The Lady In The Van |
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Alan Bennett
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Pages: 96 (Paperback)
ISBN: 1861971222
Pub: Profile Books
Pub date: 1999-03-18
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 8906
Editorial Review:
Life imitates art in The Lady in the Van, the story of the itinerant Miss Shepherd, who lived in a van in Alan Bennett's driveway from the early1970s until her death in 1989. It is doubtful that Bennett could have made up the eccentric Miss Shepherd if he tried, but his poignant, funny but unsentimental account of their strange relationship is akin to his best fictional screen writing.
Bennett concedes that "One seldom was able to do her a good turn without some thoughts of strangulation", but as the plastic bags build up, the years pass by and Miss Shepherd moves into Bennett's driveway, a relationship is established which defines a certain moment in late 20th-century London life which has probably gone forever. The dissenting, liberal, middle-class world of Bennett and his peers comes into hilarious but also telling collision with the world of Miss Shepherd: "there was a gap between our social position and our social obligations. It was in this gap that Miss Shepherd (in her van) was able to live".
Bennett recounts Miss Shepherd's bizarre escapades in his inimitable style, from her letter to the Argentinean Embassy at the height of the Falklands War, to her attempts to stand for Parliament and wangle an electric wheelchair out of the Social Services. Beautifully observed, The Lady in the Van is as notable for Bennett's attempts to uncover the enigmatic history of Miss Shepherd, as it is for its amusing account of her eccentric escapades. --Jerry Brotton
Reader Reviews:
The Lady in the Van. (0/0 people found this helpful)
The book arrived within the dates stated. It was in good condition. The entire process, from initial order to receipt was, therefore, as promised.
An hilarious and wonderful true story! (0/0 people found this helpful)
The book The Lady In The Van maybe small in size, but truly vast in entertainment value, everything you would ever expect from the pen of Alan Bennett!
A wonderful little book (2/2 people found this helpful)
Miss Shepherd is in many ways a typical Alan Bennett character - often very funny yet sometimes tragic and with an interesting tale to tell. She could easily be one of the characters from his 'Talking Heads' monologues. However, this is a work of non-fiction and she actually did come with her collection of plastic bags to live in her van on his front drive - and stayed for a number of years. Bennett brilliantly manages to convey the delicate balance present in their complex relationship, even when it doesn't show him in the most positive of light. As he puts it: 'One seldom was able to do her a good turn without some thoughts of strangulation.' Don't we all know someone like that?
As the book was created from notes he had made relating to Miss Shepherd in his diary over a number of years, there is not one story running through this book. What emerges, however, is an honest and touching but never sentimental story of a enigmatic character - a real one-of-a-kind.
Alan Bennett The Lady In The Van (0/1 people found this helpful)
Although a very tiny little book,(roughly 5 inches by 2.5 inches in size), I found this a very enjoyable read indeed. I have always found Alan Bennett very entertaining and this book was no exception. I don't think he actually intended it to be funny, but just a story about a woman in a van. Despite this it was very amusing due to the character she is and of course the way Alan Bennett writes.
Famous Alan Bennett account holds up well. (1/2 people found this helpful)
Alan Bennett's account of Miss Mary Shepherd and her taking up residence in his front garden for many years is well-known to Bennett fans. If you are unfamiliar with the story - try it - it is endlessly diverting - even if you only recall it from the radio, this is a pleasant and often startling portrait of a relationship made in, well, certainly NOT Heaven - Taiwan perhaps. There is another version that will be released later in 2009 - the stage version with Maggie Smith - we cannot wait to hear that one too.
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Biography -> General
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> Authors, A-Z -> B -> Bennett, Alan
Books -> Subjects -> Music, Stage & Screen -> Performing Arts -> Plays & Drama -> Bestsellers
Books -> Subjects -> Poetry, Drama & Criticism -> Drama -> General AAS
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Paperback
Books -> Refinements -> Font Size (format_browse-bin) -> Regular Size