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The Laying on of Hands (Unabridged)
 
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The Laying on of Hands (Unabridged) [Audio Download]

by Alan Bennett (Author, Narrator)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
List Price: £13.14
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Product details

  • Audio Download
  • Listening Length: 2 hours and 19 minutes
  • Program Type: Audiobook
  • Version: Unabridged
  • Publisher: AudioGO Ltd.
  • Audible Release Date: 3 Feb 2005
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B002SQD16E
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

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Product Description

Alan Bennett's brand new short story, published in the London Review of Books in May 2001 and then by Profile Books in September, is read here by the author.

Clive has died young, in Peru and in cirucumstances which make some of his many friends uneasy. The congregation gathered for his memorial service is unexpectedly distinguished; amongst the well-known faces and household names are pop stars, actors, politicians, and even members of the government.

So how come they all knew Clive, and why does his death make so many of them anxious?

It's only when Clive's friends in the congreation begin to stand up and share their memories of the dead man that a number of uncomfortable truths are revealed.

© and (P)1998, 2001 BBC Audiobooks Ltd

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
A great joy all round 28 Sep 2001
Format:Audio Cassette
This is Alan Bennett at his delightful, humorous and poignant best. The story never ceases to fascinate in its convoluted structure, and Bennett's reading of his own work is, as ever, a joy. There are few writers who manage at the same time to be intellectually satisfying, funny, and yet moving, but Bennett is one of them. Never was Keats' famous line 'A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,' more applicable to a work of literature. It cannot be too highly recommended!
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Bennett in fine form 12 Mar 2002
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD
Alan Bennett's latest is a typically engaging, character based story. The opening drama is set at a memorial service for a young masseur. The congregation being liberally sprinkled with minor and not so minor celebrities - all of whom have had some encounters with the young man, many being of a sexual nature.
Bennetts reading gives voice to these characters including the vicar, though it is a far cry from his original vicar in Beyond the Fringe. The Laying on of Hands is a superb analysis of the shadows or truth that many have in their lives and their reactions when these secretive elements look likely to be uncovered in an all too public forum. The shadow of AIDS hangs over this piece almost as a threat of the result of promiscuity, though the results are anything but.

Highly recommended.

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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
this must be the funniest thing i have ever listened to, it is side splittingly hilarious and the most observant and accurate description of all manner of people, all of whom we recognise somewhere in our lives. I have listened to it countless times, and it is a staple painting, gardening and odd job friend. Just watch you don't drop your brush or fall off the ladder.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
It creeps up on you
I loved this book. It starts you off gently, in a Church , at a memorial service.
As you read on you are given a picture of the deceased's life and his various, male and... Read more
Published 14 months ago by cross
Great , buy it !
Another great one from Bennett, and read by the man himself . Enjoy: I did !
Published 20 months ago by Ricardo lorenzo Flamenco
Alan Bennett, radio collection
I was soooo disappointed with this Alan Bennett CD. I adore his work ordinarily, but for some reason this one fell short of the mark. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Rip Fox
Mr Ollie
Yet again Mr Bennett does not disappoint he keeps your attention through out, I well recommended it.
Published on 31 Mar 2010 by Mr Ollie
enjoyable story
an absorbibng and comic story, well read and a good companion whilst I was gardening!
Published on 12 Jun 2009 by Dr. Herbert Goodwin
Gentle smiles
I'd endorse everything everyone else has said here, though I didn't find it side-splittingly funny -- more gentle smiles at Bennett's observation, so beautifully crafted into... Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2006 by Gary
A Melange of Bennettian Characters
I first heard this book read by the author on 'A Book at Bedtime'; sleep not coming any easier afterwards in the light of its telling. Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2002 by Mr. SM Stewart
a witty miniature from Bennett's increasingly reluctant pen
I first saw "The Laying On Of Hands" not on Amazon but in the spiritual surroundings of the bookshop beneath St Martin in the Fields. Read more
Published on 16 Jan 2002 by Michael Gray (meagray@yahoo.com)
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