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Killing Time

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Killing Time

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

We have a choir and on special occasions a glass of dry sherry. It's less of a home and more of a club and very much a community.

Presided over by the lofty Mrs McBryde, Hill Topp House is a superior council home for the elderly. Among the unforgettable cast of staff and residents there's Mr Peckover the deluded archaeologist, Phyllis the knitter, Mr Cresswell the ex-cruise ship hairdresser, the enterprising Mrs Foss and Mr Jimson the chiropodist. Covid is the cause of fatalities and the source of darkly comic confusion, but it's also the key to liberation. As staff are hospitalised, protocol breaks down. Miss Rathbone reveals a lifelong secret, and the surviving residents seize their moment, arthritis allowing, to scamper freely in the warmth of the summer sun.

'Violet? She'll be having a little lie-down,' said Mrs McBryde. 'She likes to give her pacemaker a rest. I'll rout her out.'

©2024 Alan Bennett (P)2024 Faber & Faber Literature & Fiction

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As with all Alan Bennetts work. Brilliant. Sad at times and very funny in the same breath.

Great piece of work

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I'm never going to dislike anything by Alan Bennett and I know that so I listened to this ASAP. very short, under two hours, but two of the happiest hours I've passed recently. Anything written by Alan and read by him is a joy, though it's sad to hear the age in his voice now as it's a reminder that he is not immortal, thankfully his body of work will live on. A diverse and fun cast of elderly characters, wry humour and the usual Bennett satire left me wanting more and in love with him all over again.

Always happy for new Alan Bennett

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I love AB’s writing, plays, books, interviews, in fact everything about him draws me like a magnate but this was a disappointment. His voice was sometimes indistinct to the point of having to guess what the words were. Towards the end he sounded as though he was falling asleep, dragging out the words in a semi-whisper and I think it would have been better to read the book off the page, and imagine his voice in one’s head. On the plus side there were funny moments of pure AB here and there which I enjoyed but over all not one of his best.

Disappointing narration on a gloomy subject

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I'm an hour into the story and it's perfect Bennett - character motives and foibles all beautifully observed and there are wonderful laugh out loud moments. Fantastic that at 90 he's still narrating his own books, it's a joy to listen to him.

Beautifully observed Bennett

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At over 90, Alan Bennett is still managing to not only write new stories full of humanity and humour, but performs this piece beautifully.
After publishing his COVID diary - and not making an audio recording, I was worried that his performance days were over; then this treat turns up. It has nods to past characters who turn up from previous stories, some minor mentioned characters only briefly alluded to even, making a first appearance to tell their side of life. One gets the feeling that this is a tale of tidying up loose ends; done with a delightful and beautiful twist at the end. Excellent in every respect.

Classic Alan Bennett, Brand New Story

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This is typical Bennett, laugh out loud, thought provoking, sad and thoroughly unique. Only he can get away with choosing the subject matter!

Laughing in places you shouldn’t be laughing

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I really enjoyed this story. Given the subject matter this story would have been miserable, but Alan Bennett has a unique style that is always entertaining.

Another great listen from Alan Bennett

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I love Alan Bennett but this is pretty poor stuff. None of it rings true. Feels like the 1950s

tiresome

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Was expecting more from Alan Bennett, usually brilliant but this is disappointingly boring and rather depressing

Tired theme

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I'm rating this on account of being an interesting idea, but the execution left me cold.

I initially tried my luck with the audio -- do not spend your money on it, it's absolutely unintelligible and I have no earthly clue how someone thought it was a decent product that they can actually sell -- but failed miserably on account of terrible audio. Not the quality, just a narrator that really should have quit while they were ahead.

I then tried the Kindle version thinking this should be short and punchy and if I had an issue before, it must just have been the narrator. I was wrong. The story (?!) is disjointed and not really worth following. I know people had issues with Osman's disjointed writing style, but this is a thousand times worse.

The principle is interesting, a bunch of old people killing time in an old folk's home. It's meant to be dark and humorous. It's certainly dark, but it also feels dry and if there is humor, I certainly missed it.

Oh well, better luck to anyone else who likes this sort of thing.

Awful narration

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