. Ben Aitken was looking for a new apartment/roommate and went through a company called Share and Care Homeshare that matched him with a recent widow named Winnie. Winnie is 85 and has been widowed for slightly less than a year when Ben moves in. Part of his low rent is helping around the house for Winnie. But, to say Winnie is demanding is an understatement. She is stingy and particular and less than appreciative as well. I do think Ben and Winnie come to appreciate each other, but based on Ben's telling of it it seems much more one sided (his side). Winnie seems to be like many older people who are aging and unhappy about all they've lost. I don't want to sound like she didn't have reasons to be sad or frustrated, but none of that was Ben's fault and I think he put up with WAY more than the average person would. In fact her son and his family moved in with Winnie at the beginning of COVID and only lasted 6 months and there were STILL hurt feelings between Winnie and her daughter in law over it. And after reading this book I wasn't surprised. She seemed pretty awful and that never got better. I kept reading because I thought their relationship might become more of a reciprocal relationship and less landlady and servant. Overall, I was unimpressed and almost wish I had quit reading after the first few chapters.
March 22, 2022
What a loving, warm, generous book! Ben, in his 30s, goes to live with 85 year old Winnie - he needs a cheap room and her family don’t want her living by herself. Not long after meeting, this odd couple find themselves plunged into the first Covid lockdown together!
It’s a funny, warm, thought-provoking read - charming and witty but it doesn’t flinch from the difficult things: the reality of ageing, the care system and lockdown. Everything is here: love, loneliness, grief, family and friendship.
It was a privilege to share in their lives and I miss Ben and Winnie already. Thank goodness there’s always marmalade!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.
It’s a funny, warm, thought-provoking read - charming and witty but it doesn’t flinch from the difficult things: the reality of ageing, the care system and lockdown. Everything is here: love, loneliness, grief, family and friendship.
It was a privilege to share in their lives and I miss Ben and Winnie already. Thank goodness there’s always marmalade!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. All views are my own.
November 13, 2022
I am sorry. I was very disappointed in this book. I shouldn't have been, given the word "diaries" in the title. It just seemed rather monotonous. Ben getting up, working with the furnace, dealing with Winnie's attitude issues. Day after day after day. Yes, there were some amusing anecdotes and some learning more about Winnie's life throughout the lockdown, but I couldn't muster up much enthusiasm for the book. I was interested in what happened to Ben and Winnie, but didn't really want to take the time to read about it.
August 25, 2024
süß. Corona (Sommer/Herbst/Winter) Lockdown Flashbacks
September 22, 2023
The Marmalade Diaries
London, 2020
Ben ist Anfang 30 und Autor. Aus Geldmangel und Wohnungsnot zieht er bei der 85jährigen Winnie Carter ein. Ihr großes Haus bietet genügend Platz. Als Gegenleistung hilft er ihr in alltäglichen Dingen, er kocht und schürt das Feuer für die Heizung, übernimmt aber nicht nur hauswirtschaftliche Dinge sondern auch emotionalen support, denn Winnie trauert um ihren Ehemann, der kurz zuvor verstorben ist.
Die beiden haben nicht lange Zeit sich aneinanderzugewöhnen, denn einige Tage, nach Bens Einzug wird ein Corona Lockdown verhängt und sie müssen in dieser ungewöhnlichen Wohngemeinschaft miteinander auskommen ...
Ben Aitkens Buch ist kein Roman im klassischen Sinne, sondern ein Tagebuch. Unterschiedliche lange Einträge befassen sich mit dem Zusammenleben und den alltäglichen Dingen wie Essen kochen, Gartenarbeit, Impfungen, Fernsehen (Ben zeigt Winnie the Crown) und Winnies Sorge um ihren beeinträchtigten Sohn Arthur, der in einem betreuten Wohnkomplex lebt.
Mit dem Coronathema habe ich mich anfangs etwas schwer getan (hätte ich vorher gar nicht gedacht).
Während des Lesens bin ich hin und wieder in all die dumpfen, ungewissen Gefühle zurückgefallen, die ich während der Pandemie so hatte. Das Thema geht mir immer noch nah, die Isolation und die Ängste, die vielen Impfdebatten und Infektionszahlen, vielleicht brauche ich noch etwas mehr Abstand zum Geschehenen.
Hervorheben möchte ich unbedingt Aitkens wundervolle Darstellung von Winnie Carter - eine schillernde und etwas skurrile Person.
Der Autor schreibt emphatisch und gefühlvoll, aber ohne Kitsch und erweckt eine Hauptfigur zum Leben, die Ecken und Kanten hat und sehr lebendig wirkt. Eine Figur, die ans Herz wächst!
Leseempfehlung für Tagebuch-Fans und Leser*innen, die nicht scheuen, die Corona Pandemie noch einmal zu durchleben.
#namethetranslator Aus dem Englischen von Werner Löcher-Lawrence.
London, 2020
Ben ist Anfang 30 und Autor. Aus Geldmangel und Wohnungsnot zieht er bei der 85jährigen Winnie Carter ein. Ihr großes Haus bietet genügend Platz. Als Gegenleistung hilft er ihr in alltäglichen Dingen, er kocht und schürt das Feuer für die Heizung, übernimmt aber nicht nur hauswirtschaftliche Dinge sondern auch emotionalen support, denn Winnie trauert um ihren Ehemann, der kurz zuvor verstorben ist.
Die beiden haben nicht lange Zeit sich aneinanderzugewöhnen, denn einige Tage, nach Bens Einzug wird ein Corona Lockdown verhängt und sie müssen in dieser ungewöhnlichen Wohngemeinschaft miteinander auskommen ...
Ben Aitkens Buch ist kein Roman im klassischen Sinne, sondern ein Tagebuch. Unterschiedliche lange Einträge befassen sich mit dem Zusammenleben und den alltäglichen Dingen wie Essen kochen, Gartenarbeit, Impfungen, Fernsehen (Ben zeigt Winnie the Crown) und Winnies Sorge um ihren beeinträchtigten Sohn Arthur, der in einem betreuten Wohnkomplex lebt.
Mit dem Coronathema habe ich mich anfangs etwas schwer getan (hätte ich vorher gar nicht gedacht).
Während des Lesens bin ich hin und wieder in all die dumpfen, ungewissen Gefühle zurückgefallen, die ich während der Pandemie so hatte. Das Thema geht mir immer noch nah, die Isolation und die Ängste, die vielen Impfdebatten und Infektionszahlen, vielleicht brauche ich noch etwas mehr Abstand zum Geschehenen.
Hervorheben möchte ich unbedingt Aitkens wundervolle Darstellung von Winnie Carter - eine schillernde und etwas skurrile Person.
Der Autor schreibt emphatisch und gefühlvoll, aber ohne Kitsch und erweckt eine Hauptfigur zum Leben, die Ecken und Kanten hat und sehr lebendig wirkt. Eine Figur, die ans Herz wächst!
Leseempfehlung für Tagebuch-Fans und Leser*innen, die nicht scheuen, die Corona Pandemie noch einmal zu durchleben.
#namethetranslator Aus dem Englischen von Werner Löcher-Lawrence.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 6, 2025
Another fantastic read from Ben Aitken, this time living with Winnie during one of the endless lockdowns. It's funny the idiosyncrasies that people have.
Winnie is 85 years old and won't stop with anything, but her dry humour and wit are very funny to read about.
It reminds me of my own grandmother who used to be quite depressed in her comments, but in a sarcastic witty way.
"She [Winnie] shows me the door that won't open. I open it. She looks at the door disdainfully, as if it's let her down." p.145
"15 May. We go to the farmers' market. She buys some goose eggs and then considers a young dahlia. The florist shows Winnie a picture on his phone of the plant in full bloom. Winnie takes the phone from the man, peruses the picture, says some polite things, peruses some more pictures (of the man's children swimming in Portugal, for example), and then pockets the phone. The florist is almost too polite to ask for it back. By the time he does, the phone's been in Winnie's pocket for about ten seconds and she's now of the opinion that it's hers. As a result, she's not at all sure about giving it back. It occurs to me that women such as Winnie could, if they wanted, be prolific petty criminals. The florist says the dahlia needs a bit of support but will flower time and time again. She doesn't buy it." p.228
"12 February. Marvel at Winnie's discipline and restraint. Despite knowing she's got twelve jars in her locker, she applies so little marmalade to her toast. If I were she, I would splurge for three months then suffer for nine. Is moderation the key to longevity? I ask the question of Winnie, but she must mishear me because she says, 'You can blame Tony Blair for that'." p.153
Winnie is 85 years old and won't stop with anything, but her dry humour and wit are very funny to read about.
It reminds me of my own grandmother who used to be quite depressed in her comments, but in a sarcastic witty way.
"She [Winnie] shows me the door that won't open. I open it. She looks at the door disdainfully, as if it's let her down." p.145
"15 May. We go to the farmers' market. She buys some goose eggs and then considers a young dahlia. The florist shows Winnie a picture on his phone of the plant in full bloom. Winnie takes the phone from the man, peruses the picture, says some polite things, peruses some more pictures (of the man's children swimming in Portugal, for example), and then pockets the phone. The florist is almost too polite to ask for it back. By the time he does, the phone's been in Winnie's pocket for about ten seconds and she's now of the opinion that it's hers. As a result, she's not at all sure about giving it back. It occurs to me that women such as Winnie could, if they wanted, be prolific petty criminals. The florist says the dahlia needs a bit of support but will flower time and time again. She doesn't buy it." p.228
"12 February. Marvel at Winnie's discipline and restraint. Despite knowing she's got twelve jars in her locker, she applies so little marmalade to her toast. If I were she, I would splurge for three months then suffer for nine. Is moderation the key to longevity? I ask the question of Winnie, but she must mishear me because she says, 'You can blame Tony Blair for that'." p.153
November 20, 2023
Enjoyable but not as funny as I thought it would be.
March 15, 2022
Given that Aitken's previous books have been mainly focused on travel, it would seem that a Covid lockdown might put a crimp in his style.
Not so.
This book covers the period of national lockdown when Aitken, in his thirties, ended up living with 84-year old widow, Winnie Carter. She needed a helping hand round the house, he needed a cheapish room to rent - but neither of them then needed a period of national shutdown to be announced that threw these unlikely housemates together even more intensely!
I'll admit that I wasn't coming to this book cold - I have already read and enjoyed some of Aitken's previous books and had high hopes for more of his gentle humour and observations on life. In particular, I loved 'The Gran Tour: Travels with my Elders' in which he embarked on several coach tours with the older generation - so I hoped 'The Marmalade Diaries' would hit similar witty, bittersweet intergenerational material.
The book was everything that I had hoped for and it was an absolute pleasure to immerse myself in the story of Aitken and Carter's unlikely and slow-developing friendship. In fact, I was so invested in the story that I then had to immediately Google Winnie Carter to check on her since the period covered by the book ended!
As with previous books, Aitken proves a thoughtful and affable guide to his own life. He has a commendable way of throwing himself wholeheartedly into situations that others might not, seemingly without much consideration - a year in Poland in a previous book, for example. He has an eye for interesting details and a real fascination with people who he presents with genuine insight and clarity in his writing.
Here, the star of the show is Winnie Carter - and Aitken's portrayal of her and their sometimes-rocky relationship is glorious. She is a brilliant food critic, it turns out, and isn't impressed by Aitken's culinary efforts - there's some lovely comments! She has a complete disregard for best before dates on food, a blase attitude to timekeeping and a wicked way with words. While often funny and dwelling on the differences between Ben and Winnie in terms of background, age and life experiences, this is also a picture of a strong and often contradictory woman. Along with the pithy put-downs, she is also dealing with the loss of her husband and caring for a son with cerebral palsy who lives in a residential home near to her. It is this familial context that gives this book true depth and heart.
Indeed, we meet some of Winnie's extended family (lockdown rules permitting!) and start to understand the dynamics behind this woman in an unlikely house-share in this unprecedented period of history.
This is a charming and funny book about an unusual friendship forged over shared breakfasts - Winnie is absolutely proprietorial over the good marmalade! It's also a look at lockdown and the effect it had on people's lives, a journal of domesticity and the small things we came to rely on when the big things (friends, family, social lives, travel, culture) were taken away by Covid.
Thanks to NetGalley for my chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Not so.
This book covers the period of national lockdown when Aitken, in his thirties, ended up living with 84-year old widow, Winnie Carter. She needed a helping hand round the house, he needed a cheapish room to rent - but neither of them then needed a period of national shutdown to be announced that threw these unlikely housemates together even more intensely!
I'll admit that I wasn't coming to this book cold - I have already read and enjoyed some of Aitken's previous books and had high hopes for more of his gentle humour and observations on life. In particular, I loved 'The Gran Tour: Travels with my Elders' in which he embarked on several coach tours with the older generation - so I hoped 'The Marmalade Diaries' would hit similar witty, bittersweet intergenerational material.
The book was everything that I had hoped for and it was an absolute pleasure to immerse myself in the story of Aitken and Carter's unlikely and slow-developing friendship. In fact, I was so invested in the story that I then had to immediately Google Winnie Carter to check on her since the period covered by the book ended!
As with previous books, Aitken proves a thoughtful and affable guide to his own life. He has a commendable way of throwing himself wholeheartedly into situations that others might not, seemingly without much consideration - a year in Poland in a previous book, for example. He has an eye for interesting details and a real fascination with people who he presents with genuine insight and clarity in his writing.
Here, the star of the show is Winnie Carter - and Aitken's portrayal of her and their sometimes-rocky relationship is glorious. She is a brilliant food critic, it turns out, and isn't impressed by Aitken's culinary efforts - there's some lovely comments! She has a complete disregard for best before dates on food, a blase attitude to timekeeping and a wicked way with words. While often funny and dwelling on the differences between Ben and Winnie in terms of background, age and life experiences, this is also a picture of a strong and often contradictory woman. Along with the pithy put-downs, she is also dealing with the loss of her husband and caring for a son with cerebral palsy who lives in a residential home near to her. It is this familial context that gives this book true depth and heart.
Indeed, we meet some of Winnie's extended family (lockdown rules permitting!) and start to understand the dynamics behind this woman in an unlikely house-share in this unprecedented period of history.
This is a charming and funny book about an unusual friendship forged over shared breakfasts - Winnie is absolutely proprietorial over the good marmalade! It's also a look at lockdown and the effect it had on people's lives, a journal of domesticity and the small things we came to rely on when the big things (friends, family, social lives, travel, culture) were taken away by Covid.
Thanks to NetGalley for my chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2022
In the blurb it states that the room is a great price because there’s a catch. That catch is Winnie but I beg to differ…..
Yes she’s straight talking, yes she’s opinionated and yes she likes things done a certain way, her way. But to me she is funny, feisty and an absolute delight.
Poor Ben was certainly in for an amusing lockdown especially at dinner time. Banana on curry, ten year old salad dressing and a spice rack that contained spices older than probably their combined ages.
Warm, tender and deeply moving I instantly fell under the spell of Ben’s writing. The people who appear through Winnie’s tales are recognisable and her and others opinions of them were certainly comical. Winston Churchill a pale lump and Princess Anne coarse should give you a rough idea.
Filled with wonderful anecdotes and familial histories told over the covid lockdown. This is a non fiction account of a blossoming friendship where the age difference only accounts for knowing the best oranges to make marmalade and which pan to boil an egg in.
Yes she’s straight talking, yes she’s opinionated and yes she likes things done a certain way, her way. But to me she is funny, feisty and an absolute delight.
Poor Ben was certainly in for an amusing lockdown especially at dinner time. Banana on curry, ten year old salad dressing and a spice rack that contained spices older than probably their combined ages.
Warm, tender and deeply moving I instantly fell under the spell of Ben’s writing. The people who appear through Winnie’s tales are recognisable and her and others opinions of them were certainly comical. Winston Churchill a pale lump and Princess Anne coarse should give you a rough idea.
Filled with wonderful anecdotes and familial histories told over the covid lockdown. This is a non fiction account of a blossoming friendship where the age difference only accounts for knowing the best oranges to make marmalade and which pan to boil an egg in.
November 7, 2022
I’ve read 3 different Covid lockdown diaries and this is by far my favourite. Ben ends up living with Winnie to keep her company and keep an eye on her during lockdown for her family. To start with, it doesn’t look like the arrangement will work, but they were made for each other.
I loved Winnie and her wit, sarcasm and general life rules. She uses everything, no matter how old (this is mentioned loads and gets funnier every time) and gets easily distracted whilst doing the simplest of tasks. She has some amazing stories that Ben retells in the book, they get better and better too. Her grasp of technology is also a good source of amusement throughout, just brilliant.
This is definitely a book that you can devour in no time, and I’d love to read a follow-up one day.
I loved Winnie and her wit, sarcasm and general life rules. She uses everything, no matter how old (this is mentioned loads and gets funnier every time) and gets easily distracted whilst doing the simplest of tasks. She has some amazing stories that Ben retells in the book, they get better and better too. Her grasp of technology is also a good source of amusement throughout, just brilliant.
This is definitely a book that you can devour in no time, and I’d love to read a follow-up one day.
April 5, 2024
I did not like that book at all. Well actuaally it is just what is stated in the title: a diary. There is no message, no real feelings, no real writing, there is just one entry after another. It could not be more obvious that the author had hoped that living with Winnie would be his chance of writing a thoughtful book about how his life changed through this experience and get a big break. Well I could feel in every single sentence his disappointement that Winnie turned to be a normal old lady and not the protagonist of an epic drama. It should be the writing that elevated the story and this was just not there...
August 24, 2022
I really liked this book for a lot of reasons. Winnie just has that "say it like it is" way that older adults often have. And Ben is understated funny that made me chuckle. The idea of the two of them living under quarantine was both charming and a bit painful (because of the awkwardness, the sometimes hurt feelings, the sometimes aggravation, and the way life's unfortunate events sometimes intrude).
October 9, 2022
Funny witty & heartfelt, a lovely story about friendship, family, lockdown, grief, & love! This book made me laugh out loud multiple times while discussing heavy topics & the progression of a global pandemic in a light hearted endearing way, which I really appreciated. The relationship & banter between Ben & Winnie was so fun & entertaining to read. Loved learning about Winnie's life & struggles with grief as well.
August 15, 2022
I'm feeling quite sad...... because I've finished this book. I did not want it to end. Absolutely adored this book in which British author Ben Aitken, 35, writes about the year he lived with Winnie, 85. I love Aitken's writing style, humour and observations on life. If I could recommend any book this year it would be this one! To say I loved it is an understatement.
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September 10, 2022Winnie is a 21st century Violet Crawley!
This was charming, funny, and inevitably, a bit sad.
I loved this story of inter generational friendship. It reminded me a bit of “Early Bird” by Rodney Rothman which I read before I had a Goodreads account and perhaps before there was a Goodreads at all.
This was charming, funny, and inevitably, a bit sad.
I loved this story of inter generational friendship. It reminded me a bit of “Early Bird” by Rodney Rothman which I read before I had a Goodreads account and perhaps before there was a Goodreads at all.
December 27, 2022
The Marmalade Diaries is a joy to read. Winnie and Ben's relationship makes the reader have faith in humanity. I wish the book didn't end, but I will look for Aitken's other books to be charmed by his adventures and his humorous outlook on life.
July 21, 2022
Really enjoyed reading this. In Winnie’s character I saw a fair few similarities with my late mum. I think they would have understood each other
January 10, 2023
Great telling of relationship between 2 people thrown together by circumstances and how they learn to tolerate and learn to get on with each other
January 23, 2023
Lovely audiobook read by the author. Sweet and humorous with some sad sprinkles.
September 30, 2023
Es ist die Corona-Zeit. Winnie, 85 Jahre alt und verwitwet, sucht jemanden, der ihr im Haus hilft. Ben, Mitte 30, kann sich die Mieten in London nicht leisten und meldet sich spontan. Das ungleiche Paar findet sich während der Pandemie mit ihren Ausgangssperren in einer Art Wohngemeinschaft wieder.
Die Ausgangsidee des Romans hat natürlich Potential: zwei Menschen unterschiedlicher Generationen leben zusammen, lernen voneinander usw. Das hat in der Literatur schon oft großartig funktioniert. Ein relativ neues Beispiel ist "Offene See" von Benjamin Myers.
Ben Aitkens Roman vermag jedoch leider nicht in jeder Hinsicht zu überzeugen. Auf mich wirkte das Erzählte irgendwann zu repetitiv und eintönig. Ben schreibt in seinem Tagebuch über das Alltagsleben der beiden, über das gemeinsame Kochen, über die Gartenarbeit, über alltägliche Aufgaben. Zunächst liest man das auch ganz gerne, aber dann verliert es doch sehr schnell seinen Reiz, weil es zu trivial ist. Es fehlt der Geschichte an Tiefe.
Einzig Winnie sticht in dem Ganzen durch ihre schrullige Art hervor. Sie gibt der Geschichte einen Touch vom Besonderen, aber leider reicht das alleine noch nicht aus, um den Roman zu einer wirklich lohnenswerten Lektüre zu machen.
Die Ausgangsidee des Romans hat natürlich Potential: zwei Menschen unterschiedlicher Generationen leben zusammen, lernen voneinander usw. Das hat in der Literatur schon oft großartig funktioniert. Ein relativ neues Beispiel ist "Offene See" von Benjamin Myers.
Ben Aitkens Roman vermag jedoch leider nicht in jeder Hinsicht zu überzeugen. Auf mich wirkte das Erzählte irgendwann zu repetitiv und eintönig. Ben schreibt in seinem Tagebuch über das Alltagsleben der beiden, über das gemeinsame Kochen, über die Gartenarbeit, über alltägliche Aufgaben. Zunächst liest man das auch ganz gerne, aber dann verliert es doch sehr schnell seinen Reiz, weil es zu trivial ist. Es fehlt der Geschichte an Tiefe.
Einzig Winnie sticht in dem Ganzen durch ihre schrullige Art hervor. Sie gibt der Geschichte einen Touch vom Besonderen, aber leider reicht das alleine noch nicht aus, um den Roman zu einer wirklich lohnenswerten Lektüre zu machen.
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