My thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Publishers for a. Copy of “ Older and Wider” for an honest review.
I LOVED this book and didn’t want it to finish.
As someone who is going through the menopause I felt like Jenny Eclair was a friend talking to me , helping me understand that I’m not going mad and I’m not on my own.
I found myself laughing and nodding in agreement throughout the book ,which was informative and witty.
I will definitely be recommending this to my friends of a similar age ,and younger, so they will be well prepared !

Informative and funny as well as told in a direct style that's also laid-back. I am not near menopause age but can identify better with the women I knew who have been through it.

A welcomingly different sort of book and the title made me laugh straight away- a clever play on words thought up in a way that brilliantly captures something that is related to the subject matter of the book. Way more entertaining than the serious books I had on women's health and better than any school lesson on the subject.

Thanks to Jenny Eclair and publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review

. 4 stars.

I think this is the best book I've ever read about menopause. It's realistic, sometimes even crude, and fun to read.
It made me laugh and reflect on my own experience and it was great to read and say "It's really like this".
It's an excellent read and I think that all women who are approaching or living menopause should read it.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Excellent, irreverent look at the menopause and how it was for Jenny Eclair. She makes the point several times that it’s not the same for every woman, but if you’re looking for a bit of camaraderie about ‘the change’ and some laughs along the way this is the book for you. Found myself nodding along many times - the invisibility of older women, the natural nature of menopause and that ‘Lakelanditis’ is an actual Thing.

This book is an absolute must-read for any person who will go through menstruation. Whilst being informative - and rather alarming! - it's witty and very easy to read.

Although I am (I hope) a few years away from menopause, I thought it would be nice to read something that doesn't make it sound terrifying! I like Jenny Eclair so I was happy to give myself over to her humorous but no-nonsense advice.

The book is arranged as an A to Z of issues affecting women as they age. Some were a little odd and off beat - instructions on growing cress for example - but generally it all made sense and was entertaining. Jenny Eclair approaches the topic with lightness and wit - if you are after serious medical advice then this isn't for you! However, if you want an engaging guide to female ageing and menopause then this is an excellent place to start - I think it would certainly reassure you that you aren't alone.

I particularly liked the fact that Eclair doesn't see menopause as the end - she focuses on the fact there is life beyond and an opportunity to feel comfortable in your own skin, something that sometimes isn't true of younger women who have a lot of society's pressures heaped on them. Menopause doesn't sound fun, but neither does it sound all doom and gloom, which is exactly what I needed to hear!

I loved this book for many reasons, and felt that I could completely and utterly relate to it …I too used to live on the 176 bus route – in fact it used to stop right outside my first floor flat in Sydenham and I actually squealed with excitement when I read about that bus, for my 40th birthday my husband (now ex husband…I wonder why?) bought me tea towels, oven gloves and a candle (a Tesco’s candle, not even a Jo Malone one!) and more importantly, I will turn 50 in a few weeks and the menopause is hitting me hard in the face.

Jenny gives you a warts and all account of what life is going to be like, this book is not tarted up with “light a candle and run yourself a bath” this is insightful, funny and heart-warming. I now feel ready for what is ahead of me -don’t get me wrong, I’m not some kind of weirdo who is looking forward to it, but at least I know that when I go back upstairs to get my car keys and walk back downstairs empty handed, I’m not the only one worrying that I’ve got early onset dementia – there are a whole army of women who are going through it.

The Tim Henman reference had me laughing like a drain – and I would buy the book just for that one sentence alone!!

I will gift this to all my friends who are going through the menopause, and if they don’t find it as funny or as informative as I did, at least they’ve got something to hurl at their partners and husbands who tell them to “get a grip”!

Ok, brace yourself because this is about the Big M, the taboo of some generations male and female, otherwise known as the Menopause. If you are a bloke and stopped reading at THAT WORD, stop being a wimp because, because trust me, it ain’t for cissies. This is Jenny Eclair’s guide to the menopause which interested me because a) I’m a woman of certain age or is that uncertain and b) because I like her acerbic wit which I find funny. So here’s what I think!

This is a genuinely good guide. It makes you laugh very loudly at certain points which I will refrain from mentioning as it’s a spoiler or it may put you off your breakfast, lunch or dinner. I really like her what’s your type of menopause and if you are one of those deeply annoying women who sailed through it without gaining surplus poundage and with only a mild inner built boiler, then I’ll probably hate you! Kidding. Or not. I tried to engage my mother in the m conversation and she harrumphed and told me to stop making a fuss, then looked in horror and sympathy as my face turned the colour of a Victoria plum and a torrent swept all before it and soaked my new cotton (obviously as no m woman should wear anything else) shirt from Boden. So, I’m a Dante’s Inferno rather than a mild summer breeze. Apart from some really SAGE advice ( I use that word advisedly) there are some top tips, lots of wisdom such as don’t look back it’s pointless, this is a punctuation mark and life goes on and it can be bigger and better. I really love the ‘craft hormone’ and know many women who have become infused and enthused with this one. It’s passed me by but I do find myself wandering into Lakeland and admiring the household gadgets. She is so funny on aging men, think Toby jugs , garden gnomes, not forgetting the ubiquitous comb over and hair sprouting where it never ought to. So guys if you think you’re immune to the aging process just check your waistline.

Overall, a brilliant read - it’s funny, wise, puts it all into perspective, lots of helpful ideas, embracing the new you, being braver and bolder and not becoming invisibly beige and yes, I too admire the dogs when out on a walk rather than the babies except for me it’s labradors I want to steal not wire haired daschunds.

With thanks to NetGalley, Quercus and Jenny Eclair.

This my first Eclair. The literary one, not the *drool* calorific ones - had plenty of those that were just as delightful as listening to Jenny Eclair’s ramblings on the big “M” - the dreaded menopause. It is pure balm for the menopausal soul to find that someone as sassy, funny, erudite and together is living through and surviving self-doubt, angst and muffin-tops as us ordinary Janes. I cannot count the number of times whilst reading that I shouted out “A-MEN TO THAT!”, so this book is probably best read out of public transport unless you want to attract some funny looks or the attention of some weirdo god-botherers.
If you are looking for a light-hearted, chortle-inducing coping mechanism through that part of life that can throw you a few curved balls (physically and mentally) you have ARRIVED! Main take-away: Do not obsess, but get organised, be kind to yourself, sit back and enjoy the ride.

All women need to read this book!! To completely demystify the menopause and everything that goes with it. This is the A to Z guide to take you through all the aspects of a journey that all us women go through. It is laugh out loud, and thought provoking, sensible and hilarious. I now feel way better about the whole thing! Instead of feeling depressed about the inevitable droopage I'm feeling empowered.
I loved the unexpected chapters, when my mind had told me what was coming next....and it didn't. Really helpful.
Fantastic and hugely enjoyable!

What a funny book! I'm yet to go through the menopause but I've belly laughed my way through a lot of this book with some things frighteningly familiar!!!. So Thank you Jenny ,I now feel prepared and ready for the fight of my life!!....which I'm going to lose by the sounds of it!!!!

As someone who has enjoyed previous Jenny Éclair novels and being of a certain *ahem* age, I was most keen to read this handy manual to help me understand this 'interesting' stage of life, hoping that it would offer a humorous angle to a phase us ladies have to contend with.

Happily my hopes were met and along with some interesting and sometimes sobering facts, I felt the subject matter was dealt with in a sensitive and entertaining manner. Gone are the days of the menopause being a taboo subject and it is now, luckily, a more socially acceptable topic of conversation., which can only be a good thing seeing as half the world's population has to go through this and the other half have to live with someone experiencing it at some point!

The book was factual and fun, laugh out loud funny at times (mostly while trying to read quietly at night next to a 'gently' snoring husband) and it was great to read experiences of the menopause years from someone else's point of view.

This should be compulsory reading for all - not just us ladies of a certain maturity, but families, friends and work colleagues too. It's also reassuring to know I'm not going mad and this time will pass.

Also great to get some handy tips on wardrobe attire from Jenny, complete with useful M & S reference codes!

Brilliant being a woman of a certain age the issue of the menopause is relevant to me. It is just like sitting down for a drink with a good friend. I found myself nodding and laughing through the book. Jenny is just as irreverent in print as she is on stage. Brilliant read, totally recommended.

Older and Wider is a comprehensive and well researched but refreshingly funny look at the menopause by British comedian Jenny Eclair. I saw it on NetGalley and was intrigued because Jenny actually worked for my parents when I was a teenager - before she became famous - so it was a shock to realise that she’s only ten years older than me and writing about “the change” just as I start to approach mine.

Years ago I went to see her in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and was a bit shocked by how rude and sweary she was - so I was apprehensive that the book might be the same, so was pleasantly surprised - don’t worry, there are still some well-placed swear words and fellatio jokes, but overall it’s a well written, honest and highly relatable review of a subject that most people still don’t want to talk about, organised in alphabetical chapters from A “Are you sure you’re menopausal?” to Z for Zzzzz... (about sleep, obvs.) This works better than you’d expect as she cleverly finds something interesting to say for every letter, no mean feat!

Eclair begins the book by announcing that she’s not a doctor. Well I am, but what a lot of women don’t realise is, that they don’t teach you anything about the menopause at medical school (that might have changed but I’d be surprised) and you don’t need to know anything about it doing hospital jobs, so normally you’d learn what you need to know as you go along in General Practice. Unfortunately the start of my GP training coincided with the first of the major trials linking HRT to adverse health outcomes from scary things like breast cancer and heart disease - so suddenly no one wanted to take it any more. The evidence has see-sawed about it ever since, but the fear of many women has never receded, leaving many to suffer unnecessarily.

Éclair (my iPad keeps insisting on adding an accent to her name, which is cute so I’m leaving it!) very sensibly, repeatedly advocates seeing a doctor for advice about both treatment and worrying symptoms, which obviously I agree with, but here’s an insider tip - whether it’s for advice on symptom management and drug treatment, or for the investigation of unusual changes - if your GP is male or under 50, consult their older female colleague - or go see a specialist. A doctor who has been through it herself will be much more helpful, and her colleague will be relieved rather than offended. In contrast, for potentially life-threatening problems including mental health, choose a GP who works full-time and don’t fret about their gender.

Sorry for the digression - back to the book.
It’s not all serious stuff - some of her lines had me snorting loud enough to disturb the cat: eg “If you are big of knocker, then spending money on a good sports bra is vital, especially if you’re serious about exercising regularly and don’t want to go around looking like you’re in an abusive relationship.”
(A positive or negative, depending on time of day, of my recent increase in temperature is I am now the preferred resting spot for the heaviest of our fur-babies.) Early in the book, Eclair describes her perfect dog - and I thought “what you actually need is a cat” but will grudgingly admit that feline behaviour isn’t ideal for the nocturnally overheated insomniac...

Other parts of the book surprised and delighted me with their insight:
“I think what the menopause does is bring us to a point of crux. There’s no going back. We are entering a truly adult stage of our lives–one where we’re still fit, still compos mentis and still have everything going for us. It’s a time when it feels really important to make some decisions about how we want to live from now on.” and, very much in line with my own philosophy
“Ok, here’s the bottom line girls, we all have our own faiths and beliefs and whatever gets you through the day–as long as it’s not illegal or hurting anyone else–is absolutely cool with me. However unusual your coping mechanism is, if it works for you, don’t let me be the one to put you off.”
However, on one point she is wrong: “Finally, never ever buy shoes online.” The woman is obviously yet to discover Allbirds, the ideal shoe for the older woman, that come in the most delightful array of colours that will match all your colourful cardigan collection (how I related!) and now, even, that I am wearing them for work during this covid crisis - scrubs!

I don’t normally put so many personal observations in my reviews but it’s a sign of how engaged I was with this book, which I will be recommending to friends, family and colleagues for the helpful tips and belly laughs. Big thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the ARC which allowed me to give an honest review. Older and Wiser is published on July 2nd.

Jenny Eclair is a comedian who has made me laugh for many years and her take on the menopause was no exception.
She takes a wry look at the medical side of this life changing event as well as adding in plenty of personal experience while pointing out it is a change of life and not an end of life.

A mix of self help, humour, health and autobiography all split in to an irreverent A-Z made me think that this is the 'Why Mummy Drinks' book for the slightly older reader.

Eclair is balanced in her views on medication vs natural but is not afraid to debunk the outright weird/dangerous. I think that this is a book I will be returning to and hope that more like it are published.

A deliciously funny, honest book, with real insight into this subject. Although full of humour this book also has advice and practical tips for coping with this time of life. I enjoyed Jenny’s candour, and her willingness to tackle all aspects of menopause, no matter how ‘unmentionable ‘. Never a dull moment, I raced through this book, and laughed out loud. Thanks netgalley.

This book aimed at helping other women through the menopause is funny and helpful.
Jenny Eclair writes as though she is helping a friend, so the style is chatty and informal. She talks us through her journey from being a young woman to coming through the menopause now at age sixty.
She writes about how her life has changed post menopause and how she has coped with growing older and giving practical advice on symptoms physical and emotional. In some ways this book is a biography she talks of her mum, growing up and going to drama school. I found the bits about her anorexia very honest and quite moving.
I enjoyed hearing how she got the job of advertising cream for vaginal dryness and peoples reactions to the ad. I was quite shocked that she had comments branding it disgusting and belittling when I think it was quite empowering.
Jenny takes a subject that is not talked about even amongst women and gives space for it to be discussed. It's a really interesting book for women old and not so old.

I really enjoyed this book. As a woman of a similar vintage to the author, I can relate to a great deal of it!

This is a very honest and candid look at the menopausal woman, according to Jenny Eclair. Jenny is a woman who doesn't mince words and she makes a lot of sense, it has to be said. She covers pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about the menopause from being invisible to mood swings to new hobbies and lots and lots more!

I found it quite reassuring that some of the stuff I have stressed over, seems to be quite a common thing, including that feeling that you are piggy in the middle - elderly parents on one hand and children who are going through their own "stuff" on the other. I laughed when she talked about some women getting quite eccentric in their dress sense....as I looked at my multiple coloured tights and several pairs of jeggings (best invention EVER!).

All in all, this is a great book. The menopause isn't a fun period of time in a woman's life but there is something pretty liberating about being over 50 and I love that I am far more my own person that I have ever been :)

4.5 stars from me - I felt the author did belabour the point a bit in some parts.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books.

What a brilliantly funny candid look at the menopause! Funny frank informative and totally relatable! A brilliant read for any women or her partner and children! Whatever you wanted to ask about the menopause is here in full! Honest and down to earth, Hopefully prose like this will help educate the wider public and our men folk to reduce the stigma and taboo of the menopause!
Would highly recommend to all!
Thank you net galley for this early read..

Older and Wider was packed full of laughs and some hard hitting reality, in a really delicate but well executed balance. I'm really glad I got to read this book, it was a really smooth read and I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.