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Live a Little

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Live a Little

By: Howard Jacobson
Narrated by: David Sibley
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About this listen

Penguin presents the audio edition of Live a Little written by Howard Jacobson, read by David Sibley.

A wickedly observed novel about falling in love at the end of your life, by the Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Finkler Question.

At the age of ninety-something, Beryl Dusinbery is forgetting everything – including her own children. She spends her days stitching morbid samplers and tormenting her two long-suffering carers, Nastya and Euphoria, with tangled stories of her husbands and love affairs.

Shimi Carmelli can do up his own buttons, walks without the aid of a frame and speaks without spitting. Among the widows of North London, he’s whispered about as the last of the eligible bachelors. Unlike Beryl, he forgets nothing – especially not the shame of a childhood incident that has hung over him like an oppressive cloud ever since.

There’s very little life remaining for either of them, but perhaps just enough to heal some of the hurt inflicted along the way, and find new meaning in what’s left. Told with Jacobson’s trademark wit and style, Live a Little is in equal parts funny, irreverent and tender – a novel to make you consider all the paths not taken, and whether you could still change course.

 Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Romance Witty

Critic reviews

A joyous new novel… A life-affirming tale of late-flowering love… if we manage to live a little longer, we might have the privilege of enjoying more novels such as this one.
Let’s pause to consider [Howard Jacobson’s] comic elegance and precision… Just look at the way he makes the English language dance for us… the characters, as they converse, striking sparks off one another.
Brilliantly observed… No other novelist writing in Britain could dramatise this nonagenarian love story with greater verve and tenderness, while never forgetting that this is a resplendently comedic form.
[Howard Jacobson] is not one to let the catastrophe of old age get in the way of a good laugh, or a surprisingly tender love story… [Live a Little is] merrily bonkers… This book is alive. It pulses with warmth and intelligence, and, unusually for a novel about old age, it has a lot of style.
A master of the slightly dark comedy… Jacobson brings this little pocket of North London to life superbly, and his two ageing protagonists are wonderful creations, depicted with wit and compassion.
A thoroughly enjoyable read. For a literature snob and a language obsessive… there is a lot to feast on… for someone looking for an emotionally honest storyline, the book also delivers.
Howard Jacobson is a rather rare bird among contemporary novelists, for he devotes himself to what Arnold Bennett called the great cause of cheering us all up. So one opens a new Jacobson novel in the expectation of pleasure… Jacobson’s observations are as acute and funny as ever.
This is a soft-hearted novel, warm and optimistic… [with] nimble, chewy sentences… there is writing to relish on every page.
With effortless precision… [Jacobson’s] exceedingly funny and discursive prose style often belies more serious observations on life… There are opportunities for humour, redemption and hope regardless of how close the end is.
A meander of a novel that nonetheless feels urgent… it’s rarely less than bitterly funny in its determination to face up to the obliteration that awaits us all.
All stars
Most relevant
This is a lovely tale of two old people who find each other after following very different life paths. Both of them have secrets and lies, behaviours they wish to bury, moments of shame and regret. But they also have wisdom to share with others and stories to tell that inform , exasperate and entertain the people around them.
Howard Jacobson has a gift for storytelling and using humour to illustrate not just the absurdities of life but also the absolute truths of what it is to be a fallible human being. I just love his writing. This is not as good as some of his novels but it is still worthy of much praise.

Amusing and bittersweet.

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If you want a story of wealthy geriatrics in North London then look no further. I chose this book because I love Howard Jacobson’s dry whit, but there’s not much of that in this book. He’s applied himself to crafting the characters & situations instead. Well written, so-so narration. I’m hoping for a bit more drama in my next book

It’s all right

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stunning language ,moving story that makes old age seem strangely appealing. Highly recommend. Excellent narration.

A must read

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I wasn’t too sure in the beginning. I didn’t think I would warm to the main character. Suddenly she reminded me of my mother- in -law .

Then myself.

I would recommend this book for every parent and grandparent.... and their children. A great story.h

A very moving and funny book

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Loved looking into the thoughts of the elderly. Witty and moving. We need more stories involving the over 70s

Deep and amusing insight into lives of the elderly

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