The Clothes They Stood Up In and
The Lady in the Van, by Alan Bennett
Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2002
The Clothes They Stood Up In and The Lady in the Van is a collection of two quirky, short novellas. The two stories Alan Bennett presents here are quite incredible, in the true definition of the term; their premises are playful and unpredictable, and nearly unbelievable. Bennett's writing style is a fluid narrative that feels like a friend regaling you with stories on your front porch on a warm summer evening. It's easy to see why he is one of Britain's most beloved playwrights.
The first story, "The Clothes They Stood Up In," is a wonderfully amusing tale of a husband and wife who go out for the evening and return to a house robbed of everything -- including toilet paper rolls and holders! The differences in reactions between the mister and missus are interesting as she delights in the starting-over, the freedom she feels at having been snapped out of her comfort zone. What's "necessary" for a life? Bennett has a fun time answering this question through his protagonists.
The other story of this pair is "The Lady in the Van," which takes a look at a life on the other end of the socioeconomic scale. Bennett had the unique experience of getting to know a woman who lived in a van on his street and eventually allowed her to park her van on his lawn to avoid being towed.
The tentative relationship that develops between the author and his subject is a delicate dance which Bennett details with great sensitivity. There is a lot of humor in this story, but not at the expense of its subject.
With such a skill for storytelling, Bennett is a great author to pick up. The issues he explores are thought-provoking and entertaining. Well worth a read! If you are more into movies than books, don't hesitate to pick up either of the movies Alan Bennett wrote the screenplays for: Prick Up Your Ears, and The Madness of King George.
