Two unexpected tales written and read by the best-selling author of The Uncommon Reader, Untold Stories and The History Boys.
The Greening of Mrs Donaldson - Mrs Donaldson is a conventional middle-class woman beached on the shores of widowhood after a marriage that had been much like many others: happy to begin with, then satisfactory and finally dull. But when she decides to take in two lodgers, her mundane life becomes much more stimulating...
The Shielding of Mrs Forbes - Graham Forbes is a disappointment to his mother, who thinks that if he must have a wife, he should have done better. True, her own husband isn't all that satisfactory either. Still, this is Alan Bennett, so what is happening in the bedroom (and in lots of other places too) is altogether more startling, perhaps shocking, and ultimately more true to people's predilections.
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"Two shortish stories; both seem to suggest that sexual peculiarities, quirks and peccadilloes are more widespread than one might suspect. The first is stronger [previously in LRB], the second revisits, not entirely convincingly, themes, names and details from the earlier oeuvre ... " — Michael (4 out of 5 stars)
"Two shortish stories; both seem to suggest that sexual peculiarities, quirks and peccadilloes are more widespread than one might suspect. The first is stronger [previously in LRB], the second revisits, not entirely convincingly, themes, names and details from the earlier oeuvre ... "
" I liked one story more than the other, but both stories were just delicious! "
" Everyone should read this now--two longer short stories in one volume. The first short story was my favorite, and a really great find in an airport bookstore. "
" Great short fiction - a good day's entertainment. If these two stories hadn't been written by Bennett the Great, I might be tempted to suggest they were a little self-indulgent in places. But Bennett is... Bennett. So he's allowed. "
" a fun, quick read. though most reviewers here think this is not Bennett's best, i found it a pleasant distraction from the far more demanding books i have yet to finish. "
" Two short stories. The first one mildly amusing, but somewhat creepy. The second one absolutely hillarious! Great understated writing, requires close reading to figure out what is going on (some bits anyway), but also wickedly funny. "
" Great - can we have some more please Alan? "
" funny and memorable. SUPER FAST. i literally read it in 2 shuttle rides to work, with time to spare. i wish there was more of it, it was entertaining. "
" Alan Bennett can verge on profound, but even in these little amusements, he's always a master. "
" a total disappointment; none of the humour you'd expect or any characters I could relate to - hoping he hasn't lost his touch "
" Intriguing by turns, haunting at times. But, on the whole, mediocre. "
" I wasn't all that impressed with these two stories - I didn't find the characters at all sympathetic or compelling, and the sequence of events rang false. "
" Loved this book. My first Alan Bennett. Surprisingly good and very funny in parts. "
" The first story was ridiculous, but the second was compelling. Both, however, were written in such a bizarre and disjointed way that I wasn't able to enjoy either. "
" Nobody does smut quite like Alan Bennett. "
" Lovely, lovely, lovely pair of stories but not much else to it really. Neither is it as smutty or salacious as the title may suggest. I didn't enjoy this as much as The Uncommon Reader. "
" I picked this one up because I liked The Uncommon Reader a lot. This book didn't strike me as funny at all even though some parts of it made me laugh. One of the reviews called it "good, old-fashioned British humour." Well, I guess it's not my kind of British humor. "
" Put simply if your a fan of Alan Bennet you'll like this. In particular these two short stories reminded me of his talking heads dramatic monolgues so if you enjoyed them you should read these. They are both quite short and very easy to read. "
" A slim little book of two short stories that nevertheless packs a wallop. Love, sex, death, aging, secrets, and it's damn funny, too. "
" A quick and kooky book. "
" Odd little book of two stories about olde(r) people. Funny. "
" This book made me laugh. I prefered the first story, which had a beautiful ending, to the second, which had too many points of view, but was entertained by both. "
" These stories are so unexpected. I found so many things I would like to add to my own writing. "
" Wish there were half stars...3 1/2 for Smut! "
" I like Alan Bennett but these are two long stories that while entertaining, are just a bit of fun bluff. An amusing little book to read in an airport. "
" Two hilarious stories surrounding Britain's middle aged, modernity and sex. I'm looking forward to reading other such stories in this relatively new British genre. "
" Clever and easy to read. It was not, however, nearly as much fun as the Uncommon Reader. "
" These compact stories gave me wry smile "
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