--- product_id: 63806235 title: "After A Funeral Paperback – 4 Oct. 2012" brand: "diana athill" price: "£4.74" currency: GBP in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/63806235-after-a-funeral-paperback-4-oct-2012 store_origin: GB region: United Kingdom --- # After A Funeral Paperback – 4 Oct. 2012 **Brand:** diana athill **Price:** £4.74 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** After A Funeral Paperback – 4 Oct. 2012 by diana athill - **How much does it cost?** £4.74 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.co.uk](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/63806235-after-a-funeral-paperback-4-oct-2012) ## Best For - diana athill enthusiasts ## Why This Product - Trusted diana athill brand quality - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Full description not available ## Images ![After A Funeral Paperback – 4 Oct. 2012 - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41OYN783slL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Honesty and lucidity *by E***S on Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 4 December 2020* Being an Egyptian born in 1944 , I lived in the period when Didi was a young boy in Egypt . The glimpses of the kind of society he was brought up in is very authentic. Didi's problems may have arisen from a sense of entitlement from his family's status, and not having the means to realize this through an inability to live in the real world .. Adopting communist ideals, running away to Germany, not really brought, educated or trained to support himself financially .. Not having control over his impulsiveness. He was more than fortunate to have come in contact with Diana, about whom the book is really about . Didi , to my mind , being the vehicle by which she manifests her good nature and her upbringing . Throughout you are frustrated by his impossible behaviour and admiring of the way she tried to help . ### ⭐⭐ Who did Athill really write this book for? *by R***Y on Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 31 August 2012* I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it's a touching memorial to a man who obviously meant a lot to Diana Athill. On the other hand, it's a knowing exploitation of that man's mental illness and suicide. Think about it: however altruistic/honourable the author's intentions might seem, she is ultimately the one who profits from this account of Didi's life (the troubled Egyptian author Waguih Ghali). She seems to have written this book a) to clear her own conscience and b) to indulge in the juicy, very "literary" topics of madness and suicide.I'll admit that I was hooked on Athill's writing until the very end... it's an intriguing story, made all the more interesting by the fact that it really did happen. But when I turned the last page, I began to feel as though I'd been "played". This was gossipy, sensationalist writing at its very best and I'd been kept in my seat by the promise of a gruesome climax: Didi's final breakdown and subsequent suicide. I was being entertained at his expense. Did I really need all of those intimate, first-hand excerpts from his diary? Or a description of how Athill made love to him, just weeks before he took his own life? I felt as though I'd intruded on this man's private misery... which Athill was now airing in public, seemingly as a badge of honour: "an exiled artist killed himself in my flat - haven't I led an exciting, passion-filled life?".This self-serving tone creeps in at other times, too - for example, when Athill uses foul language entirely without reason (even going so far as the "C" word at one point). I also don't trust anyone who uses the word "lover" too often. "My lover said this", "I talked it over with my lover"... these are self-conscious attempts to make herself seem liberated, open-minded and young at heart. I found it all quite pretentious, which - by the time you're almost seventy - really is a quality you should've grown out of. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Amazing story *by H***Y on Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 4 November 2012* I love Diana Athill and have read most of her work now. Whilst After The Funeral may not be my favourite Athill so far, it certainly has had me hooked for the last 2 days. Didi, a manic depressive, and writer, lived with Diana for some time in the '60's, his erratic, sometimes downright cruel behaviour towards his kindly host, is relentless and at times disurbing. Diana chose to ignore it for much of the time, inexplicable to modern day readers, perhaps, but typical of women of her class and time.This could have easily become a turgid tale, but Diana's absolute honestly regarding her role in the events was refreshing and gave the account balance. Her understated way of putting events across in a candid, sometimes witty way is a delight. Didi never rated her writing, I am one of Diana's many fans that would disagree with him! --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/63806235-after-a-funeral-paperback-4-oct-2012](https://www.desertcart.co.uk/products/63806235-after-a-funeral-paperback-4-oct-2012) --- *Product available on Desertcart United Kingdom* *Store origin: GB* *Last updated: 2026-05-16*