Suddenly Sixty And Other Shocks Of Later Life [Hardcover]

Judith Viorst (Author), Laurie Rosenwald (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 4, 2000

From the bestselling author of Forever Fifty comes a new collection of poems that tickle, console, and offer the pleasure of instant recognition -- the perfect book for any woman anywhere in the vicinity of sixty.

Judith Viorst's "decade" books of verse -- including It's Hard to Be Hip Over Thirty, How Did I Get to Be Forty, and Forever Fifty -- have delighted millions of readers worldwide who relish her wit, warmth, and wisdom. Now here she is with Suddenly Sixty, a funny and touching book that speaks directly to the sixty-ish woman, inviting her to laugh about, sigh over, and come to hopeful terms with the complex issues of this decade of life.

Among the poems in this charmingly illustrated collection are those exploring the joys -- and strains -- of children and grandchildren, and the intimacy of old friends who've "known each other so long/We knew each other back when we were virgins." There are poems that tip their hat to mortality, wrestle with a husband's retirement -- "He's coming with me when I shop at the supermarket/So I won't have to shop alone. I like alone." -- and acknowledge the fact that at this stage of life we'd "give up a night of wild rapture with Denzel Washington for a nice report on my next bone density test." Offering plenty of laughs, a few tears, and cover-to-cover truths, these are poems for everyone who would "rather say never say die than enough is enough." Every woman who has reached this decade will -- rueful and smiling -- find herself in the pages of this book.

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.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st edition (October 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068486763X
• ISBN-13: 978-0684867632
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #185,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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

93 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sixtyish and Sassy!, October 1, 2000

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Suddenly Sixty And Other Shocks Of Later Life (Hardcover)

Ms. Viorst has become more outspoken in these poems than in her earlier "decade" works. I think you'll like the change. "It still will be impossible to persuade my husband when lost to stop the goddamn car, and ask for directions." Concerning her husband's retirement, "And guess who's the hobby he chose?" In talking about her children and grandchildren, she exults that her grandchild prefers her for cuddling to her son. You'll never quite think about life the same way after you read "1963 -- Niagara, 1999 -- Viagra."

On the other hand, she's hanging in there as a woman. "I've painted blue nail polish on my toes . . . ." "I will still buy bikini underwear." "I don't intend to stop showing a little cleavage." Yet, ". . . it's hard to be frisky over sixty." "L's for libido -- what's happened to sex?"

There are also the inevitable losses. "How am I going to walk in this world without talking to my friend about eyeliner and the meaning of the universe?" She has some very strong feelings about the bad things that should happen to the man who leaves his wife of 42 years for a younger woman.

One of the best sequences comes in a series of poems on the subject of "A Brief History of Marriage" that begins with "a life lived -- at least for a while -- in paradise." In "To Be Continued" we learn that ". . . sometimes we still get a glimpse of paradise."

My favorite poem on aging was "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep." The poem is a long list of all the things that can and usually do disturb slumber. If none of these occur, she says, "I might -- I just actually might -- do a little sleeping."

There's still a wonderful optimism about how good things could be. In "If Only," she contemplates reconstructing the world. "If only shopping at Saks counted as exercise."

The poems are grouped in five sections: Suddenly Sixty, A Brief History of Marriage, More on Marriage, The Children and Grandchildren, and Other Shocks.

The witty poems are wonderfully illustrated with red and black drawings by Laurie Rosenwell.

Whatever your age, ask yourself which attributes of youth you would like to retain and which qualities of greater age you would like to add. In this way, you can create a wonderful combination that will serve you better than simply fulfilling the expectations of society about "acting your age." Enjoy your age!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're 60+ ..you love this book., September 25, 2002

By 

happy reader "d/mil" (Harrison, AR USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Suddenly Sixty And Other Shocks Of Later Life (Hardcover)

If you're 60 or over.....you'll be able to relate to practically every poem in this book. A great birthday present for your friends celebrating any of the "60" birthdays.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Judith Viorst has another winner!, August 25, 2003

By 

J. Carroll (Toledo, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Suddenly Sixty And Other Shocks Of Later Life (Hardcover)

She's done it again! Anyone 60+ will recognize herself in Judith's spectacular verses. To get the full flavor of these poems, you have to read them out loud with all the proper inflections. I never laughed so hard or cried so much over a book as I did with this one. She hits the nail on the head when she describes life after 60!!