Review by MrunalT -- Our Autumn Years by Arthur Hartz

[Mrunal Tikekar]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Our Autumn Years" by Arthur Hartz.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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In India, it is still a common culture for us to live with parents and even our grandparents in the same house. Up until the death of my grandparents, I lived with them as well. And as much as one feels grateful for having someone wise and experienced around, it is also natural to be overwhelmed by the behavioral complexities of old people. With their failing memories, inability to perform daily functions unaided, their requirement of medical attention, it requires patience and understanding to deal with old people. Having said that, aging is not all that dull and uninteresting. In his book Our Autumn Years; not golden but interesting, author Arthur Hartz argues that elderly people are much more entertaining and interesting than they are imagined to be. I could not agree more.

The book is written in the form of powerful illustrations accompanying thought-provoking quotes. The illustrations in the book speak much more than the words. Through 7 chapters, the author takes his readers on a wonderful journey about the life-phases of the elderly people. The book begins with a granny not picking up her stuff fallen on the floor simply because she cannot bend down to fetch it. It ends with showing how glorious the last few days on life can be. The illustrations and quotes remind young people that elderly people should be treated with respect and not like outcasts. They might need our help with performing tasks but that does not give us the right to be patronizing. As Hartz correctly puts it, ‘someday, someone will understand what interesting people we (the elderly) were’.

I found the cartoon illustrating the thought ‘Her necessity to cool off opened up a whole new career’ to be especially poignant. The thought might appear humorous, but the cartoon depicts the underlying dark reality. Although, the cartoon could have been toned down a bit. Some readers might find the picture of the old stripper offensive. Otherwise, the illustrations are perfect; at times humorous, at times emotional, and always insightful.

The book is a quick read. One can finish reading it within half an hour. But readers would enjoy reading this book. No page fails to amuse. The thought that I would go through the same experiences as the elderly people around me gave me goosebumps. But the author’s cartoon showing how old people can make these experiences fun and lively were soothing.

Apart from the stripper cartoon, I did not have any complaints about the book. Though I wished the author had woven the bits of wisdom in the book into a story. That would have made the book more engaging. A longer book could have also helped. Given these considerations, I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars. Though the book is about old people, I recommend even young readers should read it. The elderly people will be able to laugh at the common experiences, and young people would understand the importance of being empathetic about their elders.

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Our Autumn Years
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[bookreviewmi1111]

This book was positive and suitable for many people. And I also see your criticism here. Thanks for your review!