# What to read to the elderly?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-to-the-elderly/424424>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 29, 2007, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-to-the-elderly/424424 "2007-10-29T06:51:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-to-the-elderly/424424/21 "2007-10-30T01:37:01Z")

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I’d suggest something like “To Kill A Mockingbird” or “Peyton Place,” maybe even excerpts from “Gone With the Wind,” or something like that. Granted, they’re not short, but the familiar can be comforting when one isn’t feeling well, and some older people recall these stories from when they were first published.

Columns by the likes of Dave Barry or Lewis Grizzard might appeal, and those are short and sometimes amusing.

Or, there’s always Calvin & Hobbes. That makes everyone feel good.

I like what you’re trying to do, and bless you for helping him.

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**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-to-the-elderly/424424/22 "2007-10-30T02:18:30Z")

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The newspaper suggestions are good. During a summer in college I worked at a newspaper trying to re-up people with expiring subscriptions. I don’t remember how often it happened, but it was frequent enough to make an impact, that an old person would say they wouldn’t renew because their vision was too bad to read the paper. The next summer I volunteered at a retirement home. I really enjoyed it; it was like having a whole bunch of grandparents.

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [October 30, 2007, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-read-to-the-elderly/424424/23 "2007-10-30T02:39:14Z")

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I suppose the _Penthouse Forum_ is out of the question?

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