History's Great Untold Stories: Obscure and Fascinating Accounts with Important Lessons for the World - Joseph Cummins

Advantages: Compendium of short autobiographical stories, insights into plays, theatres and actors.
Disadvantages: Diaries can get a little tedious. Lectures not well illustrated.

...up”. “Untold Stories” was the result of his tidying up. Featuring largely through the book is references to Bennett’s play “The History Boys” which is in itself partially autobiographical. The sentiments from the play seem to be important to Bennett in these writings most of which are very personal. He quotes the play in his introduction with a foreshadowing of what is to follow. “Pass it on . . . Just pass it on”. There is something about facing your own mortality that produces more of an openness and intimacy. Bennett’s stories are personal and frank. He is passing on the stories important to him. There were times when reading the book that I felt a little like an interloper – that I was reading Bennett’s private thoughts and intruding into his life. “Untold stories” opens with a section based on Bennett's family history. He... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Funny at times, sad at others, a friend in a book
Disadvantages: None

...This is an interesting and open autobiography by one of Britain's gems. If you are a Bennett fan, it's a must buy, if your not sure what all the fuss is about, read it, and you will understand why people fall in love with Mr.Bennett's writing. The book is written in sections, an amalgamation of more recent writings and earlier ponderings on why things happen the way they do. Mr.Bennett is candid about his family history, and I was taken aback by his openness and feelings towards his mother's depression and his father's lack of emotion and openness. It is both poignant and hilarious in it's observations of others as well as Mr.Bennett's own musings. As a Bennett fan from my introduction to 'Talking Heads' while still at school, I have found 'Untold Stories' a fascinating insight into the everyday world of our most observant playwright... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: rich narrative, great source for social historins
Disadvantages: lack of direction, very little plot

...Unless something goes drastically wrong childhood is one of the most wonderful times of our lives. We all have different experiences due to differing factors such as the time, place, religion, social class and general family values that we are brought up in. However there are many things that do not differ from a normal childhood such as that sense of wonder and confusion about the world as we take our first steps, lean our first lessons and develop our first relationships. We find adults fairly confusing as they do not seem to tell us the whole story so we have to discover it for ourselves. I like reading novels and autobiographies about childhood in situations that are alien to me because of the above reason. I can relate to some aspects of their lives whilst l I can learn from those that I find strange or fascinating. My latest... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful