Reading and ageing in Alan Bennet’s Confessions of an uncommon reader, Anne Fadiman’s Ex Libris. Confessions of a common reader, and Jaume Cabré’s La matèria de l’esperit

Ester Baiget-Bonany

University of Lleida, Spain

Ageing gracefully is one of the main challenges of the 21st century. For a long time, the process of ageing has been described as one of dependency and increasing physical and mental degradation. This rather negative view is no longer valid, however, and new inter-disciplinary perspectives on ageing are being developed which highlight more positive aspects of old age while taking into account the social and cultural environment of the individual.

Nowadays ageing is perceived as a biological and cultural experience. In this respect, the role of the arts, and specifically literature, in the ageing process is worth analysing. In the last few years a number of authors from different backgrounds have written accounts of the role of reading in their lives, celebrating literature as a means for inner growth and a valuable aid in the ageing process. This paper will focus on three works that deal with the role of literature in our lives: Alan Bennet’s Confessions of an uncommon reader, Anne Fadiman’s Ex Libris. Confessions of a common reader, and Jaume Cabré’s La matèria de l’esperit.