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shellydennison's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
4.0
Alan Bennett's diaries / writings are one of my comfort reads and this first volume is full of treats.
spencesational's review
2.0
In parts this book was great. In particular, the telling of The Lady in the Van (of which I have also seen the film starring Maggie Smith, and thoroughly enjoyed it), the other 400 and odd pages, however, were boring, confusing and laborious.
I have to agree that maybe I am about ten years too young for this book. I had heard of most of the poets, playwrights and actors but I didn't relate to them and this is more than likely why I disliked this book so much; A.B. talking through tens of pages about Larkin, Auden, A.E. Housman et al., to me, made no sense (I do have to say though, in spite of this, I have been educated as to the vileness of the animal that is Philip Larkin. What a despicable creature he was. Not only a misogynist but cruel to animals to boot). I expected this book to be about A.B. himself not the people he admired and in a way that annoyed me as well.
The only real reason I read Alan Bennett was because Ian Hislop, of Have I Got News For You fame had mentioned him on the show a few times and I thought he might be an interesting read. He wasn't.
A book this size (612 pages) would normally take me eleven or twelve days to read. This was so dull it took me double that. I do understand, however, how people find A.B. so funny and fascinating. I just think he is of the wrong generation for me.
I have to agree that maybe I am about ten years too young for this book. I had heard of most of the poets, playwrights and actors but I didn't relate to them and this is more than likely why I disliked this book so much; A.B. talking through tens of pages about Larkin, Auden, A.E. Housman et al., to me, made no sense (I do have to say though, in spite of this, I have been educated as to the vileness of the animal that is Philip Larkin. What a despicable creature he was. Not only a misogynist but cruel to animals to boot). I expected this book to be about A.B. himself not the people he admired and in a way that annoyed me as well.
The only real reason I read Alan Bennett was because Ian Hislop, of Have I Got News For You fame had mentioned him on the show a few times and I thought he might be an interesting read. He wasn't.
A book this size (612 pages) would normally take me eleven or twelve days to read. This was so dull it took me double that. I do understand, however, how people find A.B. so funny and fascinating. I just think he is of the wrong generation for me.
woolfardis's review
4.0
A.B. probably won't like that I've shelved this under 'literary', but that's what it is, sometimes.
1980 to 1995, Bennett's thoughts on his work, some tidbits of life and musings on how the world works slide next to reviews of books, prefaces to his own works and speeches he has made on close friends at their funerals to bible societies.
I currently have covid brain, my fingers knowing how to spell but deciding against it anyway. It is the first book I've read for several months-over half a year-a year that saw me almost nothing but sad. Very, very sad.
And thus, after experiencing something that stopped the sadness and brought joy and laughter back again, I turned to A.B. for more joy and laughter, and he has not disappointed.
Each of his non-fiction works (compendiums of diaries, speeches, reviews, musings) were added to my eBay basket and bought without second thought. They arrived one after the other and I held my hand over the first chronologically, 'Writing Home', tentatively wondering if I was ready to read again.
Turns out I was and fuck me if I haven't missed it.
1980 to 1995, Bennett's thoughts on his work, some tidbits of life and musings on how the world works slide next to reviews of books, prefaces to his own works and speeches he has made on close friends at their funerals to bible societies.
I currently have covid brain, my fingers knowing how to spell but deciding against it anyway. It is the first book I've read for several months-over half a year-a year that saw me almost nothing but sad. Very, very sad.
And thus, after experiencing something that stopped the sadness and brought joy and laughter back again, I turned to A.B. for more joy and laughter, and he has not disappointed.
Each of his non-fiction works (compendiums of diaries, speeches, reviews, musings) were added to my eBay basket and bought without second thought. They arrived one after the other and I held my hand over the first chronologically, 'Writing Home', tentatively wondering if I was ready to read again.
Turns out I was and fuck me if I haven't missed it.
soupy_twist's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
miramanga's review against another edition
3.0
This is a really meaty tome and took me a long while to get through. It is well worth the reading hours as he writes beautifully and leaves thoughts like butterflies whirling around your head long after you've placed the book down.
spencesational's review against another edition
2.0
In parts this book was great. In particular, the telling of The Lady in the Van (of which I have also seen the film starring Maggie Smith, and thoroughly enjoyed it), the other 400 and odd pages, however, were boring, confusing and laborious.
I have to agree that maybe I am about ten years too young for this book. I had heard of most of the poets, playwrights and actors but I didn't relate to them and this is more than likely why I disliked this book so much; A.B. talking through tens of pages about Larkin, Auden, A.E. Housman et al., to me, made no sense (I do have to say though, in spite of this, I have been educated as to the vileness of the animal that is Philip Larkin. What a despicable creature he was. Not only a misogynist but cruel to animals to boot). I expected this book to be about A.B. himself not the people he admired and in a way that annoyed me as well.
The only real reason I read Alan Bennett was because Ian Hislop, of Have I Got News For You fame had mentioned him on the show a few times and I thought he might be an interesting read. He wasn't.
A book this size (612 pages) would normally take me eleven or twelve days to read. This was so dull it took me double that. I do understand, however, how people find A.B. so funny and fascinating. I just think he is of the wrong generation for me.
I have to agree that maybe I am about ten years too young for this book. I had heard of most of the poets, playwrights and actors but I didn't relate to them and this is more than likely why I disliked this book so much; A.B. talking through tens of pages about Larkin, Auden, A.E. Housman et al., to me, made no sense (I do have to say though, in spite of this, I have been educated as to the vileness of the animal that is Philip Larkin. What a despicable creature he was. Not only a misogynist but cruel to animals to boot). I expected this book to be about A.B. himself not the people he admired and in a way that annoyed me as well.
The only real reason I read Alan Bennett was because Ian Hislop, of Have I Got News For You fame had mentioned him on the show a few times and I thought he might be an interesting read. He wasn't.
A book this size (612 pages) would normally take me eleven or twelve days to read. This was so dull it took me double that. I do understand, however, how people find A.B. so funny and fascinating. I just think he is of the wrong generation for me.