From the author of The History Boys and The Clothes They Stood Up In
A deliciously funny novella that celebrates the pleasure of reading. When the Queen in pursuit of her wandering corgis stumbles upon a mobile library she feels duty bound to borrow a book. Aided by Norman, a young man from the palace kitchen who frequents the library, Bennett describes the Queen’s transformation as she discovers the liberating pleasures of the written word. With the poignant and mischievous wit o... (show more)
From the author of The History Boys and The Clothes They Stood Up In
A deliciously funny novella that celebrates the pleasure of reading. When the Queen in pursuit of her wandering corgis stumbles upon a mobile library she feels duty bound to borrow a book. Aided by Norman, a young man from the palace kitchen who frequents the library, Bennett describes the Queen’s transformation as she discovers the liberating pleasures of the written word. With the poignant and mischievous wit of The History Boys, England’s best loved author revels in the power of literature to change even the most uncommon reader’s life. (show less)
Photo Gallery
Alan Bennett can do no wrong. Even taking the ridiculous storyline that the Queen, while taking her Corgis for a walk, stumbles upon a library and ... (show more)
Alan Bennett can do no wrong. Even taking the ridiculous storyline that the Queen, while taking her Corgis for a walk, stumbles upon a library and begins reading he manages to tell it with such wit, intelligence and feeling that it becomes a truly moving story.
His account of someone with a love for literature showed me how I have changed since finding a passion for reading. The way it makes the rest of life pale in comparison to what is in books, the feeling of not having enough time in the world left to read everything you want to, the almost evangelical approach you take to those who do not read, the feeling of companionship and understanding (almost souls meeting) you have when you meet someone who has loved the same book as yourself.
The book was such a pleasure to read, polish6ed off within a couple of hours and loved throughout. (show less)
Didn't really enjoy this .. suppose I just didn't get the plot line it ! Yet like the Queen I had to finish it - hell it was only 121 pages long !
A novella in the truest sense of the word – as it takes a mere two hours to devour this – Bennett’s latest literary effort unfolds as a quick and thought-provoking read. The premise: Queen Elizabeth – the second and most current monarch atop the British throne – becomes a reader, almost by accident one morning while she’s out walking the royal corgies. And in due time, she gradually develops some rather refined tastes and insights into a life well-lived amidst books.
In this journey of liter... (show more)
A novella in the truest sense of the word – as it takes a mere two hours to devour this – Bennett’s latest literary effort unfolds as a quick and thought-provoking read. The premise: Queen Elizabeth – the second and most current monarch atop the British throne – becomes a reader, almost by accident one morning while she’s out walking the royal corgies. And in due time, she gradually develops some rather refined tastes and insights into a life well-lived amidst books.
In this journey of literary self-discovery, her Royal Highness begins to espouse – much to the chagrin of her closest acquaintances and staff alike – many a bewildering and pithy turn of phrase. In reply to being briefed before a meeting, she astutely remarks, “Briefing is not reading. In fact it is the antithesis of reading. Briefing is terse, factual, and to the point. Reading is untidy, discursive, and perpetually inviting. Which, of course, aptly describes Bennett’s charming tale itself.
An Uncommon Reader is as much a hymn to a literary life as it is an ink-blot test. In the tradition of the film The Queen from just a few years back, Bennett uses Elizabeth II as a vehicle to not just advocate for the bookish set, but also to gently skewer current political mores against deep and considered thinking. (I won’t spoil the clever ending on this last point.)
For a cleverly original summer read that doesn’t aim to be overly pretentious, this novella is hard to beat. (show less)
Already read
It's hard to imagine someone who wouldn't like the novella The Uncommon Reader. It's a short, enthralling read about a little old lady in the UK who rediscovers the joy of reading and how her new hobby transforms her life. She becomes an eclectic reader devouring mystery novels, literary classics, biographies and philosophy. What makes this book so much fun is that the little old lady is Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. It’s surprising how much humour there is in such a simple story. HR... (show more)
It's hard to imagine someone who wouldn't like the novella The Uncommon Reader. It's a short, enthralling read about a little old lady in the UK who rediscovers the joy of reading and how her new hobby transforms her life. She becomes an eclectic reader devouring mystery novels, literary classics, biographies and philosophy. What makes this book so much fun is that the little old lady is Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. It’s surprising how much humour there is in such a simple story. HRH literally stumbles into reading when her corgis make a fuss about a book mobile parked by the Palace. What begins as a minor distraction quickly starts to distract the Venerable Monarch from her firmly entrenched royal routine. The reaction from family, household staff and even the government is filled with wit and flummery. Some in her circle are committed creatures of habit barely able to handle even a slight change of pace. The Queen wandering around constantly with a book in her hand is too much for them. Others feel that reading itself is inappropriate. In a priceless exchange the Queen’s private secretary advises that reading is exclusionary: “One would feel easier about it, if the pursuit itself were less selfish.” On one hand Alan Bennett has created a clever little insider’s tale about the Royals. At the same time, The Uncommon Reader is a wonderful parable about the value of literature, and its ability to transform people, perceptions and the world itself. (show less)
Already read
This book has been added to these lists:
LivingSocial.com is a social discovery and cataloging network that allows people to review and share their favorite movies, books, games, music, restaurants and beer
Lägg till bokmärke
