Keeping On Keeping On

September 1, 2017
The third installment of diaries from the celebrated dramatist and author.For a butcher's son from Leeds, Bennett (Smut: Two Unseemly Stories, 2011, etc.) has done exceedingly well for himself. From his early days as a member of Beyond the Fringe--he modestly calls himself "a less talented performer" than Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, or Jonathan Miller--he has since become the author of such celebrated plays as The Madness of George III and The History Boys. To many readers, he may be just as famous for his diaries, which have appeared annually in the London Review of Books for 30 years. Like its predecessors, Writing Home (1995) and Untold Stories (2006), this book contains a decade of his diary entries. Fans will recognize Bennett in these pages: riding his bike, buying antiques, visiting medieval churches, and, as always, enjoying his lovingly described sandwiches. Part of the charm of these entries is the mix of the mundane and the glamorous. In a senior moment, he can't find a favorite sweater, and his partner has to tell him he's wearing it. Next, he's meeting the likes of Judi Dench, Tom Stoppard, Elizabeth Taylor (who sat on his knee at a party, although he doesn't remember why), and John F. Kennedy. The second half of the book includes introductions to his later plays, speeches, and two unproduced scripts, but the highlights are the diaries. Bennett makes just about everything sound poetic, as when he writes that a routine colonoscopy reveals "a little fairy ring of polyps, innocent enough but ruthlessly lassoed and garrotted by the radiographer." And who wouldn't smile upon reading that, at the post office, an elderly customer recognized Bennett and commanded, "Say something whimsical"? "I am in the pigeon-hole marked 'no threat, ' " Bennett writes of his reputation for niceness. "And did I stab Judi Dench with a pitchfork I should still be a teddy bear." That may be debatable, but the good-naturedness in these engaging pages is proof of his current standing.

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November 15, 2017

"Kindly, cozy, and essentially harmless" is the way Bennett (The Madness of King George, The History Boys, and Lady in a Van) describes himself in this third volume of diaries, covering the years 2005-15, following Writing Home (1995) and Untold Stories (2006). As he writes of outings to old churches, antique hunting, biking around town, and searching for the perfect sandwich, he portrays the quaint life of an 82-year-old. The author treats his aging and health problems lightly, joking about how his hearing deterioration has led to misunderstandings. Then with a reformer's zeal, he switches to complaints about the inequality of the public school system and the rightward turn of Britain's politics. His contention that "closing local libraries is child abuse" reflects his vigorous campaign to save these institutions. Receiving prestigious awards, meeting with actress Judi Dench, playwright Tom Stoppard, and other celebrities reminds us that Bennett is one of Britain's foremost playwrights. Two full-length plays and several introductions and speeches accompany the diary entries, making for many pages of polite yet stimulating reading. VERDICT This work will appeal to readers who value graceful, entertaining writing, especially those interested in the theater. [See Prepub Alert, 5/15/17.]--Nancy R. Ives, SUNY at Geneseo

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2017

A major British dramatist--who can forget The History Boys, which grabbed six Tony Awards, including best play--Bennett offers a bracing third collection of prose that includes his diaries from 2005 to 2015, plus essays, reviews, and irreverent bits of humor.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.