The Uncommon Reader

An enchanting treasure! A celebration for readers, especially for readers who have discovered the joy of reading later in life! And now becomes a sweet remembrance of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Oh, the corgis! The scampering corgis decided to turn around and continue frolicking when a footman failed to be at their beck and call to answer the door. Delightfully (as they knew she would), Queen Elizabeth II followed their paw-steps and made a discovery previously unknown. It was a Wednesday afternoon, the time of day the City of Westminster’s traveling library stopped at Windsor. The Queen learned this when she stepped onboard the van and met Mr. Hutchings and one of the kitchen staff named Norman Seakins. Life for the Queen show more and Norman was never the same.

I loved this novella. I laughed out loud, reading some pages, surprising my husband, and our cat’s expression indicated she didn’t appreciate the interruption of her feline dreams. It was a spontaneous reaction beyond my usual quiet smile as the descriptive writing capturing the joy of reading and knowledge of Queen Elizabeth’s dry humor captivated my imagination.

I wish we could know whether Queen Elizabeth II ever had the delight of reading this book published in 2007, or as the novella "originally appeared, in a slightly different form, in the ‘London Review of Books’ on March 8, 2007." My sense is that she would have laughed out loud too. We’ll never know, but you can take the opportunity for a delightful travel-by-book excursion to Windsor. It’s mesmerizing armchair travel! I’d award more than 5 Stars if available! show less

“A book is a device to ignite the imagination.”

This novella is a gem told in Alan Bennett's inimitable style. The plot is quite a simple one in that one day whilst chasing after her corgis the Queen stumbles across a mobile library van within the Palace grounds. Once there she feels she has a duty to take a book out. From this chance occurrence she discovers a veracious appetite for literature of all kinds. After 50 years of doing her duty she is doing something for pleasure for herself. As her passion grows so she begins to neglect her official duties much to the alarm of her entourage who are used to a far more ordered life.

Bennett's portrays the Queen in a very funny and human way. She feels her duty isolates her from everyone show more else around her.She is intelligent,quite canny, does not suffer fools and windbags gladly yet has an inner steeliness. She has learnt how to way to the crowds almost mechanically as she continues to read her book, keeping it below the level of the window as she travels along in her carriage. Many of her official duties bore her whilst most new Prime Minister's are initially cowed by her presence but as they grow in confidence try to brow-beat her. All probably not far from the truth.

The book is an entertaining comic narrative and whilst I did not exactly laugh out loud I did read it with a smile on my face and at only around 120 pages long it is possible to read, as I did, in one go. Yet it also has quite a serious message too. That reading has the potential to change lives, for its ability to broaden horizons, to imagine oneself in others' shoes and perhaps give you the opportunity to shack off the shackles of family conformity in a similar way as Matilda does in Roald Dahl's book of the same name.

'Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not ... all readers were equal, herself included.' show less

This entertaining novella spins a tale out of the fanciful image of the Queen of England, as she approaches her eighties, becoming an avid reader, and indeed, as she declares, an “opsimath” or “one who learns only late in life.”

Quite amusingly however, her staff assumes she has gone a bit daft, and is coming down with Alzheimer’s. They also conspire to keep her from her books, since she gets too absorbed in them and neglects her public duties.

Even worse, she starts giving “assignments” of reading to those who come see her, such as the Prime Minister. In one hilarious (but x-rated) passage, the secretary to the Prime Minister calls the secretary to the Queen to complain. The Queen’s secretary thereupon goes to see the show more oldest living royal servant, Sir Claude Pollington, for help. Sir Claude visits the Queen and advises her that it would be a good use of her time to write her memoirs rather than read books. His talk causes the Queen to muse, “You don’t put your life into your books. You find it there.”

Discussion: The Queen makes a number of discoveries as she begins to read. One is the indifference of literature: “Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included.”

She also finds, after a disastrous attempt at hosting a number of authors, that “authors… were probably best met within the pages of their novels…”

Bennett’s clever story humorously captures both the joy of reading and the frustration readers face in the company of nonreaders. He also aims to show how much reading can transform a person, as well as how an informed reader can transform a book. The Queen becomes a new person, a person formed by Proust, Dickens, Hardy and Austen, inter alios, and she is the better for it.

Evaluation: A delightful way to pass an hour or two. show less

The Uncommon Reader is a satire that pokes fun at the British monarchy while celebrating literature. The book opens as the Queen chases her irascible corgis right up to a bookmobile parked outside the kitchen at Windsor. Entering to apologize for the ruckus, the Queen feels obligated to check out a book. Palace life changes as the Queen discovers reading and the variety of life presented between book covers. She loses interest in her day-to-day obligations and is even late to the opening of Parliament as she pursues her new interest. The Queen confuses those around her by no longer following standard conversational protocol and instead broaching more literary and thoughtful discussions. After a year of such "common" behavior, the Prime show more Minister takes action in order to restore the more comfortable and understandable status quo.

Bennett does a fantastic job making the reader identify with the Queen. Through the commonality of reading, the Queen takes on an unusual warmth and human depth. It is a pleasant scenario, but clearly outside of reality. That said, you will wonder how Bennett plans to bring us all back to reality without spoiling the fun ... and he will surprise with a perfect ending. show less

A simple tale of what happens when the Queen of England discovers the joys of reading.

Bennett's novella is a delight. The discovery of the wonder that comes from reading books and the attendant worries of never getting to them all is beautifully described. Full of sentences that will resound with any avid reader, Bennett easily brings the behaviours with which many of us are familiar into a royal context. Brief shafts of humour shine through as we follow the Queen through her forays into literature. A short read that will charm anyone that considers themselves a reader.

Die Queen, der Inbegriff von Verantwortungsbewusstsein und Pflichterfüllung! Doch dann lernt sie das Lesen lieben - und zwar das Lesen von Büchern, nicht von Regierungserklärungen oder anderen drögen Vorlagen. Je mehr sie liest umso intensiver beschäftigt sie sich mit Büchern, sodass ihre Umgebung nach und nach zu spüren beginnt, wie ihr ihre Aufgabe als Repräsentantin des British Empire immer mehr zur Last wird. Undenkbar, die Queen hat keine Lust mehr! Während das Oberhaupt der Royals in seiner neuen Leidenschaft völlig aufgeht, werden von anderer Seite Pläne geschmiedet, wie man ihr das Lesen verleiden kann.
Gerade mal 111 zu lesende Seiten hat dieses feine Büchlein, dass in einem edlen, leuchtend roten Leineneinband mit show more Silberaufdruck daherkommt. Leicht zu lesen ist es, aber dennoch so viel mehr als eine seichte Unterhaltungslektüre. Lesen bildet, das wusste die Queen schon zuvor. Doch dass auch Romane nicht nur reiner Zeitvertreib sind, erkennt sie erst nach und nach. Ihr Blickfeld weitet sich, sie beginnt die Menschen um sich herum mit anderen Augen wahrzunehmen, erkennt ihre Beweggründe und Motivationen. Allmählich wird ihr bewusst, was wichtig und unwichtig ist und hinterfragt ihr eigenes Handeln: Ist Pflichterfüllung wirklich das Wichtigste im Leben?
Ein schöneres Plädoyer für's Lesen kann es kaum geben, das dazu noch wie gewohnt von Alan Bennett in wundervoll britischer Art und Weise formuliert wurde. Ein Buch, dass BücherliebhaberInnen lieben werden - aber auch die Anderen werden ihre Freude daran haben. Einfach schön! show less

What a silly little read--but utterly delightful. Perfect book to read when life, family, work, whatever, has laid you low. A fast (they call it a "Novella," but it's really just a long short story) read, with no agenda, though I suppose one could make a list...nah, one really couldn't....

I got immense satisfaction from some of her actions, but in the interest of not spoiling it for a new reader, I won't breathe a word. Love to see if you found it also satisfying.