The Clothes They Stood Up in

Alan Bennett's writing so often reminds me of fractal forms; the twists and turns of his plots on the macro scale being matched perfectly on the micro scale by the endless convolutions of his individual sentences and paragraphs. There are times when his writing gives every impression of wandering aimlessly through a tangled mass of irrelevant side detail, with no possible single end point in mind, until suddenly, and with an almost shocking clarity, his words reveal themselves as carefully chosen after all, when they all unexpectedly lead plumb to centre of the narrative target that has been in his sights all along. I can see that, for some people, this technique may prove to be an impenetrable annoyance (although anyone brought up in Yorkshire - and more especially Leeds - where they talk like this all the time, should merely find it homely and comforting.) But examine his words closely and, for all their meandering, you'll see that they have an absolutely exquisite precision and economy to them. This is the work of a true (and truly English) literary craftsman.This short story, "The Clothes They Stood Up In", receives the classic Alan Bennett treatment, both in terms of writing style and also in terms of another of his hallmarks: the at times almost surgical examination of the social mores (and boors) of Middle England. Although this book is very short indeed (it should not take even the most meticulous of readers more than a couple of hours to devour this tasty titbit) it nevertheless demonstrates this author's unerring capacity for dissecting away endless layers of social stereotyping, in order to expose the central nuggets of individuality at the heart of his characters (or else reveal such nuggets to be entirely absent) whilst at the same time pointing up the basically ridiculous natures - and faintly ludicrous habits - of even the most ordinary of people. Amusing and poignant by turns, this small volume delivers some exquisite character studies of ordinary people in entirely extraordinary circumstances. As ever, it makes for a highly entertaining read for those open to Alan Bennett's distinctive writing style. Bargain hunters may like to be aware, though, that this story is available in various better-value boxed collections, alongside other Alan Bennett short stories (principally "Lady in the van" and "Father! Father! Burning Bright") There are also plans to publish it within a single compendium volume some time in 2002. Of course, some people may just consider such collections as altogether too much of a good thing!

Yet another masterpiece from Bennett, this time the victims of his seditious satire are Rosemary and Maurice Ransome, amiddle-aged, middle-class, childless couple who are gradually drifting apart from each other in a long-term emotionalwithdrawal. Their lives are governed by order and routine with the one remaining ember of passion between them lying inMaurice's love of Mozart. This escapism from the reality of each other is shattered one evening as they return from the opera todiscover that they have been burgled, not just a smash-and-grab but instead everything has been taken, right down to theinsurance policy! As they gradually attempt to restore some semblance of order to their lives, Maurice discovers furtherfulfilment in the new hi-tech CD players he could buy to improve the quality of his Mozart. Rosemary undergoes something of acultural revolution with visits to the local Pakistani grocer shop and the occasional venture into a "thrift shop". In a startling climax, Rosemary discovers the motive behind the theft and Maurice finds his inner-self awakened but in the most unpleasant of circumstances. Bennett's perspective on those around him and the foundations of middle-England are ruthlessly portrayed here in what is one the one hand a wonderful social comment and, on the other, an familiarly disenchanted critique. The precision with which Bennett selects his characters and provides us with the ammunition to assassinate them is remarkable, there is not a word wasted or thought used to excess, stunning.

Ever since his days as part of 'Beyond The Fringe' in 1960, Alan Bennett has continued to hold a valued position in the affections of the British public. His 1987 collection of monologues, 'Talking Heads' are classics of the genre and in 1995 he was even nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay, 'The Madness Of King George'. 'The Clothes They Stood Up In' is a further testament to his popularity. Appearing first in 'The London Review Of Books', Bennett later read the story on Radio 4, a performance later released on cassette. Now it has been published in a volume of its own. Like much of his other work, it is a comic story with elements of tragedy. The title refers to all Mr. and Mrs. Ransome have left after they return home from a night at the opera. To the horror of this middle class couple, everything in their flat has gone missing including the telephone, the toilet paper (Mr. Ransome has to use his program from the opera), the light bulbs, and Mr. Ransome's prized Mozart collection. The comic situations developing from this crisis are improbable yet curiously still believable. Communication problems and individual idiosyncrasies propel the humour along in these hilarious sequences, with Bennett's observation making the farce seem all the more real. Social workers, the police and daytime television shows all find themselves on the receiving end of Bennett's gentle (albeit razor sharp) wit. The cold Mr. Ransome, painfully aware of his impression on others, begins to crack now his respectability is threatened. His wife on the other hand discovers her independence. Bennett has admitted he finds it easier to write through female personas, and he succeeds in showing Mrs. Ransome's gradual growth as a human being and disenchantment with her cosy, starched, pre-theft lifestyle. Bennett's irony gets many opportunities to manifest itself in this story, as does his ability to juxtapose incongruent ideas. His elegant writing style is littered with lavatories and dog excrament. When the Ransomes find an audio tape with two people having sex on it, Mrs. Ransome says "It sounds like custard boiling". The story's message seems to be a warning against suppressing the true self and not living life to the full. The latter part of the book is particularly scathing towards Mr. Ransome's stiff and awkward outlook. One suspects that Bennett is intervening, using the opportunity to attack pompous middle class behaviour. The climax is a poignant but positive ending to what is an amusing, moving and insightful story.

Writers could take a lesson in how to write an entire sensitive and insightful saga complete with mystery, humor, drama and intrigue in the tiniest volume ever -- found my self laughing out loud and unable to lay it down til I had finished -- darn! wanted to make it last. Like British humor? Like great word pictures? You'll like this just fine.

Poor Maurice and Rosemary Ransome return home from the opera and discover their flat has been burglarized and everything has been taken. The dinner that was left warming in the oven, the furniture, the telephones even the toilet paper has been taken. After trying to convey the thouroughness of the robbery to the police (in an uncomfortable public phone booth , no less) Mr. Ransome returns to his empty house to wait with his wife...while waiting he notices not only the drapes but the curtain rings are gone! This slender British novel wittily and adeptly poses the question " What would you do, Who would you be, if everything was taken?". The Ransomes deal with the police (who proffer no hope of recovering their gear), the insurance company (however, EVERYTHING is gone, including the copy of their insurance policy) and wait for some semblance of normal to be restored in their lives. A few creature comforts are obtained to replace the many and then the tale takes a remarkable turn. This is a delightful tale, full of humor and with remarkable insight on people and their possessions. I have given my first copy away and have already reread the replacement book! A must have.