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Summary: A series of short stories told from a single viewpoint
Comment: Talking Heads 2 is a series of short stories written and told from a single viewpoint, that of the
narrator, the character in each play. The stories unfold through the "eyes" of each speaker, and the
audience must picture the events and the people for themselves. Of course, the very fact that these
accounts are subjective indicates that the speakers are not telling "the whole story." In addition
to listening to an entertaining account of something that happened, we are at the same time learning
even more about the narrators, perhaps more than they themselves realize.
Monologues by
definition cannot use several defining features of drama dialogue, the interaction of characters,
the clashing of voices and points of view. However, Bennett manages to create a detailed network of
relationships for each Talking Head by means of reported conversations with others. They are
beautifully constructed miniplays, each in its own way reflecting Bennett's marvelously observant
view of the British way of life.
Bennett invests each piece with the kind of uncertainty and
complex mix of possibilities that are so true. They are touching and real, and at the same time both
tragic and funny. Originally written for television, they were played by Maggie Smith, Julie Walters
and Thora Hird respectively.
As one of Britain's most distinguished playwrights, Bennett has
exploded the old TV adage that nothing is as tedious as "talking heads" with his succession of
riveting soliloquies titled just that. His monologues feature gripping stories, an intensity of
delivery and a mastery of humour, passion and sadness.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Alan Bennett's monologues are fabulous!
Comment: The beauty of Alan Bennett's monologues are that as you read or listen to them, you assume things
from phrases they say. And so, when something happens in the story, it surprises you, it turns out
that the person is different to how you imagined,but it still fits with the story. Alan Bennett is a
genius! His monologues really are superb.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Delicate, funny and cringeworthy.
Comment: Extraordinary tales of ordinary people. Not a lot happens, but the things that do have profound
effects on people. This will make you laugh out loud, grit your teeth in frustration and sigh in
despair at the characters and the situations they force themselves in to.

Customer Rating:

Summary: the best book ive read in years
Comment: if you are looking for an insight into the way people used to think and feel buy this book,if you
want to be entertained buy this book ive had the talking heads books for a long time and i read them
every six months or so and they never get tired if i came face to face with mr bennett i would thank
him for bring such an amazing piece of art to the world

Customer Rating:

Summary: Thoroughly admirable writing!!!
Comment: I am currently studying this book for my A levels. Our class chose to study this text after seeing
the monologues on TV. Out of the five books in our study list this is our last, and it far
outweighs the others.

I couldn't put it down!!! It is now my third time of reading, and each
time I find more technical Wizardry by Alan Bennett. Satiric comments and sagas reflect real
life. The undoubted humor of the characters and their situations, for instance, the Vicars wife
who makes love to the asian grocer and Vera Whittaker who can knit tea cosies and hats ( if her son
watches that she fills in the whole). There is only one monologue (the penultimate),that I
didn't find interesting or of the same calibur as the others. It lacked the humour and character
that was in the others.

I also found it took me a few minutes to follow the style of language.
The use of I said, he said, she said became quite repetitve which improved when read aloud. I
think that this work is more beneficial on screen than for reading, however I look forward to
further monologues in this series.

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