132,655
edits
Changes
A Life Like Other People's by Alan Bennett (view source)
Revision as of 13:36, 5 September 2020
, 13:36, 5 September 2020no edit summary
A bonus for me was that I know many of the places in the book well. Whether it's Leeds in the post-war period or the Yorkshire Dales at a later time it would be difficult to find words which better evoke those places, from the ''mucky Leeds'' which his parents longed to leave to the ''unhearselike scoot'' across the bypass to the cemetery in the village where his parents spent their retirement years.
The book is, of course, a delight. Alan Bennett never produces anything less. The writing is superb – appearing effortless and with never a wasted word. The observations are acute but always kindly and whilst we might laugh it will never be done in malice. And just occasionally we will chuckle with our author at himself. I've read the book before and I don't doubt that I shall read it again, but even on a second reading , it was still fresh and enjoyable.
There is, though, a drawback. You can look along your shelves and nowhere will you see ''A Life Like Other People's'', but you may well have bought and enjoyed [[Untold Stories by Alan Bennett|Untold Stories]]. This book is the core work in that book, under the title ''Untold Stories'' and it has simply been reprinted along with many of the photos from the original book. Even footnotes have been slightly amended to serve the purpose – in one case referring the reader to the wrong book.
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
For more on the subject of depression you might appreciate [[The Sunlight on the Garden: A Family in Love, War and Madness by Elizabeth Speller]] or [[Shoot the Damn Dog by Sally Brampton]]. For a similarly brief personal memoir , we can recommend [[Toast: the Story of a Boy's Hunger by Nigel Slater]]. We've also enjoyed Alan Bennett's [[Keeping On Keeping On: Diaries 2005-2014 by Alan Bennett|Keeping On Keeping On: Diaries 2005-2014]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0571248136}}