Staff Pick
British national treasure Alan Bennett writes a pair of stories about ordinary people, the desires they keep hidden underneath their facades, and the way these intersect in their daily lives. Bennett is charming, smart, witty, and that man seriously knows how to write a brilliant sentence. Recommended By Dianah H., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
One of Englands finest and most loved writers explores the uncomfortable and tragicomic gap between peoples public appearance and their private desires in two tender and surprising stories.
In The Greening of Mrs. Donaldson, a recently bereaved widow finds interesting ways to supplement her income by performing as a patient for medical students, and renting out her spare room. Quiet, middle-class, and middle-aged, Mrs. Donaldson will soon discover that she rather enjoys role-play at the hospital, and the irregular and startling entertainment provided by her tenants.
In The Shielding of Mrs. Forbes, a disappointed middle-aged mother dotes on her only son, Graham, who believes he must shield her from the truth. As Grahams double life becomes increasingly complicated, we realize how little he understands, not only of his own desires but also those of his mother.
A master storyteller dissects a very English form of secrecy with two stories of the unexpected in otherwise apparently ordinary lives.
Review
"Artfully entertaining…On one particular subject Bennett is incomparably brilliant: role-playing, which is the meat of both stories." —Simon Schama,
Financial Times (London)
"Bennetts humor consistently resides in the logic of the parenthetical aside, the comedy of the false appearances or misperceptions being challenged or disabused.…Mrs. Donaldson is not as unconventional as she thought herself, and no one around Mr. Forbes is where—or who—they pretend to be." —The Guardian (London)
"Tender and comic…This is Bennetts world, where repression is never far from the sexual act….Good, old-fashioned British humor with the lightest of subversive twists."—The Independent (London)
About the Author
Alan Bennett has been one of Englands leading dramatists since the success of
Beyond the Fringe. The History Boys won six Tony Awards; his most recent play is
The Habit of Art.
Reading Group Guide
1. Why do you think that the novel is entitled
Smut? What statements do you think that Bennett is making by using a title with such connotations?
2. What connections can be drawn between the two novellas? Is the topic of sex approached the same way in both novellas? Do the characters share similar feelings about maintaining separation between their public and personal lives?
3. Do you ever feel as if you lead a double life? Do you think that everyone has habits that would shock the people that know them best? Or do you think that the characters are extreme examples of the disparity between an individuals personal life and the fronts that he or she puts on publicly?
4. Mrs. Donaldson and Graham Forbes both conceal sexual secrets from those around them, but they react very differently to the possibility of those lives being exposed. Why do you think that Mrs. Donaldson was secretly thrilled by the potential revelation of her secret life, while Graham succumbed to his blackmailer? The fact that their secrets were indeed known by those around them is ironic. What do you think Bennett was trying to say about the separation of our public selves and our secret lives?
5. The end of “The Greening of Mrs. Donaldson” was left open-ended. How do you think things would have ended with Ollie? What do you think she would have done about Dr. Ballantynes proposal?
6. In both stories, Bennett focuses on family. How do you think that Mrs. Donaldsons relationship with her late husband and her daughter affected her decision-making? Why do you think it was so important for Graham to conceal his homosexuality from his parents? Why do you think his parents never told him that they suspected him of being homosexual? What do these concealments say about the relationships within these families? Is Bennett making a statement about all families, or are these families somehow different from the average family?
7. “The Shielding of Mrs. Forbes” includes several surprising twists. Which one surprised you most? Did you find all of the characters actions believable?
8. What elements of British humor does Bennett employ? How do you think the book would have been different if it had been written by an American author? Do you think that this type of humor works particularly well for these stories? How does Bennetts tone add to the books overall message and meaning?