Book Recommendations
The Uncommon Reader
By Alan Bennett
Fiction, General, Humorous, Biographical | 124 pages
1 recommendation
'Oh Norman,' said the Queen, 'the prime minister doesn't seem to have read any Hardy. Perhaps you could find him one of our old paperbacks on his way out.' Had the dogs not taken exception to the strange van parked in the royal grounds, the Queen might never have learnt of the Westminster travelling library's weekly visits to the palace. But finding herself at its steps, she goes up to apologise for all the yapping and ends up taking out a novel by Ivy Compton-Burnett, last borrowed in 1989. Duff read though it proves to be, upbringing demands she finish it and, so as not to appear rude, she withdraws another. This second, more fortunate choice of book awakens in Her Majesty a passion for reading so great that her public duties begin to suffer. And so, as she devours work by everyone from Hardy to Brookner to Proust to Samuel Beckett, her equerries conspire to bring the Queen's literary odyssey to a close. Subversive and highly enjoyable, The Uncommon Reader offers the perfect argument for reading, written by one of its great champions, Alan Bennett.
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Veronica Allan
"For visitors to the UK there’s nothing more English than the Queen! Does gazing at Buckingham Palace still bring the same sense of awe and anticipation now that she’s gone? Reading Alan Bennett’s charming novella may have you peering round the corner next time you’re nearby, to see what might be there! Chasing after her corgis one day, so the story goes, the Queen is surprised to find a mobile library van parked outside the kitchen entrance! Curiously peering inside she is amazed to see shelves of books! Never having conceived of such an idea she can’t help herself from stepping in to take a closer look. She then feels obliged to borrow a book. Guided by her new friend Norman, a member of the kitchen staff, her majesty becomes an avid reader, learning more from books about the real world outside the palace than a lifetime of ship launching, ribbon cutting, and hand shaking has ever provided!
As the Queen is introduced to our world, so is the reader given a look inside the palace, where the Queen’s advisers are concerned that all this reading is distracting her majesty from her job!
This story will charm you! Alan Bennett’s wit will delight you! Being more English than the English himself you might later seek out more of his books to entertain you and introduce you to more Englishness!"
As the Queen is introduced to our world, so is the reader given a look inside the palace, where the Queen’s advisers are concerned that all this reading is distracting her majesty from her job!
This story will charm you! Alan Bennett’s wit will delight you! Being more English than the English himself you might later seek out more of his books to entertain you and introduce you to more Englishness!"
