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Smut: Two Unseemly Stories: The Greening of Mrs Donaldson & The Shielding of Mrs Forbes

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Smut: Two Unseemly Stories: The Greening of Mrs Donaldson & The Shielding of Mrs Forbes

By: Alan Bennett
Narrated by: Alan Bennett
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About this listen

Two unexpected tales written and read by the best-selling author of The Uncommon Reader, Untold Stories and The History Boys.

"The Greening of Mrs Donaldson" - Mrs Donaldson is a conventional middle-class woman beached on the shores of widowhood after a marriage that had been much like many others: happy to begin with, then satisfactory and finally dull. But when she decides to take in two lodgers, her mundane life becomes much more stimulating…

"The Shielding of Mrs Forbes" - Graham Forbes is a disappointment to his mother, who thinks that if he must have a wife, he should have done better. True, her own husband isn’t all that satisfactory either. Still, this is Alan Bennett, so what is happening in the bedroom (and in lots of other places too) is altogether more startling, perhaps shocking, and ultimately more true to people’s predilections.

©2011 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2011 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Anthologies & Short Stories Fiction Short Stories Marriage Funny Witty

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Critic reviews

"Artfully entertaining…On one particular subject Bennett is incomparably brilliant: role-playing, which is the meat of both stories." (Simon Schama, Financial Times, London)
"Bennett’s 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 Bennett’s world, where repression is never far from the sexual act….Good, old-fashioned British humor with the lightest of subversive twists." ( The Independent, London)
All stars
Most relevant  

What made the experience of listening to Smut: Two Unseemly Stories: The Greening of Mrs Donaldson & The Shielding of Mrs Forbes the most enjoyable?

the unexpected oddness of the tales told in such a matter of fact way

Who was your favorite character and why?

graham, i loved his sanguine take on life

Which character – as performed by Alan Bennett – was your favourite?

they are all so beautifully rounded and intimately described, i can't choose!

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

i don't know!

Any additional comments?

alan bennett is not only a magical writer but is the best reader ever, what a combination!

anything by alan bennett is spell binding!

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While listening to 'The Greening of Mrs Donaldson' walking down the road, I almost fell off the pavement I was laughing so much - and I certainly got some strange looks.

Such good entertainment - a lovely pair of unlikely stories, superb narration (as one always expects from Mr Bennett), great characters. My only regret is that there were only two of them!

Enormous fun

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Although subtitled Two Unseemly Stories, perhaps only Bennett's most prudish fans would find either The Greening of Mrs Donaldson or The Shielding of Mrs Forbes offensive. Perhaps more accurately, what the two stories share is that in neither case are surface appearances, in fact, what they seem.

Whilst enjoyable, I couldn't help the feeling that Smut was Alan Bennett by numbers: middle aged repressed ladies and their frightfully British take on propriety and marital relations being challenged. Its saving grace is, of course, that Bennett relates these stories himself, and surely there is noone better at reading his own work.

Alan Bennett by numbers.

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I thought the first story over long and the 2nd a comedy of errors! I didn’t like or dislike either tale - stories of ‘repressed Victorian’ women.

My First Foray Into Alan Bennett

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Sir Alan' cosy tea cake voice delivering exactly what it says ion the tin, Smut. A bit rude, very funny and a mix of Bennett's bittersweet humour and a touch of the risqué make this an enjoyable listen. Perhaps not one for the car while travelling with my Thirteen year old Bennett fan!

Strangely familiar but unknown

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If these 2 stories had been read by anyone other than Alan Bennett, they might just have been vulgar. But because he reads them, they manage to be both vulgar and funny. Very sly, too. I love everything he's ever written and narrated, and I did enjoy these stories though not quite as much as the genius of older (and longer) works. They aren't shocking, but they do venture into territory that I'd prefer not to listen to with my 14 year old in the room with me! A lovely treat listen, and I will listen again because as always, it's the details that make his work so enjoyable.

Good value smut

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Very light, enjoyable and amusing stories. Excellently read by the author, whose observations are as sharp as ever.

Amusing

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I have really great memories of Alan's narrations of Winnie the Pooh, that I listened to as a child, his voice is comforting and engaging. And he keeps this through these 2 short stories but with the complete contrast of being decidedly for an adult audience. I think there was one point where there should be a content warning (if there isn't one) for r@pe/sexual violence in the first story, this incident is sort of justified (for want of a better description) in the story, which felt dismissive and misogynistic, albeit realistic. As with other pieces I have heard from Bennett's writing, the plot develops relatively slowly, but engaging and and always very much realistic and detailed. Characters were wholly believable, engaging, and well developed. Felt like the book presented some interesting comments on human behaviour and society, and dealt with deeper and more serious topics, while also managing to maintain a light hearted and matter of fact tone, hope that makes sense!

Absolutely loved it, thank you Alan Bennett!

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Surprising stuff from Mr Bennett. Risqué and funny. Wonderful to hear Alan Bennett reading his own material.

Bennett delights as always.

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Two more great stories from the master of 'people watchers'. Once again, Bennett's characters are on the fringes of their communities, looking for ways to 'fit in', although not quite managing it. Doesn't disappoint - Bennett fans will be delighted.

Excellent

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