The Reading Group Reads
Alan Bennett's Untold Stories
Alan Bennett's "UNTOLD STORIES" was the reading group's
choice for April-our third biographical book in a row. Unsurprisingly, we all
found it a wonderful read; funny, compassionate, sad, humane, insightful and
clever, set at a measured and thoughtful pace, even if a bit long.
Alan Bennett decided to write this mixture of autobiography, diaries, lectures and reviews, ("I could have sorted them out, but am happier with them jumbled together") in 1997, when he was diagnosed with cancer and given only a 50-50 chance of survival. "A death sentence means tidying up has to be done." He really expected some of the book to be published posthumously; very few people knew of the diagnosis - " cancer is not a career move and I kept quiet, which since I'm still here, turned out to be the right thing to have done, otherwise I might have died of embarrassment."
The first part which was every one's favourite, is a poignant family memoir, of his childhood in Leeds,( he was born in 1934) centred around his parents' relationship with each other, with their sons and extended family. His mother who was " funny, loving and full of life" , suffered from recurrent delusional depression which meant frequent admissions to psychiatric hospitals- the reason for enormous distress for the family. His father, whom the author said he had always disappointed, was very sensitive, musical and had taught himself the violin. He was put to work in a butcher's shop aged 12, by a hated stepmother , who's funeral was "an occasion of undiluted joy."
His parents' one wish was to keep themselves to themselves and not be noticed by anyone; their shyness was a social affliction which left them with very little self confidence. There was however a lot of love in this family and fun too with his mother's two sisters and lovely grandparents and twice weekly visits to the cinema, though the whole story is tinged with sadness. It was years before Alan and his brother learnt that their maternal grandfather had committed suicide when depressed about family finance.
Alan Bennett describes himself as a late developer, who as a "clever" boy was put up two years in school and who suffered for it. He was a "fervent Christian" and becoming aware of his sexuality which made him so lonely and unhappy hoped it was "just a phase." He talks about his homosexuality in the book, in no great detail, but it was not until he was in his fifties that he found a partner ( not actually living with him until he was ill) and "counted himself blessed."
His diaries written between 1996-2004 are a random collection of entries about his beloved Yorkshire, his interest in old churches, travels in Italy, France and the USA, his life in Camden town and his greatest honour of being made a trustee of the National Gallery "because he represented the man in the street." When he writes about literature. the theatre and plays, he knows and meets almost every one of any importance in that sphere. One is left in no doubt as to who he respects an who he doesn't. He is cutting ,critical, complementary and compassionate.
He talks about his undergraduate years in Oxford again in no great detail. He says he never really felt part of it and has no nostalgia for it; he worked very hard and did" not have a first class brain";he says he would have much preferred a first class body. He got a first but his mother not really understanding the system asked if "he had come top of the class." He turned down an honorary degre from the university because of the Rupert Murdoch chair in Language and Communication. Not a man he approves of.
He talks lovingly and at some length about Flora Hird , for whom he wrote several parts on television and from her memorial service says "she had a long and happy life and took her place amongst the best we have."
The penultimate chapters are wonderful lectures given to the Trustees of the National Gallery - one called "Going to the Pictures"about galleries and pictures in general and the other about paintings for schools called "Spoilt for choice"
The last group of chapters are very personal and called "Ups and Downs" He is maliciously attacked in Italy whilst walking with his partner Rupert, and even after hospital treatment and every one he tells saying "oh well"" finds it very difficult to understand that his sexuality can be the reason for such violence. He finally talks in more detail about his reason for the book's being - his diagnosis of colon cancer - - what he calls " a real bummer in every sense of the word." The size of the tumour the surgeon said , when asked was the size "of the average rock bun" which the author found paradoxically quite re-assuring. He gets through the horrible treatment and survives - "more than anything that I have written or otherwise achieved in my life, against all sense and logic, I feel pride in having come through, or come this far..........I am one of the many who are here when they did not expect to be here. Take heart."
Read it, or buy the BBC audio book, of the first part, read by the author.
Next book for May is "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy. We'll meet on Wed 2nd at 8.00pm at Kent House