Nel fiore degli anni. Più vecchie, più sagge, più felici

by India Knight, Cecilia Vallardi (Translator)

Essere leggeri con intelligenza è un’arte, ed è l’arte praticata da India Knight in questo libro spumeggiante per donne spiritose, umane e sagge che “intorno ai cinquanta” si sentono nel pieno del cammino della loro vita, sapendo tuttavia che la strada è e sarà comunque accidentata. I figli adolescenti spesso sono difficili, i figli piccoli deliziosi ma faticosi, i genitori invecchiano e sono comunque da accudire, il nostro corpo non risponde più come solo pochi anni prima e noi ce ne accorgiamo improvvisamente, non possiamo più permetterci tutti i tipi di abbigliamento e le più strane acconciature rock…
E India, che chiameremo solo col nome perché dopo aver letto questo libro diventerà la nostra migliore amica, ci suggerisce, con una verve e uno spirito fuori dal comune e con opinioni nette come lame affilate, come affrontare gioie e dolori della maturità per vivere appieno ogni nostro momento.

Genres: Nonfiction, Lifestyle

260 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

India Knight is a British journalist. Her novels have been translated into 28 languages.

Knight, a native French speaker, lived in Brussels until about the time she turned nine. After migrating to the United Kingdom, she was educated in London. She was awarded an exhibition to Trinity College, Cambridge, where she read Modern Languages from 1984-1987, before starting her career in journalism.

In addition to writing for and contributing to major British magazines and newspapers, India Knight writes a prominent weekly column for The Sunday Times. She is also a regular guest on British radio and television.

After writing an article in The Sunday Times about her daughter's special needs - her youngest child has DiGeorge syndrome.

Knight lives in London with her three children.

Reviews

[Liz Kesteloo · Rating 2 out of 5]

It would have been wiser if she had waited a few years to write this book. The chapter on menopause is just a biology lesson. There are only a few 'hearsay' sentences on the psychlogical effects and the advice you get is 'grin and bear it'. I'm sure that ms. Knight has more interesting things to tell a few years ahead on this subject. This is also a book for women with teenage children, not for women whose children are grown-ups. Again, this subject should in my opinion be included in a book on women in their prime, since it has its challenges. In the chapter on make up and clothes I learned nothing new. Far far better is Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes on make up and grooming. On a positive note: I laughed a lot! But I can't help thinking she wrote this book for women exactly like herself. So if you meet those requirements this might be a book for you.

[Kristina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Think of the messages you are giving your children about men and women, because those messages are powerful and stay with kids for life. Too often, and despite our best intentions, we may veer into “women are irrational and shouty, men are sane and calm” territory. You do not want to raise those sorts of boys. Nor do you want to raise daddy’s girls who are a bit flirty and manipulative around older men, especially if those girls have male teachers.

India Knight is gross :)

NO ONE SEXUALISES THEIR CHILDREN LIKE THAT YOU FREAK.

[Madeleine Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed India Knight's writing - especially her column in the Sunday Times but this was a little disappointing. I felt there was no feminism in it (quite the opposite) and not as witty as I have come to expect. There were some good moments but the book was rather inconsistent. Luckily, my friend has just given me SAGEISM by Clare Shaw which was wittier, more feminist and full of fascinating research and facts. However, everyone's allowed a blip and I will keep reading her!

[Alison Rogers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, since reading this book I am older, but not particularly wiser or happier.

[Eleni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some laugh-out-loud bits about getting older and some sound advice, too. Not so keen on all the product placement but, to be fair, she only plugs items she's tried. The tone is spot-on and it's great to read something that celebrates getting older rather than moans about it

[Charlotte Burt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite interesting in parts, and I skimmed over others.

[ielaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting book! I didn’t realise it was a guide for 50 yr old + women but hey, there’s something to learn from every book. I actually really liked it. The author is hilarious. No nonsense, to the point, a bit crude sometimes but that’s just middle age for you. Made me realise how lucky I am to be able to see life from the perspective of a 50yr old when I’m still in my 20s. Definitely made me realise how much I take for granted, health and appearance first and foremost 😅 my favourite take away: life doesn’t stop or slow down when you turn 50, you still have a third of your life to go! I didn’t know that but it’s true. How cool!

[Beth Bonini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been reading India Knight’s advice columns for years and I definitely appreciate her down-to-earth (in a privileged middle-class London sense) voice. She is humorous, honest - sometimes bluntly so - and she has the gift of writing in a conversational ‘voice’ which seems very personal. I did not doubt, whilst reading this book, that she is a woman who is comfortable in her own middle-aged skin - problem-area stomach and all. So the good news is that this book is just as breezy and readable as all of her columns, but I would add a proviso. Unfortunately, that breezy tone means that this is not so much an in-depth guide to any of the problems/issues that she touches upon, but rather a starting-point. The book has a very skim-able quality, as if her editor asked her to write something that could be easily read by time-pressed women.

She touches on subjects including health and beauty (her usual territory), dealing with children, dealing with ageing parents, dealing with friends and menopause. Unfortunately, this how-to guide was written before Knight actually turned 50 and went through menopause, and I can’t help but think it might have been improved by waiting at least 5 years or so. She gives some sound advice in certain areas, but the menopause section in particular suffers from the fact that she is reporting on what she has read or been told rather than what she has personally experienced. (Although, to be fair, she does emphasise that there is a huge range of physical and emotional experiences in menopause. No one menopause is alike.)

My major take-always include: take care of your skin, your feet, and your teeth; do yoga; drink lots of water; don’t sweat the small stuff; don’t put up with toxic friendships, and welcome to the joys of pottering.

[Judith Paterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings; chapters on clothes and looking good were very London centric and products suggested were generally very expensive. However I felt like shouting for joy at her diatribe against beige and recommendation to wear colours.
The chapter on ageing parents, and kids / step kids were helpful and insightful. If I was thinking of laser eye surgery the description of her experience was very useful.
PS If you have objections to use of 'bad' language you may not like the frequent use of it in a non-fiction lifestyle book.

[Lisa Hopwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dipped in & out of this one and skimmed over the sections not applicable to me, but I agree with a previous review in that India Knight would’ve been better writing this 10 years later. I found some bits quite flippant, and some of her product recommendations would only be realistic for ladies of a higher social status than I. It’s amusing in parts, although I’m waiting for Caitlin Moran to write a similar title!

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. I'm 'normal' after all!

[Dongy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished this book and let me tell you it has been brilliant!
I have travelled with the author through skin care, relationships, pottering and the menopause and I tell you what, its been a joy to take time out to just review my daily life choices - what colour my toe nail polish is going to be. To bigger thought processes like my own thoughts about aging, my growing up fast teenage children and their lifes and how I feel about my own aging process and where I am in my life right now. And to do all this in not a negative miserable way but a positive casual mooch around my lovely life way.
Thank you India for a opportunity to just gently study my busy but happy life. Cheers chick x

[Carolyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written from an entirely autobiographical perspective (I think all her books are?) and not very helpful. Beauty and make up sections probably most informative. Found myself disagreeing with almost all the other advice. Her opinions on child free women were truly awful ( “they seem to only talk about their parents” / what? ) I have children and found it offensive. A whole chapter on vaping seemed excessive and menopause “advice” seems very dated reading in 2024. I think she used to be a lot funnier.

[Stacey Woods · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not totally a book for me in the end! I really enjoy India Knight’s writing style, but saw pretty quickly that this book would bear absolutely no relation to my life, and kept reading just to see how very different we are as people!

The final chapter on the menopause was, however, quite informative, and the middle section on friends and living well were good, so not a total loss, but if (like me) you have no interest in fashion and beauty, skip those two chapters at the beginning…

[Alison Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

In a word, dreadful. This book was preachy and Sanctamonious and incredibly judgemental. Unless you want to read a chapter on the joys of Vaping and hear how single childless people are self-centred and to be avoided, don’t bother!

[Sarah Tuxford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and really funny. Loved it! Have already recommended it to another two friends

[Lynne Bateman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not to everyone's taste, but I very much enjoyed the part about having a good divorce. Not that I'm divorcing, but I thought it sensible. Achievable?! I hope I never find out! Some pearls of wisdom and entertaining to read

[Nicola Royan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bracing, like advice from a good friend.

[Fiona Broderick]

Some useful info. I have gone off India though, though amusing she is very middle class and judgemental.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A giveaway win.

I'm not really in the right age bracket for this one but having enjoyed her other books thought I'd give it a go. It was interesting but the product recommendations were incredibly annoying since they mean the book is only going to be relevant for a few years yet the advice within it is likely to be useful for many years it'll be dated by the mentions of products and manufacturers which will no longer exist (I suspect some are already gone a year after publication).

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really funny at times, and definitely full of good pointers, but a lot of this book is written almost as a memoir. It's incredibly dismissive of people who are overweight, women who choose not to have children and doesn't even consider how ageing is for working class women who may not have lots of money to spend on all the recommendations/ activities recommended here. I wanted a lot more from this book - the perspective is incredibly blinkered.

[Tredaran · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a shortage of witty, pithy books on the menopause and mid-life that aren't medical and I was excited about receiving this book as a Goodreads giveaway. Good in parts only, sporadically witty and not especially insightful. Maybe at 46, the author has not experienced enough of her prime to make it resonate with readers.

[Gervy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read anything India Knight writes. This includes a few lovely bits of writing about the joys of pottering and dates being cancelled, in between somewhat conflicting advice regarding exfoliation...

[Claire O'Brien · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit hit and miss, and generally lots of common sense, but an interesting book to flick through, reading the bits that apply and skip those that don't. Not as funny as I'd hoped, but some interesting advice, with a long list of cosmetic must haves.

[Lesley Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a woman of a certain age myself, reading this book was fantastic.
With little tips and reflections on the menopause etc, it is really funny.
Thank you, India Knight, for making light of what can be a frustrating period of a woman's life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE8k6...

[C.J. Carver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a fan of India Knight anyway, following her in The Sunday Times, so I wasn't surprised that I enjoyed her book so much. Full of laughs, insights and good common sense, if you want to be "Older, Wiser and Happier" then grabbing this book will be a great start.

[Kitt Noir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straight talking and not afraid to tackle the tough topics. Yet has a good hit of humour too. An honest must read for all women!

[Suzanne Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been listening to this on Audible, absolutely love it. Some great advice on all sorts of things from beauty, fashion, children, relationships. Made me smile quite a few times as well.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some funny moments if your over 40 that will make you laugh! Overall a book that takes a look at the funny side of getting older.