Alan Bennett

Love Alan Bennett. I have a copy of "Untold Stories", about his relationship with his parents, and, among other things, extracts from his diaries. He wrote some amazing plays, my favourite of which is "A Question of Attribution", about the spy Anthony Blunt.

Radio 4 have played his readings this week, certainly cheered me up, he just says it as it is, brilliant

Oh missed that! I am very fond of his books. Loved the little one about the Queen discovering reading.

Oh yes and his plays of course.

His book "Smut" was awful!

I'm reading Untold Stories at the moment. He's very...human...if you know what I mean.

He is brilliant.

I agree about Smut, Grannyknot. Very disappointing.

Looking forward to reading this new one though!

I have been listening to him on Radio 4 too, and really enjoying it.
Have always loved his work.

Love his voice, and the honesty of his reactions to his experiences.

I too am enjoying it Shama

Yes I just had to listen he is so funny.

It's on radio 4 again this week 9;45

I just listened to him talking to Andrew Mar on radio 4

Have read just about everything he has ever published.He is great doing readings of his own work.I think he must have been born with 'an older voice'

Am currently thoroughly enjoying 'Untold Stories ' as recommended here. What an interesting mind Alan Bennett has. He's truly a national treasure. I presume he must have been offered and refused a knighthood at some time? If Joan Collins can be DBE he's surely more of a credit to the country than her!

I'm almost at the end of the book, Jane10. What I like so much is just how ordinary and unpretentious he is and how he lives like most people do. I can imagine him living next door to me or across the road.

I wish he did!

He's really great,

Gransnet is just the sort of thing that Bennett might well peek into, he always says that he listens in to conversations of older people ( of course he's an older person himself now) so we may find our posts replicated in his next book.

I wonder what he'd make of some of the threads!
One of my guilty pleasures is eavesdropping on old ladies on the bus or in tearooms. Its probably harder for Alan Bennett to do that incognito though.

Do you think......

Yes! He is ........da da da! One of us. ( which one?)