Published: 2021, Harper Collins Genre: Fiction Themes: Old age, potential infirmity, options My rating (out of 5): ❤❤❤ Is it possible for a writer to be too technically good? Too clever to be engaging? As with all of Lionel Shriver's work, the writing in this book is immaculate, and the concept a good one, but her exploration of potential outcomes of old age was rather exhausting and, dare I say it, I'm afraid I got a little bored after the first few scenarios. In middle age, Kay and Cyril Wilkinson witness the long and undignified decline of Kay's father as he slowly loses his physical and mental capacity to Alzheimer's Disease. By the time he dies after ten years of suffering, Kay can't even cry as this 'dying by degrees cheats everyone. I feel as though he has been dead for years'. At the start of the book the couple are both healthy medical professionals in their fifties, but Cyril's experience as a GP with many elderly patients has caused ...