Writing Home - by Alan Bennett (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Bringing together the hilarious, revealing, and lucidly intelligent writing of one of England's best known literary figures, Writing Home includes the journalism, book and theater reviews, and diaries of Alan Bennett, as well as "The Lady in the Van," his unforgettable account of Miss Shepherd, a London eccentric who lived in a van in Bennett's garden for more than twenty years. This revised and updated edition includes new material from the author, including more recent diaries and his introduction to his Oscar-nominated screenplay for The Madness of King George. A chronicle of one of the most important literary careers of the twentieth century, Writing Home is a classic history of a life in letters.

Review Quotes

"[A] wonderful book, the wit of which spills over even into the index....There's so much here...[Bennett] is angry, hilariously self-pitying and he writes beautifully." --The Times (London)

"Delightful." --Time

"A classic performance." --Times Literary Supplement

"Brilliantly perceptive...If anyone wants to define the distinctive Englishness of English writing, they can find it all in this book--modesty, irony, self-deprecating wit, and supremely good observation." --Daily Telegraph

"The book [contains] perhaps the funniest piece ever written about the theater...marvelous, marvelous, marvelous." --The Independent

"Irresistibly well written, wry, witty, every sentence a pleasure...Humane, observant, and sharply intelligent." --Sunday Time

About the Author

Alan Bennett is a renowned playwright and essayist, whose screenplay for The Madness of King George was nominated for an Academy Award. He is also the author of The Clothes They Stood Up In and Writing Home. He lives in London, England