OVER FORTY AT LAST

by Susanna Kubelka ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 1982

A European journalist, 40 and flourishing, pooh-poohs the ""youth cult""--to great success in Germany, we're told, but with dimmer prospects here. Kubelka's message to other women of her years reduces to a handful of main points: mature women make better lovers (her own early sexual experiences were dismal); they are more patient mothers, less prone to child abuse and more satisfied with their lot in life; they seldom lose a husband or lover to a younger woman, at least not simply because she's younger. The more Kubelka talks about her lively 82-year-old mother, or the grandmother who married a 20-year-old admirer when she was in her 70s, the more removed from the mainstream of American culture she seems (though she's quick to cite American movie stars and other celebrities who demonstrate her points). The confused focus is evident in the treatment of wrinkles. Kubelka claims that, for all the to-do, men don't notice wrinkles and they can actually make a woman look younger: why, then, the advice on how to combat them? The upbeat theme is that beauty shines from the inside out--personality, intelligence, etc.--and young men (per numerous anecdotes) can find older women ""knockouts."" Largely for those low in self-esteem.

Pub Date: June 1, 1982

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1982

Categories: NONFICTION