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Title details for The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett - Available

The Uncommon Reader

A Novella

by Alan Bennett
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available

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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 16, 2007

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780792751434
      • File size: 77743 KB
      • Duration: 02:41:57

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      When Her Majesty accidentally discovers a mobile library frequenting Buckingham Palace, she feels obliged to borrow a book. Under the tutelage of a kitchen worker named Norman, an enthusiast of gay writers, the Queen develops an unexpected passion for reading. Norman, elevated to the Queen's amanuensis, selects numerous texts to feed her voracious appetite. However, when she attempts to engage ordinary folk and heads of state in literary discussions, she is disturbed by their flat-eyed stares. Her advisors worry that she's growing senile. Eventually, her books are hidden, mysteriously lost in transit, or blown up by overcautious security personnel. Alan Bennett's narration is every bit as delicious as his wit. Listeners will have a field day with this droll peek into alleged palace reading practices. An absolute delight! S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 16, 2007
      Briskly original and subversively funny, this novella from popular British writer Bennett (Untold Stories
      ; Tony-winning play The History Boys
      ) sends Queen Elizabeth II into a mobile library van in pursuit of her runaway corgis and into the reflective, observant life of an avid reader. Guided by Norman, a former kitchen boy and enthusiast of gay authors, the queen gradually loses interest in her endless succession of official duties and learns the pleasure of such a “common” activity. With “the dawn of her sensibility... mistaken for the onset of senility,” plots are hatched by the prime minister and the queen’s staff to dispatch Norman and discourage the queen’s preoccupation with books. Ultimately, it is her own growing self-awareness that leads her away from reading and toward writing, with astonishing results. Bennett has fun with the proper behavior and protocol at the palace, and the few instances of mild coarseness seem almost scandalous. There are lessons packed in here, but Bennett doesn’t wallop readers with them. It’s a fun little book.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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