Smut, by Alan Bennett

I purchased Smut: Stories, by Alan Bennett, from Amazon after seeing a positive review somewhere – a magazine perhaps. I know what you’re thinking. “Why would you purchase smut when you can’t spend five minutes on the internet without the free – and quite imaginative – smut finding you?” It turns out if you want particular smut, or Smut, with a capital “s” that you must pay.  I don’t make the rules; I just report them.

Description: (From Amazon)

In The Greening of Mrs. Donaldson, a recently bereaved widow finds interesting ways to supplement her income by performing as a patient for medical students, and renting out her spare room. Quiet, middle-class, and middle-aged, Mrs. Donaldson will soon discover that she rather enjoys role-play at the hospital, and the irregular and startling entertainment provided by her tenants.

In The Shielding of Mrs. Forbes, a disappointed middle-aged mother dotes on her only son, Graham, who believes he must shield her from the truth. As Graham’s double life becomes increasingly complicated, we realize how little he understands, not only of his own desires but also those of his mother.

Overall:  4 ¾ stars

Plots/Storylines:  4 ¼ stars

As mentioned in the description, there are two tales here. That’s important to note. It’s also important to note that, contrary to the title, this is very much literary fiction and not at all smutty – at least not in the execution. This is very much what most people would call literary fiction, and the tone is very matter of fact, the narrative voice unshakeable. The first story in particular is about a rather mundane life, and the small moments and decisions we make, “smutty” or otherwise, that determine our course.

Both stories concern roleplaying, mostly of the non-bedroom variety. They are about the faces we show to the world, to others, as opposed to our secret wants and deeper identities. In The Shielding of Mrs. Forbes, the second story, I don’t think there is one character who is what he or she seems on the surface.

You know how I know it’s literary fiction? I found myself thinking about the stories after they ended. About decisions, about small acts of courage, about deception, and keeping secrets.  About settling and not settling. Mostly about how funny is it that we think we know anyone.

I also know it’s literary fiction because at the end of the first story I said, “Really, you’re … just ending it there? At that moment? But, what does that mean? She’s decided to…” Neatly tied ends are for the lowbrow, I suppose. This is why I’m giving this 4 ¼ stars – because the book is really classy, but my reaction told me I just aint as fancy as I think I am. 

Ha, I suppose the difference between Smut and smut is that one gives you a noticeable climax. (I have another play on words here, but I do have some fanciness in me.)

If your book club drinks their wine from a bottle, this is your book. If they use one of those boxes with the spigot in the side, and you were the one to suggest this book, someone would probably say, “Well, that was interesting. Thanks, ____. Maybe for the next one we could pick something … I mean, this was great … livelier.” Oh, and then someone else would still find it smutty in the small “s” sense, not that they’re a prude.

Characters: 5 stars

No complaints here. Characterization there was, and it was good, and funny, and nuanced. In the beginning of each story the main players all seemed in neat little boxes, contents of each box clearly marked, and then the author showed how this is impossibility – there is more to us all than it may seem on first acquaintance.

Writing style:  5 stars

Technically impeccable style. One of the other ways you know this is literary fiction – and British – is the author knows his way around the language. Brits speak American all funny, but a lot of them can sure do well with English, you know?

While sitting here and trying to share my impressions, I’ve paused a few times at a loss as to how to express myself.  I thought about this book a week or two before writing this in order to try and have something intelligent to say, and I still ended up with “smut” puns. This was all in the plot/storyline area, though. What is clear, and what I need take no pause in typing, is that Alan Bennett knows how to use language to draw a reader into his stories and show them a nuanced world.

I think that no matter how you feel about the story, no matter how fancy you is or aint, or if your wine choice is expensive or “Three Buck Chuck,” you aren’t going to say Alan Bennett doesn’t know his stuff.

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About the author, Alan Bennett:

Alan Bennett is a renowned playwright and essayist, a succession of whose plays have been staged at the Royal National Theatre and whose screenplay for The Madness of King George was nominated for an Academy Award. He made his first stage appearance with Beyond the Fringe and his latest play was The Lady in the Van with Maggie Smith. Episodes from his award-winning Talking Heads series have been shown on PBS. His first novel, The Clothes They Stood Up In, was published in 2000. He lives in London.

Smut: Stories, by Alan Bennett