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Alt sind nur die anderen
Jeder mchte gerne alt werden, aber kaum einer mchte gerne alt sein. Der krperliche Zustand verschlechtert sich, damit hufig auch das Wohlbefinden, das Gedchtnis schwchelt ebenso wie das Bindegewebe, und der Blick in den Spiegel wird zu einem Moment der Wahrheit. Lily Brett erzhlt von Begebenheiten ihres Alltags, davon, wie sie wildfremden Menschen auf der Strae zuwinkt, weil sie sie mit ihrem Mann verwechselt, wie sie Zeugin eines Speeddatings fr Senioren wird und ber die Anschaffung eines Dreirads fr Erwachsene nachdenkt, von peinlichen Arztbesuchen und von Apple-Mitarbeitern, die sich ihr nur im Doppelpack gewachsen fhlen. Lily Brett vermag es wie kaum eine andere, einen humor- und doch liebevollen und dabei schonungslosen Blick auf ihr eigenes Altern zu richten herrlich erfrischend!
81 pages, Hardcover
Published January 20, 2020
21 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
June 29, 2022
”I am, despite having spent half of my adult life and three quarters of my income on psychoanalysis, still indecisive, hesitant, bothered or anxious too much of the time.”
I’ve been on a book buying frenzy. Since returning to the office, I’ve been haunting the local bookstores on my lunchbreak. So off course this week, I was doing some more “window shopping” (yes, book therapy is a proven science), and saw this book out of the corner of my eye. I love the quirky cover. I love the duck egg blue used in the portrait of the Author by her hubby, set against the NYC skyline. I love the fact it’s a bunch of essays. And I especially love that this is the latest by Lily Brett. If you’ve not read any of her books, all I can say is you’re missing out, and you should remedy that sooner rather than later. Ever since reading Too Many Men a lifetime ago, I’ve been an admirer of her writing.
I’m finding these novella sized books are perfect for weekend reading. I can get comfy with a cuppa, and read them from cover to cover. It’s such a joy to do (apart from which I feel I’ve achieved something by reading a book in one hit). And essays are perfect, as all manner of topics are chatted about.
What could be better on a sunny yet biting cold Sydney weekend, than to have a warming muggacino and read my brand new book from a favourite Author. What arctic chill?!
The big things, the little things, the musings. And how sometimes the things of smallest significance can really be such a big deal. It doesn’t matter if they don’t mean much in the scheme of things - to other people - if they mean something to you. As I said to a dear friend recently “but it mattered to me”, about something that really was of no consequence, but which bothered me too much at the time. We’re made up of a bunch of nerve endings, made for both pleasure and pain. Moment to moment we can be feeling either. We’re such complicated creatures.
”Some small moments are larger than others.”
There is such a poignant essay titled Dickens Street where Ms. Brett returns to visit her childhood home in Melbourne. I felt her words so vividly:
“Stepping into the house, I felt overwhelmed by something I had never noticed. The house was just beautiful. I must have been blinded by my teenage years or my repressed anxiety and anger.
Finally, I walked into the kitchen. I could hardly breathe….I half expected my mother to appear, and wished that she could. I wanted to cry for having blocked out the extraordinary feat my father had achieved in building the house.
...what was blazingly clear now, was that the house was built out of my father’s deep and undying love for my mother.”
That sort of sentimentality will get me every time. It’s raw, it’s human and it’s beautiful. Lily Brett is now 70. Some things never leave you.
Lily Brett is an Aussie ex-pat who’s been a New York native for around 30 years. As the title says, and as she mentions herself, she doesn’t feel old. Though I guess our various aches and pains and reflection in the mirror would say otherwise. Insert applicable emoji icon.
”It’s not that I feel old. I should feel old, but I don’t. Parts of me still feel the same as I did in my twenties.”
There are thirty two snippets, thoughts, ponderings in this delightful collection. There’s a lot of humour and light heartedness, interspersed with really tender, private moments. Some really sad, hard life events. Introspection galore. Loved.
The simplicity and beauty of Lily Brett’s writing brought to mind Elena Ferrante’s Incidental Inventions, which I’ve recently read. The thoughts are crisp and stylish, and had me nodding my head in approval over and over. I got it. The observations and humour also remind me of Nora Ephron’s insights. Self-deprecating. On point. Thoughts about ageing, which is so very different to how (most) men live it or approach it. This is definitely one I’ll return to.
There are a few standouts, and a couple of the essays I read more than once, as I enjoyed them so much:
Walking
I loved the vibe of this story. The idea of walking around your city and taking in all the sights, smells and sounds. The city is a living, breathing thing with a pulse. You miss so much of it if you don’t actually take the time to walk around it, at least occasionally.
”There is also a background of sound. An almost melodic composition of cars, trucks, buses, taxi horns, the low rumbling of the subway, people humming or singing to whatever music they are listening to and the occasional siren of an ambulance or fire truck.
This choreography of sound movement could be seen as chaotic and distressing, but it isn’t. It has a symphonic energy...“
Franz Joseph Haydn
On being asked to write a piece on the composer, Ms.Brett discovers she learns so much more about him through letters he wrote to lovers, than through his actual music.
Haydn used to re-write the letters from one particular love into his own notebook. Word for word.
The beauty and honesty of knowing how much depth of feeling can be shared via letters really struck a chord with me.
”I was so touched that he could write so intimately about his feelings. We don’t talk or write to each other like that anymore.“
Contradictions
As in a person’s life, cities also undergo changes. Some good, some not so much. This is an ode to city life, and what it is about your city that makes you have such feelings for it.
”The legendary late New York columnist, Pete Hamill, called nostalgia ‘the most powerful of New York emotions.’ “
”Many of us who live in this city have intimate relationships with our local cafes, bookstores, restaurants, drycleaners and corner stores. It’s almost like the intimacy between old friends. Or, in some cases, old acquaintances.“
A Cruelty Quotient
So incredibly amusing. It starts with crotchless panties and lace bra sales soaring at the same time lockdown was occurring due to the pandemic. Ms.Brett is stockpiling food staples rather than saucy underthings. The upcoming presidential election looms. All anyone wants is a haircut.
”I start wearing my hair pulled back in a bun. I feel like a headmistress. Most of us haven’t been able to have a haircut for months. Suddenly, men who are hedge-fund managers or investment bankers looks like sensitive poets. It is very disconcerting.”
The Election
The anxiety around waiting for the results of the 2020 US election. As insightful as it is amusing.
”...a New York friend calls to ask if I have any anti-anxiety medication. I tell her can spare two valium. She says she will pick them up in the afternoon. I feel like a drug dealer."
My Father
Filled with humour and memories of her Dad, who Ms.Brett lost at the age of 102. She talks about his big personality, his quirks and idiosyncrasies. How much he loved her.
"My father loved his fax machine….The only problem with the fax machine was that my father called it a ‘fux’ machine. No matter how many times I told him it was a ‘fax’ machine not a ‘fux’ machine, he couldn’t hear the difference.
...he would wave goodbye to me and sometimes call out, ‘I will fux you later.’ I learned not to squirm or scurry off.”
This is such a deeply personal and poignant reflection. It’s fitting this is the final essay of the collection. I bawled.
As another reviewer said "Keep writing dear Lily. We all need you." I couldn’t agree more. Fingers crossed there are at least a few more books in the wings from Ms.Brett.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I’ve been on a book buying frenzy. Since returning to the office, I’ve been haunting the local bookstores on my lunchbreak. So off course this week, I was doing some more “window shopping” (yes, book therapy is a proven science), and saw this book out of the corner of my eye. I love the quirky cover. I love the duck egg blue used in the portrait of the Author by her hubby, set against the NYC skyline. I love the fact it’s a bunch of essays. And I especially love that this is the latest by Lily Brett. If you’ve not read any of her books, all I can say is you’re missing out, and you should remedy that sooner rather than later. Ever since reading Too Many Men a lifetime ago, I’ve been an admirer of her writing.
I’m finding these novella sized books are perfect for weekend reading. I can get comfy with a cuppa, and read them from cover to cover. It’s such a joy to do (apart from which I feel I’ve achieved something by reading a book in one hit). And essays are perfect, as all manner of topics are chatted about.
What could be better on a sunny yet biting cold Sydney weekend, than to have a warming muggacino and read my brand new book from a favourite Author. What arctic chill?!
The big things, the little things, the musings. And how sometimes the things of smallest significance can really be such a big deal. It doesn’t matter if they don’t mean much in the scheme of things - to other people - if they mean something to you. As I said to a dear friend recently “but it mattered to me”, about something that really was of no consequence, but which bothered me too much at the time. We’re made up of a bunch of nerve endings, made for both pleasure and pain. Moment to moment we can be feeling either. We’re such complicated creatures.
”Some small moments are larger than others.”
There is such a poignant essay titled Dickens Street where Ms. Brett returns to visit her childhood home in Melbourne. I felt her words so vividly:
“Stepping into the house, I felt overwhelmed by something I had never noticed. The house was just beautiful. I must have been blinded by my teenage years or my repressed anxiety and anger.
Finally, I walked into the kitchen. I could hardly breathe….I half expected my mother to appear, and wished that she could. I wanted to cry for having blocked out the extraordinary feat my father had achieved in building the house.
...what was blazingly clear now, was that the house was built out of my father’s deep and undying love for my mother.”
That sort of sentimentality will get me every time. It’s raw, it’s human and it’s beautiful. Lily Brett is now 70. Some things never leave you.
Lily Brett is an Aussie ex-pat who’s been a New York native for around 30 years. As the title says, and as she mentions herself, she doesn’t feel old. Though I guess our various aches and pains and reflection in the mirror would say otherwise. Insert applicable emoji icon.
”It’s not that I feel old. I should feel old, but I don’t. Parts of me still feel the same as I did in my twenties.”
There are thirty two snippets, thoughts, ponderings in this delightful collection. There’s a lot of humour and light heartedness, interspersed with really tender, private moments. Some really sad, hard life events. Introspection galore. Loved.
The simplicity and beauty of Lily Brett’s writing brought to mind Elena Ferrante’s Incidental Inventions, which I’ve recently read. The thoughts are crisp and stylish, and had me nodding my head in approval over and over. I got it. The observations and humour also remind me of Nora Ephron’s insights. Self-deprecating. On point. Thoughts about ageing, which is so very different to how (most) men live it or approach it. This is definitely one I’ll return to.
There are a few standouts, and a couple of the essays I read more than once, as I enjoyed them so much:
Walking
I loved the vibe of this story. The idea of walking around your city and taking in all the sights, smells and sounds. The city is a living, breathing thing with a pulse. You miss so much of it if you don’t actually take the time to walk around it, at least occasionally.
”There is also a background of sound. An almost melodic composition of cars, trucks, buses, taxi horns, the low rumbling of the subway, people humming or singing to whatever music they are listening to and the occasional siren of an ambulance or fire truck.
This choreography of sound movement could be seen as chaotic and distressing, but it isn’t. It has a symphonic energy...“
Franz Joseph Haydn
On being asked to write a piece on the composer, Ms.Brett discovers she learns so much more about him through letters he wrote to lovers, than through his actual music.
Haydn used to re-write the letters from one particular love into his own notebook. Word for word.
The beauty and honesty of knowing how much depth of feeling can be shared via letters really struck a chord with me.
”I was so touched that he could write so intimately about his feelings. We don’t talk or write to each other like that anymore.“
Contradictions
As in a person’s life, cities also undergo changes. Some good, some not so much. This is an ode to city life, and what it is about your city that makes you have such feelings for it.
”The legendary late New York columnist, Pete Hamill, called nostalgia ‘the most powerful of New York emotions.’ “
”Many of us who live in this city have intimate relationships with our local cafes, bookstores, restaurants, drycleaners and corner stores. It’s almost like the intimacy between old friends. Or, in some cases, old acquaintances.“
A Cruelty Quotient
So incredibly amusing. It starts with crotchless panties and lace bra sales soaring at the same time lockdown was occurring due to the pandemic. Ms.Brett is stockpiling food staples rather than saucy underthings. The upcoming presidential election looms. All anyone wants is a haircut.
”I start wearing my hair pulled back in a bun. I feel like a headmistress. Most of us haven’t been able to have a haircut for months. Suddenly, men who are hedge-fund managers or investment bankers looks like sensitive poets. It is very disconcerting.”
The Election
The anxiety around waiting for the results of the 2020 US election. As insightful as it is amusing.
”...a New York friend calls to ask if I have any anti-anxiety medication. I tell her can spare two valium. She says she will pick them up in the afternoon. I feel like a drug dealer."
My Father
Filled with humour and memories of her Dad, who Ms.Brett lost at the age of 102. She talks about his big personality, his quirks and idiosyncrasies. How much he loved her.
"My father loved his fax machine….The only problem with the fax machine was that my father called it a ‘fux’ machine. No matter how many times I told him it was a ‘fax’ machine not a ‘fux’ machine, he couldn’t hear the difference.
...he would wave goodbye to me and sometimes call out, ‘I will fux you later.’ I learned not to squirm or scurry off.”
This is such a deeply personal and poignant reflection. It’s fitting this is the final essay of the collection. I bawled.
As another reviewer said "Keep writing dear Lily. We all need you." I couldn’t agree more. Fingers crossed there are at least a few more books in the wings from Ms.Brett.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
May 9, 2021
My Mothers Day treat to myself: reading the whole book in one session. I so love Lily Brett’s writing and I laughed out loud at so many stories especially when she overheard two women speaking of masturbation! Plus the words to describe Chopin’s mistress’ vulva had me laughing so much, I cried!
And the story of election night and her need to take two Valium when it seemed Trump might win was classic Lily Brett.The final chapter, about her 101 year old father’s death and funeral was particularly poignant. So much shared love. Keep writing dear Lily. We all need you.
And the story of election night and her need to take two Valium when it seemed Trump might win was classic Lily Brett.The final chapter, about her 101 year old father’s death and funeral was particularly poignant. So much shared love. Keep writing dear Lily. We all need you.
April 27, 2021
I devoured this small collection of writings by Lily Brett. The themes were ageing and living in New York. She has the mastery of describing her life in such a succinct way, told with a great sense of humour and a an intriguing awareness of herself and others around her.
September 11, 2021
3.75 stars! Old Seems To Be Other People was a very pleasant, candid, tender, and humorous book; it is divided in vignettes, in each of them Lily Brett vividly narrates certain episodes of her life and her feelings and thoughts at the time.
Even though I am far younger than Lily, at some points I was able to identify with her; it looks like we both can easily end up in ‘La La Land’, lost in divagations, but unlike Lily, I don’t suffer from depression, I am the type of ‘constantly smiling’ person, this, even though, like everyone else, I too have moments of anxiety and dissatisfaction.
I, like Lily, tend to have the most peculiar thoughts and I have been caught in situations that many think belong in a movie due to their distinctive nature. I too love walking and just like Lily, I don’t feel much older now than I felt in my early 30s; as Lily, when I think of myself, even though I am already in my 40s, I feel of an ‘indeterminate’ age.
Fortunately, I am definitely better at geography than Lily is at it; for instance, unlike Lily, I don’t get lost on a plane and I can read maps even though I have to think not twice but thrice about where are my North, South, East, and West. Also, unlike Lily, I am most definitely NOT passionate about stationary; I do not collect pens and pencils as Lily does, but I do like to every now and then look into a beautiful stationary shop.
What I found rather interesting was learning that even though, like me, Lily is not really into cooking, she loves to buy colourful plastic kitchen utensils. I am the opposite: I am a snob and I cannot settle for less that quality: I love my antique silver cutlery or high quality stainless steel with beautiful -not corny- motifs engraved; I also love my modern cutlery sets, this even though I rarely cook 😂 but I have cutlery for anything you can imagine… pieces that you would not find anymore unless you go to vintage/antique shops. Oh, and if you come and see me I would offer you an Earl Gray -or Lady Gray if you prefer- cup of tea, which I would serve in lovely original bone China (i.e original Royal Albert) cups still made in England, you will have so many patterns to choose from… you would be so pleased. I don’t think Lily is into original made in England bone china 🤔😂
My favourite chapter? The Apple Store! I don’t personally see myself reflected in it at all; yet I hope I will never have a experience similar to Lily’s, for, as amusing as this episode of her life was, it seems to me that I will always be better at technology than Lily Brett is, but you never know!
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely! It is not a masterpiece but a 7.5 out of 10 stars in its genre.The last vignettes were not as amusing as those we find in the first half of the book, but Old Seems To Be Other People was still a highly enjoyable, easy, and honest read! I am going to go and buy more of Lily’s book tomorrow; I can’t wait to read them 😀😃😀
Even though I am far younger than Lily, at some points I was able to identify with her; it looks like we both can easily end up in ‘La La Land’, lost in divagations, but unlike Lily, I don’t suffer from depression, I am the type of ‘constantly smiling’ person, this, even though, like everyone else, I too have moments of anxiety and dissatisfaction.
I, like Lily, tend to have the most peculiar thoughts and I have been caught in situations that many think belong in a movie due to their distinctive nature. I too love walking and just like Lily, I don’t feel much older now than I felt in my early 30s; as Lily, when I think of myself, even though I am already in my 40s, I feel of an ‘indeterminate’ age.
Fortunately, I am definitely better at geography than Lily is at it; for instance, unlike Lily, I don’t get lost on a plane and I can read maps even though I have to think not twice but thrice about where are my North, South, East, and West. Also, unlike Lily, I am most definitely NOT passionate about stationary; I do not collect pens and pencils as Lily does, but I do like to every now and then look into a beautiful stationary shop.
What I found rather interesting was learning that even though, like me, Lily is not really into cooking, she loves to buy colourful plastic kitchen utensils. I am the opposite: I am a snob and I cannot settle for less that quality: I love my antique silver cutlery or high quality stainless steel with beautiful -not corny- motifs engraved; I also love my modern cutlery sets, this even though I rarely cook 😂 but I have cutlery for anything you can imagine… pieces that you would not find anymore unless you go to vintage/antique shops. Oh, and if you come and see me I would offer you an Earl Gray -or Lady Gray if you prefer- cup of tea, which I would serve in lovely original bone China (i.e original Royal Albert) cups still made in England, you will have so many patterns to choose from… you would be so pleased. I don’t think Lily is into original made in England bone china 🤔😂
My favourite chapter? The Apple Store! I don’t personally see myself reflected in it at all; yet I hope I will never have a experience similar to Lily’s, for, as amusing as this episode of her life was, it seems to me that I will always be better at technology than Lily Brett is, but you never know!
Do I recommend this book? Absolutely! It is not a masterpiece but a 7.5 out of 10 stars in its genre.The last vignettes were not as amusing as those we find in the first half of the book, but Old Seems To Be Other People was still a highly enjoyable, easy, and honest read! I am going to go and buy more of Lily’s book tomorrow; I can’t wait to read them 😀😃😀
May 10, 2021
3.5 stars. Although Lily Brett deals with the fears and challenges of ageing, as well as the loss and pain associated with it, this is overall a fairly light-hearted book. Her writing is very accessible and the snapshots highlighting the funny and sad parts of existing in the world and of growing old were simple, effective and beautifully portrayed. I can’t say this book impacted me profoundly, but I really enjoyed my time with it and would recommend if the topic interests you. It’s also a bit of a love letter to New York City, which is almost a character in and of itself.
January 2, 2022
A short and enjoyable collection of short essays, reflecting on ageing, family, health and living in New York.
The narrative voice was so entertaining and a pleasure to spend the afternoon with.
Thank you.
The narrative voice was so entertaining and a pleasure to spend the afternoon with.
Thank you.
August 31, 2021
This is a delightful and often hilarious collection of essays by Brett on ageing, on accepting that you are ageing, and on accepting that other people may see you as "elderly". The essays present a lighter side of the author than I had encountered previously. Her portrait is entertaining of New York as a city and of herself as a New Yorker of the last decades, having moved from Melbourne. I could relate so well to all of her reflections, fitting in to her age group with similar experiences. Although she did reflect several times on her past, particularly on her parents' Holocaust experiences and their impact on her, these comments did not dominate her sketches.
Brett's skill lay in capturing a moment that represented so much more of her life experience - her past in Melbourne, the casual conversations she engaged in with strangers, with her doctors, with her mirrors and, particularly with herself, were intimate vignettes that laid bare our fears and vulnerabilities associated with getting older.
With all the laughter, her last essay, "My Father", Brett returned to some of the shadows that had impacted on her childhood as the daughter of Holocaust survivors. Her readers are familiar with the grief and depression that haunted her mother and, thus, their home. But, here, Brett recalled that "in a community where everyone was in a state of grief, it was my father who showed me that it was possible to pierce that grief with laughter." He would have loved reading her collection.
Brett's skill lay in capturing a moment that represented so much more of her life experience - her past in Melbourne, the casual conversations she engaged in with strangers, with her doctors, with her mirrors and, particularly with herself, were intimate vignettes that laid bare our fears and vulnerabilities associated with getting older.
With all the laughter, her last essay, "My Father", Brett returned to some of the shadows that had impacted on her childhood as the daughter of Holocaust survivors. Her readers are familiar with the grief and depression that haunted her mother and, thus, their home. But, here, Brett recalled that "in a community where everyone was in a state of grief, it was my father who showed me that it was possible to pierce that grief with laughter." He would have loved reading her collection.
June 1, 2021
A perfect read during a quiet day in bed. Lily Brett always makes me laugh. Love the story of her dad and his fux machine.
January 5, 2022
Three and a half stars for this short witty read.
February 17, 2023
Short, sharp vignettes of life in NYC and of getting older from the indomitable Lily Brett.
April 28, 2021
I devoured this small collection of writings by Lily Brett. The themes were ageing and living in New York. She has the mastery of describing her life in such a succinct way, told with a great sense of humour and a an intriguing awareness of herself and others around her.
- Read by Suzie
- Read by Suzie
April 18, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short, sharp conversations that range from living in New York to toilets! With the central theme of age and growing older it does seem a little repetitive when you read it all in one sitting but it was just so witty and easy to read that I couldn't put it down.
April 11, 2022
Pass on this, I must have read good reviews to have put it on my read list but it was not for me.
December 9, 2024
I loved this book of short stories by Lily Brett. I have read everything else she has written and was delighted when my husband (who knows I’m a Brett fan) brought me home this beautiful book. The art on the dust jacket is lovely.
Lily is such an engaging writer. There wasn’t a single story in this collection that I failed to enjoy.
Old Seems To Be Other People was a very poignant, absorbing, and humorous book. We read of Lily’s feelings and thoughts during a number of episodes in her life.
There were some very funny stories especially the one where Lily overheard women talking about masturbation. Also the one where she planned to buy a three wheeler bike and cycle it with a friend along the path by the East river! She often mentions her husband, the painter David Rankin, whom she moved to New York with about 40 years ago and clearly adores. A heartbreaking story was the one about the death of her much loved dad, who was nearly 102 years old when he passed. She had a truly loving relationship with him and arranged for him to move from Melbourne to New York to be near her and her family when he was in his mid 80s. He loved New York.
I am 60, much younger than Lily, but I identify with many of her feelings. I first started reading Lily’s books when I was in my early 40s and was really taken with them. Like Lily, I’m a bit of a worrier and tend to overthink many things.
I really enjoyed the story about Lily being hopeless at geography, even to the extent of getting lost on planes, as I too am geographically challenged!
The funny Apple Store tale really appealed to me, with Lily getting the help of two assistants who kept insisting to her how well she was doing because of her age!
I really liked the story where Lily waxed lyrical about her new shower. I get it! When we moved to our current home nearly nine years ago, I adored (still do) my beautiful deep luxurious bath. I’d never had a bath like that before. I like to read in it and have a glass of wine as I luxuriate in the bubbles.
I highly recommend this wonderful collection of short stories to others.
Lily is such an engaging writer. There wasn’t a single story in this collection that I failed to enjoy.
Old Seems To Be Other People was a very poignant, absorbing, and humorous book. We read of Lily’s feelings and thoughts during a number of episodes in her life.
There were some very funny stories especially the one where Lily overheard women talking about masturbation. Also the one where she planned to buy a three wheeler bike and cycle it with a friend along the path by the East river! She often mentions her husband, the painter David Rankin, whom she moved to New York with about 40 years ago and clearly adores. A heartbreaking story was the one about the death of her much loved dad, who was nearly 102 years old when he passed. She had a truly loving relationship with him and arranged for him to move from Melbourne to New York to be near her and her family when he was in his mid 80s. He loved New York.
I am 60, much younger than Lily, but I identify with many of her feelings. I first started reading Lily’s books when I was in my early 40s and was really taken with them. Like Lily, I’m a bit of a worrier and tend to overthink many things.
I really enjoyed the story about Lily being hopeless at geography, even to the extent of getting lost on planes, as I too am geographically challenged!
The funny Apple Store tale really appealed to me, with Lily getting the help of two assistants who kept insisting to her how well she was doing because of her age!
I really liked the story where Lily waxed lyrical about her new shower. I get it! When we moved to our current home nearly nine years ago, I adored (still do) my beautiful deep luxurious bath. I’d never had a bath like that before. I like to read in it and have a glass of wine as I luxuriate in the bubbles.
I highly recommend this wonderful collection of short stories to others.
February 1, 2026
There are 24 columns that the author wrote in a German glossy magazine entitled “Lily's Loopings” about ageing and her adopted home of New York.
What I found very positive was her writing style and how she writes about ageing with self-deprecating humour and wit. There were situations where I could relate to her very well. What I couldn't relate to so much was, on the one hand, that I had never been to New York and therefore couldn't relate to many of the things she referred to, e.g. “that's how New Yorkers are”, which came up several times in each story. Furthermore, I think she belongs to a privileged class, because I can well imagine that her views and concerns about ageing are more relevant to a smaller section of the population. Many people are more likely to be struggling to put a roof over their heads and enough food on the table.
Nevertheless, I think that people who are familiar with the New York lifestyle will enjoy this book more than I did.
(3½)
What I found very positive was her writing style and how she writes about ageing with self-deprecating humour and wit. There were situations where I could relate to her very well. What I couldn't relate to so much was, on the one hand, that I had never been to New York and therefore couldn't relate to many of the things she referred to, e.g. “that's how New Yorkers are”, which came up several times in each story. Furthermore, I think she belongs to a privileged class, because I can well imagine that her views and concerns about ageing are more relevant to a smaller section of the population. Many people are more likely to be struggling to put a roof over their heads and enough food on the table.
Nevertheless, I think that people who are familiar with the New York lifestyle will enjoy this book more than I did.
(3½)
May 22, 2021
An older woman writing. Who'd have thought? I thoroughly enjoyed this small tome. Great whit and recollections of everyday life as an older woman - how bloody refreshing! We all need a bit of humour to deal with the everyday in life, and this made me laugh out loud. (Her surgeon's 'mesmerisingly good looks', her father's mispronunciations 'Tramp' instead of 'Trump') Small observations. This was a lovely break from some of the serious novels I've been reading. She reflects on life in NYC and Australia. Yes at times she does go oooon about her age (ok, we get it!), but if you look past that, and just enjoy. Would love to see more of novels like this. Goodness knows we all need to laugh!
September 8, 2022
A small collection of brief musing about life in New York as a cashed up seventy something year old.
She lost me with the tale of her current husband’s proposal - he had proposed to her whilst she was defrosting 14 pheasants in her bath. Of course! What a bother. Just preparing for a small dinner party of 32. Damn frozen pheasants getting in the way of romance!
Oh dear !!!! It got worse. Cheeky old thing said there was another man in her life that she regularly disrobed for.
A bit of wickedness my dear?!!
Nope! Just her clothing designer/Taylor/seam person….whatever.
Hard to stomach really. Thankfully it was short.
She lost me with the tale of her current husband’s proposal - he had proposed to her whilst she was defrosting 14 pheasants in her bath. Of course! What a bother. Just preparing for a small dinner party of 32. Damn frozen pheasants getting in the way of romance!
Oh dear !!!! It got worse. Cheeky old thing said there was another man in her life that she regularly disrobed for.
A bit of wickedness my dear?!!
Nope! Just her clothing designer/Taylor/seam person….whatever.
Hard to stomach really. Thankfully it was short.
July 16, 2023
A short, lovely read. Lily Brett's essays reminded me of Nora Ephron's, except I personally found them more enjoyable. Brett's story about her father was particularly moving.
Some of the stories revealed an obsession with thinness that I found disappointing as Lily Brett is in her 70s (can't we be free of that even in our 70s? When do we get to just love our bodies and celebrate what they can still do, not how thin they are?).
Other than that, I found Brett's voice funny, clever, and relatable.
Some of the stories revealed an obsession with thinness that I found disappointing as Lily Brett is in her 70s (can't we be free of that even in our 70s? When do we get to just love our bodies and celebrate what they can still do, not how thin they are?).
Other than that, I found Brett's voice funny, clever, and relatable.
May 16, 2021
I think I would have enjoyed these musings more if I read them as a weekly column. As a collection, I got sick of her going on about her age and wishing that she would be more like her dad and be grateful for the gift of being alive and relatively healthy. The chapters about her Dad were moving. Her observations about being a New Yorker were tedious. I recently watched ‘Pretend it’s city’ with Fran Lebowitz and that’s was full of witty, meaningful observations about NYC, New Yorkers and life.
January 11, 2022
What a delightful book. I'm new to Lily Brett, and picked this up after hearing her interview on ABC RN. In this book, Lily Brett chronicles the day to day with gentle humour and a grace that belies her claim to multiple anxieties. Themed around age, but tbh, if it wasn't in the title, I would have noticed because there is richness across her home, family, friends, community, food, cultural trends, politics but mostly around New York.
March 13, 2023
Short, pithy, witty pieces from the inimitable Lily Brett. Some wonderful vignettes of life in New York including a hilarious and wholly engaging piece on the Trump vs Biden election, during the course of which while things were swinging in the balance, she was forced to take several valium. As the results start showing a swing to Biden "Trump is stony-faced and grim. He talks nonstop about voter fraud. The word 'fraud' starts sounding like the repetitive refrain of a very bad opera."
October 4, 2021
I’m a huge Lily Brett fan and this didn’t disappoint. I love her anxiety, her humour, her observations, her quick wit. I laughed out loud …. And finished it in 1 days.
A collection of short vignettes set over various years of her life in NY as she ages it ends with her take on Trump, Covid and her beloved father.
A collection of short vignettes set over various years of her life in NY as she ages it ends with her take on Trump, Covid and her beloved father.
February 20, 2022
ahhhh. What a good book. I love lily Brett and believe that I will read a whole lot more of her this year and in the future. I can’t help wondering though if the book I just read might be her last. I sure hope not. Now I should probably do my homework as I haven’t even checked what I might need to get done as I have been so involved in finishing this book.
July 8, 2022
A short, easy and enjoyable read that only occasionally tackled the issue of ageing. Rather, the book was an assorted collection of observations and opinions about life in New York, anxiety, health issues, the Trump presidency and the legacy of having parents who were Holocaust survivors.
May 16, 2021
I want to write a book like this.
May 27, 2021
A charming collection of essays about ageing. Self ironic, serious, hilarious - everything is laid bare, really enjoyed that small book!
May 27, 2021
This was totally wonderful. Is you are slightly on the older side, pick it up and have a read. There is a lot to relate to. Plenty of laughs as well, but it isn't all humorous.
May 28, 2021
Pleasant, very light reading, but nowhere near her best work.
January 3, 2022
Thank you to my very dear friend for gifting me this book.
I read it in one sitting - connecting through giggles and tears.
Enjoyed it oh so much!
I read it in one sitting - connecting through giggles and tears.
Enjoyed it oh so much!
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