
Surviving Middle Age w/ Ben Markovits
From Reasonably Happy with Paul Ollinger by Paul Ollinger
February 12, 2026 · 48 min
About this episode
Ben Markovits discusses his novel exploring midlife crises and the search for happiness as we age.
Ben Markovits is the author of several acclaimed novels, including his most recent release The Rest of Our Lives, which explores marriage, infidelity, empty nesting, and mortality. The book, which was short-listed for the Booker Prize, focuses on a 55-year-old law professor’s midlife crisis and transformative road trip after his children leave home. You might say it examines the sources of happiness in our lives as we age. Ben’s writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Guardian. He spoke with me from his home in England. Please rate and review Reasonably Happy (DO IT!) Read Paul’s Substack newsletter Read Ben's book NYT essay Get full access to Reasonably Happy at words.paulollinger.com/subscribe
People in this episode
Host: Paul Ollinger
Guest: Ben Markovits
Topics covered
- middle age
- happiness
- marriage
- infidelity
- empty nesting
- mortality
- midlife crisis
Keywords
- Ben Markovits
- The Rest of Our Lives
- midlife crisis
- happiness
- marriage
- infidelity
- empty nesting
- Paul Ollinger
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian
Books & works: The Rest of Our Lives
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