I'm Too Young To Be Seventy: And Other Delusions [Hardcover]

Judith Viorst (Author), Laura Gibson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 27, 2005

The beloved bestselling author of Forever Fifty and Suddenly Sixty tackles the ins and outs of becoming a septuagenarian with her usual wry good humor.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Judith Viorst was born and brought up in New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers University, moved to Greenwich Village, and has lived in Washington, D.C., since 1960, when she married Milton Viorst, a political writer. They have three sons and seven grandchildren. Viorst writes in many different areas: science books, children's picture books, adult fiction and non-fiction, poetry for children and adults, and three musicals, which are still performed on stages around the country. She is best known for her beloved picture book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

As Time Goes By

I wake up on Monday,

Eat lunch on Wednesday,

Go to sleep on Friday,

And next thing I know it's

The middle of next week

And I am shaking mothballs

Out of the winter clothes

I stored for the summer

Five minutes ago,

Because snowstorms follow

The Fourth of July

Faster than faxes,

Faster than e-mail,

Faster, maybe, than the speed of light.

You want to slow down time?

Try root canal.

Try an MRI.

Try waiting for the report on the biopsy.

Or try being a child on a rainy morning

With nothing to do,

Wishing away the hours, the days, the years,

As if there will

Always

Always

Always

Be more.

Copyright © 2005 by Judith Viorst

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1 edition (September 27, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743267745
• ISBN-13: 978-0743267748
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,458 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Literature & Fiction > United States > Poetry
  • #67 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry

More About the Author

Judith Viorst has written many books for children, including the classics Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and its sequels, and If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Stories. She is also the author of Just in Case, illustrated by Diana Cain Bluthenthal. She lives with her husband, Milton, in Washington D.C.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "The woman in the mirror is not the real me.", December 5, 2005

By 

E. Bukowsky "booklover10" (NY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: I'm Too Young To Be Seventy: And Other Delusions (Hardcover)

Can Judith Viorst actually be in her seventies? Where have the years gone? I Googled her and, sure enough, Viorst was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1931. Therefore, she is eminently qualified to write this lively book of poetry called, "I'm Too Young to Be Seventy and Other Delusions."

Although I haven't reached seventy yet, I can certainly appreciate Viorst's clever and amusing poems. In "Body Heat," Viorst claims that she and her husband squabble about how hot or cold the house should be. She and Milton are "thermostatically incompatible." I can relate to that. "As Time Goes By" deals with how fast time flies as one grows older. Yes, that's true. In "Teeth," Viorst admits that frequenting the offices of a periodontist and an endodontist is so costly, that dentures would probably be more cost effective. Can't argue with that. In "They May Be Middle Aged, But They're Still My Children," the author decries the fact that her offspring have outgrown their need for motherly advice. What nerve!

Viorst's poems are topical and fun. The author has always been able to laugh at herself, and as we read her poetry, we laugh along with her as we nod in recognition. Judith Viorst gets the fact that, although most people are reluctant to grow old, they desperately want to enjoy the perks of reaching their golden years in good health.

I enjoyed this slim volume and I hope that I will be privileged to reach seventy someday with a smile on my face and a poem in my heart. "I'm Too Young to Be Seventy" would make a fine gift for the beloved septuagenarian in your life.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comical, August 2, 2006

By 

Audrey H. Dubay (Connecticut) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'm Too Young To Be Seventy: And Other Delusions (Hardcover)

I purchased this book to give to a friend who was retiring at 70. I am glad that I "went through" it before wrapping it. It is a comical book, but does not work for a lady who is not married, has never been married, and has no grandchildren, otherwise a cute gift. Now, I have it in my "gift giving" pile and will wait to find the right person to give it to. In the meantime, I need to find another "funny"for the retiring lady.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's Been A Pleasure Growing Old With Judith Viorst, January 21, 2006

By 

Mel Wacks (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'm Too Young To Be Seventy: And Other Delusions (Hardcover)

My wife and I have enjoyed her books since It's Hard to be Hip Over 30. Time has flown by. Her poems are funny and poignant. She tells it like it is. I hope she and we will be around for the 80's and 90's.