The Lady in the Van

After seeing The Lady in the Van, I enjoyed the movie, but had a few questions so I decided to read The Lady in the Van: And Other Stories by Alan Bennett. Even though The Lady in the Van: And Other Stories is a short book, it took me a long time to read it. The titular main story is shockingly short, and I am surprised that someone thought it would make a good movie. The movie is better than the story, which is a rare phenomenon. I preferred the other two stories, “The Laying On of Hands” and “Father! Father! Burning Bright,” which deal with how human beings less flattering characteristics emerge in the face of death. Bennett’s writing style meanders so it takes awhile to pick up the rhythm of his work or to follow the thread of his plot. He seems to fall in love with certain details, and I can imagine that as a child, his English teacher may have complained that he needed more focus. Bennett’s work contains some details that is probably more familiar to the native British reader, but was lost in translation for this American one. If you enjoy Bennett’s writing style, definitely check out The Lady in the Van: And Other Stories, but don’t expect to lose yourself in the story.