Nobody does that quiet, English, 'life isn't meant to be easy' pessimism as well as Alan Bennett. In Bennett's England it's either raining, just stopped raining, or just about to start raining. Life as one long, cold, damp, uneventful Sunday afternoon. Everybody smiles...but nobody really has anything to smile about.
When I was little we had Winnie the Pooh audio cassettes we'd play in the car on holiday, and they were narrated by Alan Bennett. His voice is synonymous with my childhood and I find it incredibly comforting. When I was older my mum showed me a couple of Talking Heads and I've been a fan of his work ever since. The humour and quiet tragedy he articulates perfectly captures the human condition. If you haven't seen talking heads I'd highly recommend them, there are older ones from 1988 and 1998 as well as a more recent series, all absolutely fantastic, poignant, funny and tragic. He's a national treasure
As we await the birth of our first grandchild, I am dying to know the names the happy parents have chosen, but have to admit, I hope it's something more classic than trendy. I expect Edna and Ethel were trendy when my respective aunties were christened back in 1900's! Beautifully observed, Mr Bennett.
@bensimps123 Thank you. I lived in the UK in the '70s. Those Sunday afternoons still haunt me. The British sense of humour is what what I admire most about them. No matter how grim things are, the British can always see the funny side of it.
Dear Alan, what a treasured litany; with any luck she will not be christened Brighton - although her baby brother yet to be conceived, might just be Heathrow. I got Wendy, my grandmother's choice because she liked that damn' book. Her only daughter was Doris.
When my great-nephew was named Dylan, my dad was thrilled because he assumed his great-grandson was named after Dylan Thomas. Not one person in our family ever disabused my dad's notion, but we all knew the baby was named after a character in 'Neighbours'.
How is "Alan" faring? Prominent individuals with that moniker are found in the 19th and 20th centuries (including AB), and it still sounds modern in my ears, but is there a new cohort coming along? I don't know. Finally, I know for certain that Walter has not died out, and it is an attractive name.
That is his way. I always feel guilty about my political disposition which is clearly not his. I daresay I'm the type of person he loathes. I admire him hugely nonetheless. A Mozart with words.
Nobody does that quiet, English, 'life isn't meant to be easy' pessimism as well as Alan Bennett. In Bennett's England it's either raining, just stopped raining, or just about to start raining. Life as one long, cold, damp, uneventful Sunday afternoon. Everybody smiles...but nobody really has anything to smile about.
Buck Turgidson
That........ Is spot on
it's not pessimism it's realism
When I was little we had Winnie the Pooh audio cassettes we'd play in the car on holiday, and they were narrated by Alan Bennett. His voice is synonymous with my childhood and I find it incredibly comforting.
When I was older my mum showed me a couple of Talking Heads and I've been a fan of his work ever since. The humour and quiet tragedy he articulates perfectly captures the human condition. If you haven't seen talking heads I'd highly recommend them, there are older ones from 1988 and 1998 as well as a more recent series, all absolutely fantastic, poignant, funny and tragic. He's a national treasure
He is so good - once you start listening you can't stop.
So neatly observed and quietly sad.
Such a special intelligent and observant man.
That last line always gives me a chill.
"and what will her name be?"
This is from his "Untold Stories" which is my personal favourite of his books. Written at a time he thought he was dying of cancer.
I just read this in his book 'Telling Tales'.
He doesn't sugar coat things. Which is wonderful.
Apart from chips sometimes.
As we await the birth of our first grandchild, I am dying to know the names the happy parents have chosen, but have to admit, I hope it's something more classic than trendy. I expect Edna and Ethel were trendy when my respective aunties were christened back in 1900's! Beautifully observed, Mr Bennett.
He fixes you with those owlish eyes and gives you a stern lecture in the most astonishing and eloquent English.
Pure genius, if somewhat pessimistic-absolutely English genius for extracting humour from quotidian tragedy
If you saw humour in that, god bless you!
~*~ Nostalgically & Eloquently Spoken! ~*~
@bensimps123 Thank you. I lived in the UK in the '70s. Those Sunday afternoons still haunt me. The British sense of humour is what what I admire most about them. No matter how grim things are, the British can always see the funny side of it.
Always found the phrase ‘sunshine home’ so often the opposite of what those places really are....
Dear Alan, what a treasured litany; with any luck she will not be christened Brighton - although her baby brother yet to be conceived, might just be Heathrow. I got Wendy, my grandmother's choice because she liked that damn' book. Her only daughter was Doris.
Wonderful x
Brilliant.
Masterful.
I sat next to Doris in primary school and her younger sister was called Hilda. That one really hit home!
So very tragic but funny as hell............
" and this is your little grand-daughter , I wonder what her name will be " - probably one of those ghetto names usually starting with a 'k'.
Keith seems like an antiquated name now
I think I am going to end it all.
So true.....the old folks' homes will soon be filling up with Kylie's, Beyonce's and Kayleigh's.
When my great-nephew was named Dylan, my dad was thrilled because he assumed his great-grandson was named after Dylan Thomas. Not one person in our family ever disabused my dad's notion, but we all knew the baby was named after a character in 'Neighbours'.
How is "Alan" faring? Prominent individuals with that moniker are found in the 19th and 20th centuries (including AB), and it still sounds modern in my ears, but is there a new cohort coming along? I don't know. Finally, I know for certain that Walter has not died out, and it is an attractive name.
Any transcriptions of it hanging around?
@gyoza007 well said
Kevin and Darren are old names not new. Just old Irish names made popular by Irish immigration
Seems like Alan is trying to cheer himself up by depressing the rest of us.
That is his way. I always feel guilty about my political disposition which is clearly not his. I daresay I'm the type of person he loathes. I admire him hugely nonetheless. A Mozart with words.