Book requests for an older female reader please.

[grotto]

Is one of the problems that 40 was aged when a number of the earlier classics were written?

I mean in the 19th century - I hope this doesn't sound offensive - I am 45.

No offence taken on my end Paulclem, I’m 48 and it’s something that I have noticed for a while in literature, being old doesn’t seem to hold much value unless it’s a stereotype, we hurry to grow up and somewhere around 40-50, we turn around and start looking backwards in regret and our literature, society and media foster this.

This is probably the wrong place to ask this question, most of the demographic here is under 25, but I thought I would try, it is a literature forum!

Thanks for the input so far folks.

[mona amon]

There aren't all that many, are there? How about Love in the Time of Cholera? That fiesty novel about love at all ages.

I think there are a couple of plays by George Bernard Shaw. I'll post about them after I recall the titles.

[amarna]

Not easy to find novels on mature women. I thought of Disgrace by Coetzee and The dying animal and The human stain by Roth, but these are all on males.

[breeze]

Theatre by William Maugham
Mrs Warren’s Profession by Bernard Shaw
Memento Mori by Muriel Spark
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

[amarna]

Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg. Gorgeous novel, and Smilla is about 40.

Edit: And Muriel Barbery's Elegance of the Hedgehog, the story of a Parisian concierge who leads a double life as highly gifted and is in her fifties.

[Buh4Bee]

Snowflower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Not high literature but a good well written story about the connection of two Chinese women in historic China.

[My name is red]

Definitely:
GOOD MORNİNG,MİDNİGHT by jean rhys

[mollie]

Grotto, has your friend ever read anything by Elizabeth Taylor? Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont is a good read, though not precisely what you have said your friend is looking for. It is published by Virago.

[grotto]

Thank you all for the suggestions, I have written them all down and will be handing her the list later this evening.

Thanks again to all.