<DIV>In her two decades of writing, Elinor Lipman has populated her fictional universe with characters so utterly real that we feel like they’re old friends. Now she shares an even more intimate world with us—her own—in essays that offer a candid, charming take on modern life. Looking back and forging ahead, she considers the subjects that matter most: childhood and condiments, long marriage and solo living, career and politics.</p><P>In these stories you’ll find the lighthearted as well as the serious and profound. Whether for Lipman’s longtime readers or those who love the essays of Nora Ephron or Anna Quindlen, <I>I Can’t Complain</I> is a diverting delight.</DIV>