Publication
Faber and Faber : Profile, c2007
Status
Available
Description
In this deliciously funny novella that celebrates the pleasure of reading, the Uncommon reader is none other than Her Majesty the Queen who drifts accidentally into reading when her corgis stray into a mobile library parked at Buckingham Palace. She reads widely (J.R. Ackerley, Jean Genet, Ivy Compton Burnett, and the classics) and intelligently. Her reading naturally changes her world view and her relationship with people such as the oleaginous prime minister and his repellent advisers. She comes to question the prescribed order of the world, and loses patience with much that she has to do. In short, her reading is subversive. The consequence is, of course, surprising, mildly shocking and very funny. 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.… (more)
Media reviews
Det är träffsäkert, roligt och nästan oanständigt underhållande...
Bennett manages to touch on some pointed issues in this little volume: life experience versus book experience; the pleasure of reading versus the sterility of being briefed; the riddle of what is "natural" behavior when a person lives so much in the public eye. And he makes you whoop with laughter
Show More
while he's at it. Show Less
In recounting this story of a ruler who becomes a reader, a monarch who’d rather write than reign, Mr. Bennett has written a captivating fairy tale. It’s a tale that’s as charming as the old Gregory Peck-Audrey Hepburn movie “Roman Holiday,” and as keenly observed as Stephen Frears’s
Show More
award-winning movie “The Queen” — a tale that showcases its author’s customary élan and keen but humane wit. Show Less
The Uncommon Reader is a political and literary satire. But it's also a lovely lesson in the redemptive and subversive power of reading and how one book can lead to another and another and another.
This time, his odd, isolated heroine is the queen of England. The story of her budding love affair with literature blends the comic and the poignant so smoothly it can only be by Bennett. It’s not his very best work, but it distills his virtues well enough to suggest how such a distinctive style
Show More
might have arisen. Show Less
The Uncommon Reader has the tone and morally elevating intentions of a children's book. Yet this charming fairy tale is laced with plenty of drollery for readers of more than four feet high.
User reviews
LibraryThing member brenzi
If you have an hour or two to spare between books do pick up this charming little gem from British writer Alan Bennett. I can guarantee it will make you smile.
Queen Elizabeth’s rambunctious Corgi dogs veer off their normal path around Buckingham Palace and end up barking rowdily around the mobile
“She’d never taken much interest in reading. She read, of course, as one did, but liking books was something she left to other people. It was a hobby and it was in the nature of her job that she didn’t have hobbies. Jogging, growing roses, chess or rock climbing, cake decoration, model aeroplanes. No. Hobbies involved preferences and preferences had to be avoided; preferences excluded people. One had no preferences. Her job was to take an interest, not to be interested herself. And besides, reading wasn’t doing. She was a doer.” (Page 6-7)
Once the book is in her possession, she is virtually off to the races. The boy from the kitchen, Norman, turns out to be very well-read, and guides her as she reads a wide variety of literature from the classics to England’s most popular authors. She becomes a passionate reader and, much like the fervent readers I know, reading takes over her life. This does not set well with those around her as the eighty-year-old queen allows reading to take on greater importance than the jobs that had always been her duty and, therefore, carried out with precision.
Bennett delightfully describes this struggle and the ensuing conclusion provides just the right exclamation mark at the end of the story. Thoughtful, humorous, touching, Bennett points out all the joy of being a passionate reader by throwing out one gorgeously crafted sentence after another. Highly recommended.
Queen Elizabeth’s rambunctious Corgi dogs veer off their normal path around Buckingham Palace and end up barking rowdily around the mobile
Show More
library, parked in an area the queen never frequents. Stepping into the van, she expresses her surprise to the driver and the only customer, a boy who works in the kitchen. She feels obligated to take out a book, any book, even though she isn’t really a reader:“She’d never taken much interest in reading. She read, of course, as one did, but liking books was something she left to other people. It was a hobby and it was in the nature of her job that she didn’t have hobbies. Jogging, growing roses, chess or rock climbing, cake decoration, model aeroplanes. No. Hobbies involved preferences and preferences had to be avoided; preferences excluded people. One had no preferences. Her job was to take an interest, not to be interested herself. And besides, reading wasn’t doing. She was a doer.” (Page 6-7)
Once the book is in her possession, she is virtually off to the races. The boy from the kitchen, Norman, turns out to be very well-read, and guides her as she reads a wide variety of literature from the classics to England’s most popular authors. She becomes a passionate reader and, much like the fervent readers I know, reading takes over her life. This does not set well with those around her as the eighty-year-old queen allows reading to take on greater importance than the jobs that had always been her duty and, therefore, carried out with precision.
Bennett delightfully describes this struggle and the ensuing conclusion provides just the right exclamation mark at the end of the story. Thoughtful, humorous, touching, Bennett points out all the joy of being a passionate reader by throwing out one gorgeously crafted sentence after another. Highly recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dpbrewster
A stylish and witty literary conceit that is ultimately as wispy, ephemeral and sweet as cotton candy. The title is certainly an allusion to Virginia Woolf's collection of essays from 1925 (Elizabeth II being born in 1926, less than a year after its publication -- though Woolf can be considered a
The happens to follow her ever present clutch of Corgis into a mobile library that happens to visit the palace grounds. Good form compels her to check out a book. She also comes into contact with a gay kitchen boy who becomes her early guide into all varieties of literature. Subsequently the Queen discovers that, of course, the palace has its own library. Bennett's comedic narrative of the development of this new found passion for reading (despite the disapproval of the Prince, courtiers, and the Prime Minister), and the empowerment and confidence it brings to the Queen personally, to her judgment, and to her "duty" is the central theme of the book.
Bennett's ultimately goal, and far more serious one of course, is to show how literature humanizes the reader (as the Queen says in the book, "one must take the time"), as well as the subversive nature of independent thought, and (certainly self-servingly) leads to writing as the ultimate exercise of the mind.
Show More
common reader no more than the Queen).The happens to follow her ever present clutch of Corgis into a mobile library that happens to visit the palace grounds. Good form compels her to check out a book. She also comes into contact with a gay kitchen boy who becomes her early guide into all varieties of literature. Subsequently the Queen discovers that, of course, the palace has its own library. Bennett's comedic narrative of the development of this new found passion for reading (despite the disapproval of the Prince, courtiers, and the Prime Minister), and the empowerment and confidence it brings to the Queen personally, to her judgment, and to her "duty" is the central theme of the book.
Bennett's ultimately goal, and far more serious one of course, is to show how literature humanizes the reader (as the Queen says in the book, "one must take the time"), as well as the subversive nature of independent thought, and (certainly self-servingly) leads to writing as the ultimate exercise of the mind.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Whisper1
This book was on the tbr pile since 2008. Calm's recent excellent review inspired me to move it to the top.
This is a marvelous fictionalized tale of Queen Elizabeth II who developed a love of reading that was life changing.
It is a gem of a book and resonates with those who enjoy and are obsessed by
Just as Queen Elizabeth discovered, reading opens our eyes, heightens our perceptions and helps us to define and understand who we are.
Page 105 of the book contains a the statement from the Queen that reading "tenderizes us."
Bennett's writing style is pithy, humorous and utterly delightful.
Highly recommended.
This is a marvelous fictionalized tale of Queen Elizabeth II who developed a love of reading that was life changing.
It is a gem of a book and resonates with those who enjoy and are obsessed by
Show More
reading.Just as Queen Elizabeth discovered, reading opens our eyes, heightens our perceptions and helps us to define and understand who we are.
Page 105 of the book contains a the statement from the Queen that reading "tenderizes us."
Bennett's writing style is pithy, humorous and utterly delightful.
Highly recommended.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jnwelch
"'The Pursuit of Love' turned out to be a fortunate choice and in its way a momentous one. Had Her Majesty gone for another duff read, an early George Eliot, say, or a late Henry James, novice reader that she was she might have been put off reading for good and there would be no story to tell.
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett is the witty, funny, and charming story of the Queen becoming infatuated with books as she approaches her 80th birthday, and the wrench that throws into the works for all her non-reading attendants and handlers, not to mention the Prime Minister and other governmental luminaries. (Is that last one an oxymoron?) Norman, who she meets by chance in a traveling library, soon becomes a critical reading assistant. He eases her into this new world with books like My Dog Tulip, taking advantage of her love for dogs, but soon she is taking on more challenging writers and giving us hilarious critical commentary. "Am I alone . . . in wanting to give Henry James a good talking to?"
At first she tries to fit reading within the principle of "duty" that has guided her life, deciding that she reads "because one has a duty to find out what people are like". But soon enough she is freely declaiming that "One reads for pleasure. It is not a public duty." As she begins to ask members of the public and politicos about what they are reading, and making reading suggestions, Sir Kevin, her schedule manager, becomes more and more alarmed. This is not the way it is done. When she begins to give books to the Prime Minister and quiz him about them, the unacceptable disturbance of routine reaches the highest levels, provoking a graphic laugh out loud response. In the end her new reading habit takes her in a direction that no one expected, one which she explains in memorable Queenly style.
Show More
Books, she would have thought, were work."The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett is the witty, funny, and charming story of the Queen becoming infatuated with books as she approaches her 80th birthday, and the wrench that throws into the works for all her non-reading attendants and handlers, not to mention the Prime Minister and other governmental luminaries. (Is that last one an oxymoron?) Norman, who she meets by chance in a traveling library, soon becomes a critical reading assistant. He eases her into this new world with books like My Dog Tulip, taking advantage of her love for dogs, but soon she is taking on more challenging writers and giving us hilarious critical commentary. "Am I alone . . . in wanting to give Henry James a good talking to?"
At first she tries to fit reading within the principle of "duty" that has guided her life, deciding that she reads "because one has a duty to find out what people are like". But soon enough she is freely declaiming that "One reads for pleasure. It is not a public duty." As she begins to ask members of the public and politicos about what they are reading, and making reading suggestions, Sir Kevin, her schedule manager, becomes more and more alarmed. This is not the way it is done. When she begins to give books to the Prime Minister and quiz him about them, the unacceptable disturbance of routine reaches the highest levels, provoking a graphic laugh out loud response. In the end her new reading habit takes her in a direction that no one expected, one which she explains in memorable Queenly style.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MikeFarquhar
Every now and then I come across a book that's just so perfect it reminds me why I read at all. Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader is one of those books; what it lacks in length (just 123 pages long) it more than makes up for in punch.
The Reader of the title is none other than Her Majesty the Queen
Bennett's book is many things; a delightfully observed character study of a woman whose public face is known like few other, but whose private self remains a blank slate onto which he can plausibly project; a sharp satire on Britain and British society, and most of all, a glorious hymn to the joy of reading and all that it brings and a stinging rebuke to those who carp boorishly at the arts as elitist. Bennett has a style and capacity with language like few other, and this is very much a Bennett writing at the full height of what he's capable of. The delightful sting in this tale's tail caps off the whole thing beautifully.
An absolute gem of a book, and one I can see me giving as a gift many times over in the next few months, and I commend it to you all.
I would love to know what the real Queen thought of it...
The Reader of the title is none other than Her Majesty the Queen
Show More
who, while walking the infamous corgis in the Palace grounds one afternoon, is mortified when they overrun a visiting library van, providing services to those 'Down Below' in the Palace. Sensitive like no other to the subtleties of British propriety, the Queen borrows a book by way of an apology, and - despite it not being THAT good - finishes it because, that is simply what One Does, One's Duty. Sense of obligation leads onto a second book ... and by now Her Maj is hooked. Having read plenty for Duty, but little for pleasure, she suddenly finds herself catapulted into a fictional world, and finds herself seeing the world around her, and herself, differently for it. As her staff start to worry that Reading is simply not a Done Thing for the Monarch to be doing, and amid concern that the changes in her behaviour represent the onset of senile dementia (far from it), a slowly escalating battle of wits occurs (leading to amongst other things, the despatch of a newfound confidante of Her Majesty's to the University of East Anglia, and the blowing up of Anita Brookner during the State Opening of Parliament)Bennett's book is many things; a delightfully observed character study of a woman whose public face is known like few other, but whose private self remains a blank slate onto which he can plausibly project; a sharp satire on Britain and British society, and most of all, a glorious hymn to the joy of reading and all that it brings and a stinging rebuke to those who carp boorishly at the arts as elitist. Bennett has a style and capacity with language like few other, and this is very much a Bennett writing at the full height of what he's capable of. The delightful sting in this tale's tail caps off the whole thing beautifully.
An absolute gem of a book, and one I can see me giving as a gift many times over in the next few months, and I commend it to you all.
I would love to know what the real Queen thought of it...
Show Less
LibraryThing member katiekrug
A wonderfully sharp, funny and charming story of the universality of reading and how books can expand one’s world. Bennett uses the premise of Queen Elizabeth discovering the wonder of books and reading as a way to discuss themes and truths that will resonate with any book lover.
While one would
I loved this novella – especially the end (no spoilers here!). I intend to pick up a physical copy of the book to add to my personal library.
While one would
Show More
assume the Queen has everything she could possibly want, it is not until she begins reading for pleasure that we (and she) begin to see the narrowness of her world, despite all her unique experience. Bennett’s Queen is a sympathetic figure, and his telling of her story is both gentle and very humorous. He accomplishes a difficult task: enabling the (common) reader to identify with the Queen of England. And that feat points to what seems to be his central point: the experience of reading – no matter who you are or what your circumstances – is by its nature universal and democratic. I loved this novella – especially the end (no spoilers here!). I intend to pick up a physical copy of the book to add to my personal library.
Show Less
LibraryThing member richardderus
Witty, irreverent, and completely charming, Bennett's novella is one I would sincerely hope that Her Majesty read and laughed at when it was published.
There are many reviews of this effervescent entertainment, so I will confine myself to noting that the book carries with it a none-too-subtle punch
A delightful bagatelle of a book. Recommended to anyone not connected with the Royal Family.
There are many reviews of this effervescent entertainment, so I will confine myself to noting that the book carries with it a none-too-subtle punch
Show More
line which I can't imagine would have made Mr. Bennett more likely to be in line for a life peerage, but which I can imagine made him a popular figure around Highgrove.A delightful bagatelle of a book. Recommended to anyone not connected with the Royal Family.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lauralkeet
It was a hobby and it was in the nature of her job that she didn't have hobbies. ... Hobbies involved preferences and preferences had to be avoided; preferences excluded people. (p. 6)
Alan Bennett's wonderful novella imagines what would happen if the Queen suddenly became an avid reader. When her
Still, though reading absorbed her, what the Queen had not expected was the degree to which it drained her of enthusiasm for anything else. It's true that the at prospect of opening yet another swimming-baths her heart didn't exactly leap up, but even so, she had not exactly resented having to do it. ... Now she surveyed the unrelenting progression of tours, travels, and undertakings stretching years into the future only with dread. (p. 60)
Well, what avid reader hasn't felt the same way from time to time? Bennett keeps tongue firmly in cheek throughout this short book, satirizing the royals and English society. Yet he also paints an engaging portrait of the "real life" led by a public figure. The Uncommon Reader was a wonderful diversion that could be read again and again with enjoyment.
Alan Bennett's wonderful novella imagines what would happen if the Queen suddenly became an avid reader. When her
Show More
much-loved corgis get loose and charge into a mobile library, Queen Elizabeth II charges in after them, and then feels an obligation to check out a book. And thus begins her obsession with reading; her discovery of great literature. Reading very quickly takes precedence over a multitude of royal obligations, sometimes causing her to be late, or creating conversational cul-de-sacs with staff and subjects alike:Still, though reading absorbed her, what the Queen had not expected was the degree to which it drained her of enthusiasm for anything else. It's true that the at prospect of opening yet another swimming-baths her heart didn't exactly leap up, but even so, she had not exactly resented having to do it. ... Now she surveyed the unrelenting progression of tours, travels, and undertakings stretching years into the future only with dread. (p. 60)
Well, what avid reader hasn't felt the same way from time to time? Bennett keeps tongue firmly in cheek throughout this short book, satirizing the royals and English society. Yet he also paints an engaging portrait of the "real life" led by a public figure. The Uncommon Reader was a wonderful diversion that could be read again and again with enjoyment.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Lman
I love words. I love books full of well-crafted words – where I learn some new ones on the way…ergo, I should love this book, The Uncommon Reader. And I did; to most extents. This is at once a witty but beautifully-structured work; with big, bold opinions in their subtly, vis-à-vis British
Leaving aside any logic with the conjecture, the story is a short, sharp and immeasurably droll conception of ‘what-if’ Her Majesty became an avid reader later in her life (assuming she wasn’t in her younger days). And the effects reading would have on a monarch’s awareness, after actually meeting many authors in her life; and on her royal duties and her household-at-large. In particular when, for the first time in her reign, she gives greater priority to books, than to her subjects, and in wishing to share her newly-found passion, by-passes standard, conservative protocols.
Unquestionably Alan Bennett, with an astonishing economy of words, delivers an astute, intelligent and oft-times amusing stance within this book; on readers in general, and on one in particular, and on the royal institution as a whole. The razor-sharp intuitiveness is astounding, the title itself a delight with its by-play on words; but I can’t help thinking: did we need the meaning of ‘big’ words clarified in the text most times – though perhaps it was intended to, once again, accentuate the difference persistently encouraged between royalty and the common man? And there is a degree of poignancy, of sorrow, to the ruminations of the Queen a propos her reading experiences, most of which, the bibliophiles amongst us, can strongly empathise with!
Along with the adroit commentary on reading: “You don’t put your life into your books. You find it there” (p. 102), there is also a scrutiny, and incisive insight, into writing itself, skilfully expressed within this narrative: “After all’, as she wrote in her notebook, ‘novels are not necessarily written as the crow flies.” (p. 74)
In the end, the unexpected twist – to me at least – has left me in somewhat two minds: uncommonly irritated at the affairs-of-state, and unsurprised at the common state-of-affairs; for one uncommon reader! Perhaps the outcome the author intended all along… if one is allowed to elucidate.
(May 31, 2009)
Show More
class and structure, and the fundamentals of reading itself - hitting the mark unerringly, and with regularity, in the shrewd perceptions it advances. It’s just that, at times, I found it a bit too clever for its own good…unsure if a tone was intended, or over-patronising.Leaving aside any logic with the conjecture, the story is a short, sharp and immeasurably droll conception of ‘what-if’ Her Majesty became an avid reader later in her life (assuming she wasn’t in her younger days). And the effects reading would have on a monarch’s awareness, after actually meeting many authors in her life; and on her royal duties and her household-at-large. In particular when, for the first time in her reign, she gives greater priority to books, than to her subjects, and in wishing to share her newly-found passion, by-passes standard, conservative protocols.
Unquestionably Alan Bennett, with an astonishing economy of words, delivers an astute, intelligent and oft-times amusing stance within this book; on readers in general, and on one in particular, and on the royal institution as a whole. The razor-sharp intuitiveness is astounding, the title itself a delight with its by-play on words; but I can’t help thinking: did we need the meaning of ‘big’ words clarified in the text most times – though perhaps it was intended to, once again, accentuate the difference persistently encouraged between royalty and the common man? And there is a degree of poignancy, of sorrow, to the ruminations of the Queen a propos her reading experiences, most of which, the bibliophiles amongst us, can strongly empathise with!
Along with the adroit commentary on reading: “You don’t put your life into your books. You find it there” (p. 102), there is also a scrutiny, and incisive insight, into writing itself, skilfully expressed within this narrative: “After all’, as she wrote in her notebook, ‘novels are not necessarily written as the crow flies.” (p. 74)
In the end, the unexpected twist – to me at least – has left me in somewhat two minds: uncommonly irritated at the affairs-of-state, and unsurprised at the common state-of-affairs; for one uncommon reader! Perhaps the outcome the author intended all along… if one is allowed to elucidate.
(May 31, 2009)
Show Less
LibraryThing member frogprof
I ADORE this book! Well, I adore Alan Bennett in general, but as I'm a fan of HM Queen Elizabeth II as well, this book covered a lot of goodies for me. I don't normally go for novellas or short stories, but I waited seemingly forever for this one to go on sale in paperback [I don't have shelf-space
The Queen is portrayed in a "homey" sort of light -- we get to know her as a real person who READS, although Americans have been given the impression that the British Royals are a bunch of inbred, not-terribly-bright, upper-class twits. The Elizabeth II of this story is nothing like that; but the best part about her is that she is no snob, either. She befriends the man who runs the bookmobile and gets to know a bit about "life on the outside."
The ending came as a COMPLETE shock to me [I won't ruin it] and I found myself shouting "NO! ALAN, NO!" as if the author could hear me -- and as if that ending were likely anyway. But what a burst of adrenaline!
Show More
for hardbacks) -- and it was worth the wait. The Queen is portrayed in a "homey" sort of light -- we get to know her as a real person who READS, although Americans have been given the impression that the British Royals are a bunch of inbred, not-terribly-bright, upper-class twits. The Elizabeth II of this story is nothing like that; but the best part about her is that she is no snob, either. She befriends the man who runs the bookmobile and gets to know a bit about "life on the outside."
The ending came as a COMPLETE shock to me [I won't ruin it] and I found myself shouting "NO! ALAN, NO!" as if the author could hear me -- and as if that ending were likely anyway. But what a burst of adrenaline!
Show Less
LibraryThing member ValerieAndBooks
“The Uncommon Reader” by Alan Bennett is a novella that has a very British feel to it. Not surprising, since it is about the current Queen Elizabeth, and written by a British author. This novella imagines what the Queen’s life would be like after she suddenly becomes an avid and voracious
Here is a quote from this book, when the Queen discusses the difference between being briefed about a book and actually reading it:
“…..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. Briefing closes down a subject, reading opens it up”.
I’d say “The Uncommon Reader” is a quirky novella that –while I enjoyed it very much– may not be for everyone. Not everyone has the same taste in humor, for example. Also, while it didn’t bother me, there are frequent references to homosexuality (such as which books the Queen is reading are by authors that are/were homosexual). However, since it is a novella, it doesn’t take too much of your time whether you like this novella or not.
Show More
reader. There are touches of humor throughout; but also tidbits to ponder, usually about the act of reading itself. I got a good feel for the Queen’s character (as portrayed in the novella) and the characters around her, especially Prince Philip. The characterization of a long-married, creaky couple was enjoyable. I liked the twist at the end of the novella, although I had to read it twice to understand it! Here is a quote from this book, when the Queen discusses the difference between being briefed about a book and actually reading it:
“…..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. Briefing closes down a subject, reading opens it up”.
I’d say “The Uncommon Reader” is a quirky novella that –while I enjoyed it very much– may not be for everyone. Not everyone has the same taste in humor, for example. Also, while it didn’t bother me, there are frequent references to homosexuality (such as which books the Queen is reading are by authors that are/were homosexual). However, since it is a novella, it doesn’t take too much of your time whether you like this novella or not.
Show Less
LibraryThing member PandorasRequiem
It has often been remarked of great books loved by many in passing that one "couldn't put it down". I admit to a fault that I myself have said this before as well, but never with so much meaning as I state it here now. I "literally" could NOT put this little delight of a novella down.
No, that is a
"...she had started to make notes, after which she always read with a pencil in hand, not summarising what she read but simply transcribing passages that struck her."
Yes, the fact that this book has me comparing my reading habits with The Queen of England herself is no small feat indeed. I must admit that I found myself rather liking the plucky heroine of this delightful romp on words. The more she read, the more humane she became. She was transformed before mine eyes from an uptight matriarchal spinster who remarked of herself, "I have to seem like a human being all the time, but I seldom have to be one. I have people to do that for me" (72); to a sympathetic, remarkable, and extremely endearing literate Lady.
Perhaps in the end what makes this namesake of the title "Uncommon", is the fact she does not have her equal in this living world outside of the pages. If only our political rulers would take heed of such wonder and delight of the world of books and become "tenderise(d) by books" as The Queen Herself was!
Bravo, Mr. Bennett!
No, that is a
Show More
falsehood. Although a light one. I did in fact put it down ONCE in order to grab some notepaper and a pen round about page 19, when I realized that the literary references in this book would be so plentiful I would never manage to remember them all without writing them down for further reference. Imagine my surprise when I found myself reflected in that activity by The Queen Herself doing that exact same thing on page 47! "...she had started to make notes, after which she always read with a pencil in hand, not summarising what she read but simply transcribing passages that struck her."
Yes, the fact that this book has me comparing my reading habits with The Queen of England herself is no small feat indeed. I must admit that I found myself rather liking the plucky heroine of this delightful romp on words. The more she read, the more humane she became. She was transformed before mine eyes from an uptight matriarchal spinster who remarked of herself, "I have to seem like a human being all the time, but I seldom have to be one. I have people to do that for me" (72); to a sympathetic, remarkable, and extremely endearing literate Lady.
Perhaps in the end what makes this namesake of the title "Uncommon", is the fact she does not have her equal in this living world outside of the pages. If only our political rulers would take heed of such wonder and delight of the world of books and become "tenderise(d) by books" as The Queen Herself was!
Bravo, Mr. Bennett!
Show Less
LibraryThing member tapestry100
A surprisingly enjoyable little book, Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader is fundamentally a book about books and the power that they can have over our lives.
When the Queen's dogs accidentally wander by way of a mobile library near Buckingham Palace, she feels obligated to check out a book. From
This is the second time that I've read this story, and I loved it just as much as I did the first. Bennett has constructed a great little story, and the ending is perfect. I love his portrayal of the Queen, and both how she deals with her subjects and how she is handled by those around her in her household and government positions. If you've never read this before, I'd highly recommend it. It is a very quick read and worth it. You won't be disappointed.
When the Queen's dogs accidentally wander by way of a mobile library near Buckingham Palace, she feels obligated to check out a book. From
Show More
there, she is enthralled by books and soon begins to become obsessed with reading, feeling that she has discovered something important to her that she has missed out on over the years. We get to see her journey as she grows as a reader to a most surprising conclusion to the story.This is the second time that I've read this story, and I loved it just as much as I did the first. Bennett has constructed a great little story, and the ending is perfect. I love his portrayal of the Queen, and both how she deals with her subjects and how she is handled by those around her in her household and government positions. If you've never read this before, I'd highly recommend it. It is a very quick read and worth it. You won't be disappointed.
Show Less
LibraryThing member TrishNYC
The best way of describing this book is short, sweet and cute. One day the Queen happens upon the mobile library on the grounds of Windsor and on a whim decides to borrow a book. This one decision unknown to everyone including the Queen will have far reaching consequences.
When she begins to read
I really enjoyed this book and thought it was extremely entertaining. It was very funny and also made me feel sorry for the Queen because in many ways her life though certainly one of privilege must also be very lonely in its own way.
When she begins to read
Show More
in earnest, many are alarmed including her some of her family, most of her staff and the prime minister. They all in one way or another try to quench this desire by all means necessary including sabotage, persuasion and coercion. But all their attempts fail and in fact one incidence of persuasion leads to a very surprising end to the book. Her personal secretary goes as far as saying that reading on the scale that she had embarked on it was not desirable as it was too solitary a task and one that may be seen as exclusionary. I really enjoyed this book and thought it was extremely entertaining. It was very funny and also made me feel sorry for the Queen because in many ways her life though certainly one of privilege must also be very lonely in its own way.
Show Less
LibraryThing member sharlene_w
I thoroughly enjoyed this clever little novella about how catching the reading bug affected the life of an "uncommon" person. Quick little treat.
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
A version of The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett initially appeared in the London Review of Books before being printed as a book in Great Britain in 2007. It wasn't until the end of 2008 that the novella made its way to the United States. I was fortunate enough to obtain a copy through
It began with a single book borrowed out of politeness. Her Majesty the Queen had wandered into a traveling library to apologize for the racket her corgis were making. Much to the chagrin and frustration of her advisors and family members, the first book is followed by another and then another until the Queen is consumed by the need to read. This newly formed habit is met with differing levels of non-support, but as the Queen she has the freedom to ignore this to some extent despite the multiple attempts made to reign in her addiction. While her reading becomes somewhat problematic for her responsibilities regarding matters of state, the Queen discovers that her mind has become more open and her sensitivity towards others has increased.
The plot of the book is really more of an excuse to expound and ruminate on readers and the act of reading than it is to tell a story. Regardless, the Queen's tale is delightful and Bennett even manages to work in a few amusingly clever twists by the end of the slim volume. The pacing was a bit uneven, moving along in fits and starts, but the book is short enough that this isn't terribly troublesome. Quite a few literary references are dropped throughout, and even though I didn't recognize them all I appreciated the ones that I did (there's even a dig at Harry Potter, which amused me greatly).
Overall, I found that I enjoyed The Uncommon Reader very much, although I was left with a feeling of wanting something more after I finished it. Generally delightful, the novella seemed empty at times and occasionally a little full of its own cleverness. As a novella, the book is easily and probably best read in one sitting. The story will be most appreciated by those who are themselves already avid readers and who understand the addictive and often subversive power of books and reading.
Experiments in Reading
Show More
LibraryThing's Early Reviewers, making it the sixth book I've received through the program and among the ones that I've enjoyed the most.It began with a single book borrowed out of politeness. Her Majesty the Queen had wandered into a traveling library to apologize for the racket her corgis were making. Much to the chagrin and frustration of her advisors and family members, the first book is followed by another and then another until the Queen is consumed by the need to read. This newly formed habit is met with differing levels of non-support, but as the Queen she has the freedom to ignore this to some extent despite the multiple attempts made to reign in her addiction. While her reading becomes somewhat problematic for her responsibilities regarding matters of state, the Queen discovers that her mind has become more open and her sensitivity towards others has increased.
The plot of the book is really more of an excuse to expound and ruminate on readers and the act of reading than it is to tell a story. Regardless, the Queen's tale is delightful and Bennett even manages to work in a few amusingly clever twists by the end of the slim volume. The pacing was a bit uneven, moving along in fits and starts, but the book is short enough that this isn't terribly troublesome. Quite a few literary references are dropped throughout, and even though I didn't recognize them all I appreciated the ones that I did (there's even a dig at Harry Potter, which amused me greatly).
Overall, I found that I enjoyed The Uncommon Reader very much, although I was left with a feeling of wanting something more after I finished it. Generally delightful, the novella seemed empty at times and occasionally a little full of its own cleverness. As a novella, the book is easily and probably best read in one sitting. The story will be most appreciated by those who are themselves already avid readers and who understand the addictive and often subversive power of books and reading.
Experiments in Reading
Show Less
LibraryThing member curious.incident
The Uncommon Reader tells the story of what happens after the Queen of England stumbles across a travelling library on the palace grounds. So as not to offend the librarian, the Queen selects a book to take with her. She reads the book, which leads to other books, and soon this new pursuit starts
This short 120-page book covers a lot of ground. Classism, the role of the monarchy, politics, and literature all become targets in Bennett's satire. The prose is beautifully written and the comedic bits strike just the right balance with the weightier parts of the book.
And don't skip to the last page! Bennett manages to end his story on the perfect note.
Show More
affecting the people around her. As the scope of her reading expands, the Queen begins to question the decisions she has made in the past and to alter her view of the world.This short 120-page book covers a lot of ground. Classism, the role of the monarchy, politics, and literature all become targets in Bennett's satire. The prose is beautifully written and the comedic bits strike just the right balance with the weightier parts of the book.
And don't skip to the last page! Bennett manages to end his story on the perfect note.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
Although I have enjoyed a lot of his screenplays (and in particular his 'An Englishman Abroad' and 'A Question of Attribution'), I haven't generally been a fan of Alan Bennett's books and stories. I seem to be in a minority of one in having found his 'The Lady in the Van' tedious, squalid and
This latest novella has won me over completely, though. Quite often one encounters a scenario that offers a very funny idea that the writer fails to sustain, but Bennett delivers beautifully, humorously and poignantly.
It opens with a mobile library van being parked near the remoter hinterlands of the Buckingham Palace estate. The Queen, 'The Uncommon Reader' of the title, stumbles across it, having followed one of her errant corgis. Wandering in she meets the librarian and Norman, one of her own servants, who visits it every week. Finding herself in the mobile library, the Queen decides to take a book just to be polite. Because it is close to hand the librarian give her a novel by Ivy Compton Burnett, and the Queen takes it away. She isn't particularly impressed but brings it back the following week and takes away another book. This is more engaging and the Queen comes to realise how enjoyable it is to read. She quickly becomes addicted to reading and is soon hiding books in her handbag or the royal carriage s that she can optimise her reading time.
The story is very amusing but it also conveys the value of reading thoughtfully, and the huge sense of satisfaction that comes from completing an engaging book.
Delightful!
Show More
wholly lacking in humour.This latest novella has won me over completely, though. Quite often one encounters a scenario that offers a very funny idea that the writer fails to sustain, but Bennett delivers beautifully, humorously and poignantly.
It opens with a mobile library van being parked near the remoter hinterlands of the Buckingham Palace estate. The Queen, 'The Uncommon Reader' of the title, stumbles across it, having followed one of her errant corgis. Wandering in she meets the librarian and Norman, one of her own servants, who visits it every week. Finding herself in the mobile library, the Queen decides to take a book just to be polite. Because it is close to hand the librarian give her a novel by Ivy Compton Burnett, and the Queen takes it away. She isn't particularly impressed but brings it back the following week and takes away another book. This is more engaging and the Queen comes to realise how enjoyable it is to read. She quickly becomes addicted to reading and is soon hiding books in her handbag or the royal carriage s that she can optimise her reading time.
The story is very amusing but it also conveys the value of reading thoughtfully, and the huge sense of satisfaction that comes from completing an engaging book.
Delightful!
Show Less
LibraryThing member stypulkoski
A bit self-satisfied, perhaps, and maybe a little too pleased with its own cleverness, "The Uncommon Reader" by Alan Bennett is nevertheless a delightful read. While a love of books certainly enhances one's enjoyment of the book, that is by no means a prerequisite; indeed, this is the type of book
Not to say that there aren't problems. The plot is, frankly, absurd, and the characters behave in such a one-dimensional way as to make them lose any believability. The ending will vex and disappoint many, though I found it rather refreshing. Let me make clear that my criticisms are minor squabbles; "The Uncommon Reader" is, by and large, a fun, light-hearted little story.
Without reservation I would recommend this book to most everyone. It has a way of transcending interests and tastes and having a broad appeal which guarantees that nearly everyone who comes across it will be charmed and entertained.
Show More
which is truly enjoyable on several different levels, varying according to the reader's sophistication.Not to say that there aren't problems. The plot is, frankly, absurd, and the characters behave in such a one-dimensional way as to make them lose any believability. The ending will vex and disappoint many, though I found it rather refreshing. Let me make clear that my criticisms are minor squabbles; "The Uncommon Reader" is, by and large, a fun, light-hearted little story.
Without reservation I would recommend this book to most everyone. It has a way of transcending interests and tastes and having a broad appeal which guarantees that nearly everyone who comes across it will be charmed and entertained.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Alixtii
Presumably, reading is not as unknown to HM Elizabeth II as it is to the Queen (quite clearly E.R. II but never named as such) in this novella. Instead we are presented, quite deliberately I have no doubt, with a caricature who has never been interested in reading until she suddenly developes a
As a reader, one is always aware of the conceit of a writer (Bennet) talking about reading and writer, but he is not as "meta" about it as a Calvino or Eco. At the same time, he doesn't go to as interesting places with it, eiter. The book is very good throughout, but never quite achieves being great.
Show More
voracious appetite for books, with farcical results. Even with overblown, exaggerated characters there is much which is human in Bennet's novella, and he proceeds as usual (he is the author of that wonderful play, The History Boys), with both wit and insight.As a reader, one is always aware of the conceit of a writer (Bennet) talking about reading and writer, but he is not as "meta" about it as a Calvino or Eco. At the same time, he doesn't go to as interesting places with it, eiter. The book is very good throughout, but never quite achieves being great.
Show Less
LibraryThing member susanbevans
Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader is a surprisingly interesting novella chronicling the Queen of England's (fictional) realization of the vast world of books and reading. If she were anyone else but the Queen, this might be a wonderful and pleasant journey - the discovery of a traveling library
I really enjoyed reading The Uncommon Reader (Ha! that sounds funny!) The characters were unique and quirky - from the Queen herself, a self described opsimath; to her politically correct aide, New Zealander Sir Kevin, forever concerned with the negative impact that the Queen's increased literacy might have on the Monarchy; to the kitchen boy turned literary advisor, the Queen's amanuensis, Norman - they are all multi-dimensional, realistic, well-written characters.
At just 120 pages, The Uncommon Reader is a quick and amusing read - easily tackled in one sitting. It is incredibly humorous in its complete absurdity, and leaves the reader alternately shaking one's head and laughing out loud. This is a book for the reader in us all. It was a joy to read, from it's hilarious beginning to it's surprising ending. You will not be disappointed!
Show More
practically at her doorstep, receiving book recommendations from a young man working with her kitchen staff, sparking bookish discussions with everyone she meets - sounds delightful, right? Well, despite having a marvelous time, the Queen's advisers and staff decide that her reading would only serve to show favoritism and might make some people excluded from the Queen. These nuts go to great lengths to halt the Queen's reading, by hiding her books and having them misdirected at airports - it really is crazy!I really enjoyed reading The Uncommon Reader (Ha! that sounds funny!) The characters were unique and quirky - from the Queen herself, a self described opsimath; to her politically correct aide, New Zealander Sir Kevin, forever concerned with the negative impact that the Queen's increased literacy might have on the Monarchy; to the kitchen boy turned literary advisor, the Queen's amanuensis, Norman - they are all multi-dimensional, realistic, well-written characters.
At just 120 pages, The Uncommon Reader is a quick and amusing read - easily tackled in one sitting. It is incredibly humorous in its complete absurdity, and leaves the reader alternately shaking one's head and laughing out loud. This is a book for the reader in us all. It was a joy to read, from it's hilarious beginning to it's surprising ending. You will not be disappointed!
Show Less
LibraryThing member Brasidas
Pure narrative pleasure is a rare thing, but this little book has it in abundance. In it we come across a Queen Elizabeth who late in life becomes enamored of reading, which has profound consequences for herself and those around her. Her odyssey begins when a little bookmobile shows up outside the
Show More
rear gate at Windsor. In it she finds Mr. Hutchings, its operator, and Norman, a young man who works in her kitchens. This is a charming and humorous scene better read than paraphrased here. Suffice it to say, that before she leaves she decides purely out of politeness to take along a volume by Ivy Compton-Burnett. Later, Norman is promoted from the kitchen and becomes her amanuensis. Together they undertake a journey through literature that includes the works of Proust, Genet, J.R. Ackersley, Brookner, Nancy Mitford, Forster and many others. In the meantime, her private secretary and equerries find their lives changed. Reading has awoken new sensibilities in Her Majesty and they don't like it one little bit. Norman is blamed and insidiously dispatched to an East Anglican university. But it's too late, too late. The reading has had its effects. From the point of view of the staff, it's had seditous consequences. They find their work routines changed. They are thrown innumerable curves. Some of this is very funny stuff. The best thing about the book however is watching the character of the Queen change over its course as the reading takes hold. Her intellectual life becomes broader, deeper. By the end the implications for both the monarchy and the nation are profound. Show Less
LibraryThing member MickyFine
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
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
Show More
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. Show Less
LibraryThing member iwpoe
This is not an awful book, but it's certainly not to my dry and usually classical literary/academic tastes. It's cute I suppose, but even just as a piece of fluff its premise- the Queen of England takes up reading, hilarity ensues -just does not tickle this American's fancy. That said, unless
Show More
you're taste in books is ailed with mine I would not let this very personal appraisal get in your way of taking a look at this. Show Less
LibraryThing member mearso
Very fortuitous coming across this book in the library. Wouldn't have looked for it, but fate meant It appealed to me at the time, and I'm glad it did.Read it in an evening, but throughly enjoyed the simple idea. Lovely meditation on books, reading and how it can change the way one sees the
Told with humour and not a little insight.
Show More
world.Told with humour and not a little insight.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
ISBN
9781846681332
Original publication date
2006