The Uncommon Reader |
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Alan Bennett
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Pages: 124 (Hardcover)
ISBN: 1846680492
Pub: Profile
Pub date: 2007-09-06
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 225
Reader Reviews:
Book about books (5/5 people found this helpful)
This is a great addition to my book about books collection. I found it charming, funny, biting, and witty. Reading about the queen withdrawing into the life of a reclusive bibliophile is too funny for words and the unexpected ending made me chuckle out loud.
Fairy tale celebrating the joys of reading (0/0 people found this helpful)
Following one of her dogs, the Queen takes an unfamiliar turn and bumps into the Westminster mobile library. Its only other patron at the time is a young kitchen boy. Out of politeness she takes out a book. But as all bookworms know: one book can lead to another and in no time the Queen is hooked. Going nowhere without a book, she becomes distracted in her duties. She starts attempting to have literary conversations with other heads of state, including the prime minister. Young Norman is promoted from the kitchen in order to be close at hand to dicuss, recommend and procure books. All this leads to consternation amongst her staff who start conspiring to undermine her reading.
What a lovely "tongue in the cheek" celebration of books and writing! A pure delight up until the very last page with its surprise ending.
A delicious little gem (0/0 people found this helpful)
HM the Queen stumbles upon a mobile library in the Palace grounds while in pursuit of her wayward corgis. She feels obliged to investigate; apart from the librarian its only occupant is Norman, a ginger haired young lad who it appears works in the Palace kitchens. HM leaves the mobile library not only with a new interest about to blossom, but also having met her unlikely ally in her new hobby. For Norman is soon promoted from the kitchens to find himself advising HM on her reading matter, that he has a predilection for gay authors simply adds to entertainment.
The Queen's new interest causes consternation in both Palace and Government circles, and unsurprisingly Norman is not particularly popular either. Of course the real delight of this little book is the premise that HM should be so distracted by something as seemingly ordinary which we, the reader, take such pleasure in. That she should be aided and abetted by a gawky teenager makes it particularly delicious. Her reaction to the various authors she stumbles upon, and the innocence and broadmindedness with which HM pursues her new found distraction makes her all the more endearing.
This is an absolute gem of a book, full to the brim with wit and humour; perhaps a certain waiting Prince might get some ideas.
People's Queen (0/0 people found this helpful)
At a time in History when everyone is adamant to prove and show that Her Majesty is human (as if were there any doubt), there comes a fine and funny story about Her Majesty's reading habits. A nice book, thouroughly enjoyable, that shows appreciation for one (if not THE ONE) of the best Heads of State the world has known. Though not with executive power, the world, yes, all of us, owe this Person a debt of gratitute for an enormous wisdom, insight and charisma, shown to us all through more than 50 years of a blessed reign! Long live the Queen, and may Her Majesty be as reader friendly as the character she portrais in this book.
Beautifully written and somewhat shocking (1/1 people found this helpful)
Something about the way he has written this book is slightly shocking. This has all the hallmarks of a Bennett work - wry humour, pondering philosophy and the usual disingenuous remarks but it's sort of risque because not only is he writing about the Queen, there's a kind of erie accuracy to this. Although none of us commoners can possibly know what she's really like but surely the endless duty must get her down slightly. And there's something subversive that also rings true about the establishment working around her and their inevitable dislike of literature.
It's touching and thought-provoking a quiet book to beat back the Big Brother era of clueless chavs who don't know what a book is let alone what might be inside.
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Categories
Amazon.co.uk places this book into the following categories:
Books -> Subjects -> Fiction -> General
Books -> Special Features -> Search Inside!
Books -> Refinements -> Language (feature_browse-bin) -> English
Books -> Refinements -> Age (feature_two_browse-bin)
Books -> Refinements -> Format (binding_browse-bin) -> Hardcover
Books -> Refinements -> Condition (condition-type)