Life Class: The Selected Memoirs Of Diana Athill

by Diana Athill

Diana Athill, born in 1917, made her reputation as a writer with the candour of her memoirs; through her commitment, in her words, ‘to understand, to be aware, to touch the truth’. In a celebration of her life and writing, Life Class brings together four of her best-loved memoirs in one volume, spanning her very English childhood, her life and loves during the Second World War, her publishing career at André Deutsch, and her reflections on old age. Introduced by Ian Jack, Diana Athill’s selected memoirs are a remarkable testament to an unusual and fully lived life.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Autobiography, History

692 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2009

About the author

Diana Athill was a British literary editor, novelist and memoirist who worked with some of the greatest writers of the 20th century at the London-based publishing company André Deutsch Ltd.

She was born in Norfolk in 1917 and educated at home until she was fourteen. She read English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and graduated in 1939. She spent the war years working at the BBC Overseas Service in the News Information Department. After the war she met André Deutsch and fell into publishing. She worked as an editor, first at Allan Wingate and then at André Deutsch, until her retirement at the age of 75 in 1993.

Her books include An Unavoidable Delay, a collection of short stories published in 1962 and two 'documentary' books After A Funeral and Make Believe. Stet is a memoir of Diana Athill's fifty-year career in publishing. Granta has also reissued a memoir Instead of a Letter and her only novel Don't Look at Me Like That. She lived in Primrose Hill in London.

Reviews

[Nirmal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the collection of 4 memoirs of Diana Athill.

1. Yesterday Morning (about her growing up years )
2. Instead of a letter ( about Oxford, initial love and engagement, eventual cancelling of engagement, down and depressed, eventual Recovery and fight back, careers etc )
3. Stet ( Her life as an Editor )
4. Somewhere towards the end ( Post-retirement )

I had actually read "Somewhere towards the end" as a single book and I had immensely enjoyed the book. Based on that experience I borrowed this omnibus edition from my Library.

Now I can say that I have similarly enjoyed the first 3 books as I had enjoyed her 4th book.

Things that I liked:

- Written with complete honesty and frankness in every sphere of her life
- Highly readable and enjoyable
- Full of insightful and brilliant observations

One thing becomes clear that Diana is devoid of any pettiness , spitefulness and she comes out as generous and full of life.

[Dierregi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I totally loved this book. It is composed by 4 separate "memoirs" but there is very little repetition. I do have the utmost admiration for Ms. Athill and for her accomplishments. Her writing is excellent and it is a pleasure to read the story of a life so interesting and unusual.

Actually I started from the "end" because I read first "Somewhere towards the end" as a separate book and I was so fascinated by it that decided to read more from the author. I wrote a lengthier review just about that.

This "anthology" fills in the gaps, starting from Athill's idyllic childhood and moving to her doomed love story. What I found most interesting was "Stet", about her working experience. We definitely agree about the fact that earning your living by working in an office eight (or more) hours per day is an unnatural act, regardless of what the contemporary "ethic" of work wants us to believe.

However, Athill was luckier than me because she actually liked her job ;-)

[Des · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like her honesty and her factual attitude to life and writing. Gripped me from start to finish. Reminded me a little of Hans Fallada's observations and style of writing.

There is an introduction to one of her memoirs (Instead of a letter) by Andrea Ashworth, who puts it better than I could:
"Her language combines immediacy, ease and precision of expression"
Hers is a rare kind of candour, she addresses her readers with a strikingly modern lack of squeamishness and secrecy about personal experience, but is never gratuitously shocking or cloyingly confessional."

[Anne Chalfant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this treasure on a romp through a UK airport--it's frustrating, the books we never hear about here.

I ordered this from Amazon.co.uk but a friend found it in county library system.Go for it.)

Athill's "Somewhere Near the End," written at age 90, was the first book I snatched up. Since
few writers give us the low-down on old age, positioned to head out the Big Door,
I read "Somewhere Near the End" avidly and learned quite a bit.

But Athill writes like a friend--you just want to be with her. So soon
I found myself happily reading big, fat "Life Class" each morning for a half hour
before work. ( "Life Class" includes "Somewhere Near the End" so don't buy both.)

Athill doesn't hold back on anything. But this is no "tell all." Her life was not about the world of book publishing glamour, and neither is this book. In fact, Athill assures you there is no glamour in book publishing. She writes about friendships, loves, sex and family everything else with the candor that is unique.
A good portion of the book is about her life as a book editor—quite interesting if you're a writer, possibly not otherwise.
Still, "Life Class" is engagingly written and doesn't suffer from the preciousness memoirs almost can't help but indulge.

[Dilshat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful. Can't recommend enough - all four memoirs in this book are well written, sincere and give an overall rare impression of free and sound person. One memoir is about childhood (Nancy Mitford style), another is about Athill's love life (she was jilted by her fiancee, felt like a failure for a long time, but then found out how to become happy again), the third one about her work as an editor, and the last one - on being old.
Sometimes Athill repeats herself, but not much. Anyhow, this is the only downside I can find in this book!

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading Athill is like meeting a delightful new friend. Whatever she is describing, she makes me feel as though I am right there with her. I really like her take on so many things as well. To pick out just two examples, I love the way she explains her lifelong love of books, and her explanations about why she cannot believe in God, even though she is grateful to have been brought up by believers.

[Celia Crotteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure - to be kept, reread, and savored some time in the future! I like her elegant writing style, her pragmatic attitude towards life, her breezy honesty about her own endearing blunders, her humility towards her triumphs, large and small, and her continued optimism even in old age. This was a generous and courageous woman.

[Helga · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable testament to an unusual and fully lived life. A strong lady, a big storybook

[Debbie]

Took me a long time to get through this. Fascinating view of a woman in 20th Century

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

LIFE CLASS is actually a collection of four separate memoirs. Athill is now in her 90's and two of them, YESTERDAY MORNING (2001) and SOMEWHERE NEAR THE END (2008) talk about her experiences as an old person. She'd be the first to admit she's been lucky, having all of her marbles as well as good health, and enjoys what she does in her 10th decade, mostly reading, and very important, acting on her creative impulses, writing being one of them. STET, AN EDITOR'S LIFE (2000) is about her 50 years in the book publishing business in London and her dealings with well-known authors,and INSTEAD OF A LETTER (1963) chronicles her early life, including a traumatic breaking off of a love affair. In all of these, though, Athill is modest, matter-of-fact, and perceptive about her own shortcomings - enjoyable reading, every one.

[Margaret Chamberlain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty chunky book to start reading but I was fascinated by it. I decided to read it having heard the author Diana Athill talk on Radio 4 and read articles in the papers by her. I don't normally read this sort of thing but I'm glad I did. It is a collection of memoirs ranging from the early childhood memoirs of Diana Athill up until very recent ones. She was 89 when she wrote it and tackled the subject of growing old in a very forthright and sensible way. My mother is 89 and it has helped me imagine what it is to be at that stage of life. Diana Athill has led an extremely interesting life in publishing but it was probably the details of her personal life that were the most enlightening. I feel less pessimistic about the next 30 years now I have read this book!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collects some, but not all, of Diana Athill's memoirs. They are a tremendous read. Yesterday Morning, dealing mainly with her childhood is fascinating for her perspective on inter-war upper-class life as well as for the insight into her own origins and personality. Instead of a Letter, covering her rejection by "Paul" and the long bleak period that followed can read a little bit datedly. STET contains wonderful portraits of the authors she dealt with at Andre Deutsch. Somewhere Towards the End is her reflections from advanced old age.

[Agnes Adriana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a slow read with some observational gems of her own and others' behaviour and motivation. It's also at times a bit overindulgent and at others very honest, for example when she is frank about her 'war effort' not being motivated by wanting to 'do good' in just any job that was available.

Still working away on finishing this book. Its slow at times and some chapters are definetly more interesting than others.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't get into this at all so abandoned!

[Sue Batcheler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I keep dipping in and out of this. It's not compulsive reading but whenever I pick it up I really enjoy it. She feels like someone I would like to meet.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

life class more interesting than stet. her life before the war in the country. honest and perceptive writing. neither as good as some where towards the end ( read previously)

[Eve]

Inspiring writer? First book in her 70s?