Writing Home
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Overview
Bringing together the hilarious, revealing, and lucidly intelligent writing of one of England’s best known literary figures, Writing Home includes the journalism, book and theater reviews, and diaries of Alan Bennett, as well as “The Lady in the Van,” his unforgettable account of Miss Shepherd, a London eccentric who lived in a van in Bennett’s garden for more than twenty years. This revised and updated edition includes new material from the author, including more recent diaries and his introduction to his Oscar-nominated screenplay for The Madness of King George. A chronicle of one of the most important literary careers of the twentieth century, Writing Home is a classic history of a life in letters.
The funny, revealing, and lucidly intelligent writing of one of England's best-known literary figures, Writing Home includes Bennett's journalism, book and theater reviews, his diaries from the 1980s, an account of Miss Shepherd--a London eccentric who lived in a van in Bennett's garden for more than 20 years--and much more. 32 pages of photos.
Synopsis
Bringing together the hilarious, revealing, and lucidly intelligent writing of one of England’s best known literary figures, Writing Home includes the journalism, book and theater reviews, and diaries of Alan Bennett, as well as “The Lady in the Van,” his unforgettable account of Miss Shepherd, a London eccentric who lived in a van in Bennett’s garden for more than twenty years. This revised and updated edition includes new material from the author, including more recent diaries and his introduction to his Oscar-nominated screenplay for The Madness of King George. A chronicle of one of the most important literary careers of the twentieth century, Writing Home is a classic history of a life in letters.
Publishers Weekly
Previously a bestseller in England, this eclectic collection of book reviews, essays and diary excerpts by screenwriter (The Madness of King George) and playwright (Single Spies) Bennett is a delightful blend of wit and intelligence. Bennett's writing career began in 1960, when he collaborated with Peter Cook, Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller on the successful satiric review Beyond the Fringe. Diary excerpts from 1980-1990 document other theatrical and cinematic adventures and also describe, with Bennett's typical self-deprecating humor, his experiences in New York (he was mugged on the Lower East Side) and his trip to Russia with other writers. Bennett's social commentary on British politics and his critical articles about poet W.H. Auden, actor John Gielgud and playwright John Osborne are informed and perceptive. Also included is a memoir of his childhood during WWII, when he first became acquainted with books, and a moving account of a woman who lived in a van in front of his home in Camden, a borough of London. Photos. Author tour. (Aug.)
Editorials
From the Publisher
“[A] wonderful book, the wit of which spills over even into the index....There’s so much here...[Bennett] is angry, hilariously self-pitying and he writes beautifully.” —The Times (London)“Delightful.” —Time
“A classic performance.” —Times Literary Supplement
“Brilliantly perceptive...If anyone wants to define the distinctive Englishness of English writing, they can find it all in this book—modesty, irony, self-deprecating wit, and supremely good observation.” —Daily Telegraph “The book [contains] perhaps the funniest piece ever written about the theater...marvelous, marvelous, marvelous.” —The Independent
“Irresistibly well written, wry, witty, every sentence a pleasure...Humane, observant, and sharply intelligent.” —Sunday Time