Alan Bennett reads from his 2012 diary for the London Review of Books

Alan Bennett gets a ride in Mr Murdoch’s car and gets a review from T. S. Eliot in his 2012 diary. Read it in full: www.lrb.co.uk/v...
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Since 1979, the London Review of Books has stood up for the tradition of the literary and intellectual essay in English. Each issue contains up to 15 long reviews and essays by academics, writers and journalists. There are also shorter art and film reviews, as well as poems and a lively letters page.
A typical issue moves through political commentary to science or ancient history by way of literary criticism and social anthropology. So, for example, an issue can open with a piece on the rhetoric of war, move on to reassessing the reputation of Pythagoras, follow that with articles on the situation in Iraq, the 19th-century super-rich, Nabokov’s unpublished novel, how saints got to be saints, the life and work of William Empson, and an assessment of the poetry of Alice Oswald.

[@johncraske]

Yes, it's very odd that after more than 5,500 listenings, I am only the second to leave a comment. Even more remarkably, only 24 have given it the ''thumbs up' prior to me. I could listen to Alan Bennett for hours - and, thanks to UA-cam, I can.

[@estherruby5606]

John Craske I agree with you in that.

[@davidbolland3860]

Totally agree - the voice, the accent, the wonderful vocabulary, all so agreeable.... just love it especially as I know the towns, cities and area he describes. 👍👍

[@derekbradbury749]

Well knock me down with a feather, the first to comment, a great joy and a pleasure.
I read that Alan liked a reach around. Good for you.
Simply wonderful Alan, simply wonderful.

[@estherruby5606]

Listening for pleasure. Listening to Alans outlook on life.

[@gordygibson4558]

Bennet is a gentle joyous bedtime listen .

[@jdstof]

Alan is a treasure

[@iestynovich]

Thank you again for posting this!

[@somyod2u]

I doubt Her Majesty would describe her royal duties as " at it ".

[@shinywarm6906]

Bennett's diaries are a treat. But he's wrong about the criticisms of The History Boys. Hector is indeed portrayed as inept and the boys 'more sexually sophisticated'. But this is a construct of Bennett's and runs the risk of implying that sometimes its OK for a teacher to sexually assault their pupils