Talking Heads: No.2 (BBC Radio Collection)

Again Bennett is ahead of his time, for example his portrayal of child abuse.

Throughout all of them we feel that the monologue is the only voice the subjects have and that they cannot talk to anyone else about the saddness in their lives. We are left feeling sympathy and pain for the charatcters.

Above all this is of high Bennett standard and the style awards no surprises.


Insightful and witty   March 16, 2000
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Bennett's first Talking Heads was foisted upon me as an A Level student. I enjoyed every word. I recently read the second and consumed it within hours.

In Talking Heads 2 Bennett recreates an insightful and understanding picture of the 'extraordinary' and disappointing nature of ordinary lives, and yet it is entirely original and stands alone from his earlier work.

Life is demonstrated as being punctuated by sadness, regret, and necessary fortitude. It is the ordinary nature and commonality of such emotions which appeals to the reader and envinces a response of complete understanding and the ability to predict the outcome of the monologues as their events ensue.

The presentation of these themes through black humour somehow suggests the tragedy of human experience: for example the wife who is waiting for her husband's prostate to give out so that she can be free.

However, these monologues will cause tears of laughter as well as sadness; the pity you might otherwise dwell upon becomes a wry comment on the vagaries of our existence rather than a depressive look at the self-defeating nature of change.


makes one think of the passage through life   May 17, 1999
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

We have just read this as the first choice of our new book circle! Contributions ranged from the observations of those who had seen the monologues performed & also read the first issue of talking heads. It isn't a book that I would have chosen but after reading it I found it to be entertaining with the twist & turns of the hand of god, foot fetishes, paedophiles, kinky sex, murder etc. We were relating it to people we have all met during our lifetime. Some were naive & didn't believe such things happened. I believe it's all related to the experiences of the author. I await the next issue.