i admire diana athill very much and think that instead of a letter really should have done me good if only because it did cut close to home, but perhaps examples no longer inspire - the recovery of confidence after losing love, the process of finding voice again after falling into silence, the regaining of courage to believe in oneself - all of these one has to do it for oneself, and before that time, being reminded, even in someone else's story, still hurts.

i liked the first athill i had read (stet) and this one was no disappointment either. it was intelligent and evocative and witty, written with self-knowledge and honesty without being embarrassingly soul-baring, canny and clear-eyed and unsparing but never condemning, ungracious or regretful. i shall send my copy to yen and then perhaps it can make the rounds at home.

and here are a bunch of reviews about various athill books, and if you scroll down there is a lengthy extract from stet which quite a few of you i can think of will enjoy, especially the philip roth bit.