Middle Age

The Art of Living (Routledge)

by Christopher Hamilton

Middle age, for many, marks a key period for a radical reappraisal of one's life and way of living. The sense of time running out, both from the perspective that one's life has ground to a halt, and from the point of view of the greater closeness of death, and the sense of loneliness engendered by the compromised and wasteful nature of life, become ever clearer in mid-life, and can lead to a period of dramatic self doubt.In this book, the philosopher Christopher Hamilton (early 40s) explores the moods, emotions and experiences of middle age in the contemporary world, seeking to describe and analyze that period of life philosophically. Hamilton draws on his own personal experiences of turning 40 as well as a wide range of sources - from the philosophical writings of Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Hegel, Heidegger to the literature of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Conrad and the films of Woody Allen - to offer us a philosophy of middle age.Some of the many fascinating themes explored include the strong sense of nostalgia experienced in mid-life, of loss for one's youth, and of regret, the sense that life has become boring, the recognition that one can never fully escape feelings of guilt, and - central to the experience of middle age - the question of what is the point of going on at all. In the light of the 'melancholy wisdom' of mid-life Hamilton suggests that pleasure becomes much more important than at previous stages of life and he shows that the enjoyment of pleasure can be something noble.Insightful, entertaining, and thought-provoking, "Middle Age" is fascinating reading and for anyone heading for a 'mid-life crisis' it is much cheaper than buying a sports car.

Genres: Philosophy

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2009

Reviews

[Mohanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب رو تو فرجه‌ها خوندم. خیلی تعریفی نداشت. شاید هم چون موضوعش میانسالی بود و دغدغه‌ی من نبود خیلی نتونستم ارتباط بگیرم. درباره‌ی خود نویسنده ست که متوجه می‌شه پدرش درواقع پدرش نیست و یکی از معشوقه‌های مامانش پدر واقعیشه. همین مسئله سوقش می‌ده به سمتی که به زندگیش تا اون لحظه فکر کنه و یه بازبینی مجددی بکنه به اتفاقات زندگیش.
کتاب پر از نقل قول‌ از نویسنده‌ها و فیلسوف‌های دیگه ست. درواقع شکل و شمایل جستار داره به نظر من تا اینکه تاملات فلسفی نویسنده باشه.

[Saleh N · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب به موضوع بسیار مهمی می‌پردازد که دغدغه بزرگی برای هر انسانی است، خصوصا وقتی که در دوره‌ی میانسالی خود با این کتاب رو‌به‌رو می‌شود. همین‌طور کتاب از زوایای مهم و گوناگون به موضوع میانسالی پرداخته، که خواننده به نوعی جمع‌آوری افکار و احساسات گوناگون خود نسبت به میانسالی و موضوعات مرتبط با آن در طول زندگی خود را یکجا در این کتاب به یاد می‌آورد و مرور می‌کند.
به نظر بنده مهمترین مساله‌ی کتاب که بسیار آسیب زا بوده، این است که کتاب به شدت بر اساس تجربه شخصی نویسنده نوشته شده، و درگیر شرح جزییات اتفاقات زندگی وی و نتایج آن بر زندگی و میانسالیش است. امری که برای خواننده محتملا جذاب نیست بلکه به دلیل رخدادهای خاصی که برای نویسنده پیش آمده، نتایج مذکور برای خواننده نامرتبط و غیر ملموس و غیر قابل استفاده است. در واقع نویسنده به سوبژه "میانسالی" به صورت عام و یک موضوع خارجی نگاه نکرده، تا مورد استفاده همگان قرار بگیرد و قابل تعمیم باشد.

[Giovanni García-Fenech · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is not really about middle age, rather it's a melancholic personal essay about an unrelated crisis the author happened to experience as he reached midlife. Nevertheless, it touches on a lot of topics, some dealing with middle age, some not, but all interesting and well worth reading.

[Amy Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually feel on the brink of some kind of crisis, and the latest ones have been the conclusions of dwelling on life so far, and what may be left of it. Fortunately, Dr. Hamilton (who I took a philosophy module with at university) offers a characteristically accessible, wide-ranging and personal view on what it means to be middle aged. From the Augustine to Nietzsche, Rembrandt to Shostakovich, Camus to Eliot, philosophical strands are woven with autobiography to reveal this very misunderstood human phenomenon.

[Ehsan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gustó como el autor acabó pillando una impresión distinta sobre la vida.

[Mary Karpel-Jergic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an erudite exploration of the human condition as perceived by a middle aged man who has had his personal foundations rocked. It is both reflective and well researched and I loved the way that Hamilton weaved his selected quotes into his analysis of life in middle age.

It is somewhat melancholic and distils a sense of loneliness and disconnect with the world, yet manages to also be engaging and strangely comforting; allowing the reader to ponder along the same lines of enquiry.

When considering the trials and tribulations of most people's lives he is "tempted to say that, had it not taken this form, it would have taken another, and I'm sure that if one is able to see one's life in such terms then the suffering in it seems somehow less awful or unmanageable."