Talking Heads - Alan Bennett

Talking Heads is a collection of monologues (plays consisting of one character speaking) that is easy to read, humorous and the characters are so endearing. Bennett has a way of making sympathetic features of a character into something hilarious. There was Maggie the vicar's wife who kept drinking all the Holy Communion wine from the cupboard, and then went on to having an affair with the shop owner. There's another one with this woman who had a habit of writing complaint letters about everything and sending them to the authorities. She ended up in jail and learnt her first swear words: she ... more

This is much more accessible than one would imagine. It is a breeze to read and it's amazing how quickly one gets to the end of each chapter. I deliberately slowed my reading pace in order to prolong the enjoyment. If you've already seen the TV series, this is still a treat. Bennett proves that he can write from the mouths and hearts of people from all walks of life in these surprisingly witty, fun and tragic monologues. One minute you will find yourself laughing along with or at the "speaker", the next you will be crying. Through the twists and turns of the monologues Bennett reveals much ... more

Alan Bennet's famous "Talking Heads" monologues, of which there are twelve, really are astonishing. Being monologues, the depth of empathy one can have with the character in question is incredible. They are basically a number of short stories: some about everyday struggle or joy, and others about extraordinary occurrences. In every one, Bennet manages to make the characters sound so convincing that if you closed your eyes, you could almost become them. Picking up on the subtle cliches and ironies which make up the lives of ordinary people, Bennet gives voice to a number of hitherto tabboo ... more

Although the characters are finctional,grounded no doubt on Alan's past experience and chance meetings,They are colourful, bright and full of life. Each of the monologues are unique to the next, Bennett creates a world of his own allowing the reader to see through the eyes of his characters and gain an insight into their, more often than not, tragic lives. The alcoholic Vicar's wife, the lady with the dead husband, financially ruined yet continues, All the characters have tragedies, whether this is intentional on Alan Bennett's part or sheer coincedence, when you read this book, the colouful ... more