Stories of Ageing

This work reflects the growing interest within gerontology in fictional representations of old age. It is about stories of ageing - full-length novels with central characters who are in the later part of life (50+) and experiencing the process of ageing as they move into old age. The book draws on symbolic interactionism for its main themes and centres around popular fiction that is widely read and easily available. Ranging from Agatha Christie through to Penelope Lively and Joanna Trollope, it shows how the novel can be a useful source of information about ways we all make sense of growing old. The aim of this work is to enthuse readers to compare their own interpretations of the stories with stories of others, and thus to relate fictions of ageing to their own experience and the work of social gerontologists.