Smut - Bennett, Alan
Summary: Presents two short tales of sex, secrets, and misrepresentation, including "The Greening of Mrs. Donaldson," in which a widow supplements her income by being a test subject for medical students.
Booklist Reviews
Bennett is best-known for The Madness of King George (1991) and The History Boys (2004), acclaimed, sophisticated plays brimming with deadpan humor. This mildly smutty volume contains just two stories, which lack the barbed wit of his earlier work. In the first, "The Greening of Mrs. Donaldson," we are given a peek inside the life of a prim widow who opens up her spare room to some horny young medical students more than willing to get creative with their rent payments. In the second, "The Shielding of Mrs. Forbes," we meet an overbearing shrew who henpecks her deflated husband and micromanages her self-absorbed son's life, turning a blind eye to the semi-obvious fact that he prefers the company of men, even as he enters into a closeted marriage. Bennett's views of the repressed British middle class—the keeping up of appearances, the slumbering vivacity of middle-agers, and the hidden shame of homosexuals—seem at odds with the modern setting. However, most characters are crisply drawn and should please fans of his seasoned style. Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.
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