The Uncommon Reader

Critics

• What One thinks of Henry James

  The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett Faber & Faber/Profile £10.99, pp160 What is it about the Queen that inspires such deep affection in the British? As played by Helen Mirren in The Queen, HM was possessed of a steeliness, an impatience with cant and ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• Waking up late at the Palace

  Since The History Boys transferred first to Broadway and then to the cinema, Alan Bennett has made the journey from national treasure to international superstar. The dustwrapper of this droll novella spends two lines on the London gongs that play pic ... (read full critics)

  spectator published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

15 Reviews

• 2 people find this helpful

  

  A novella from the pen of the brilliant Alan Bennett. Written with his renowned dry sense of humour this is an excellent quick read.<br />The queen had no idea that a mobile library van even made a regular visit to Buckingham Palace until one day whilst walking her corgis in the palace grounds ... (continue)

  A novella from the pen of the brilliant Alan Bennett. Written with his renowned dry sense of humour this is an excellent quick read.<br />The queen had no idea that a mobile library van even made a regular visit to Buckingham Palace until one day whilst walking her corgis in the palace grounds they came across it. At first she borrowed a book out of politeness but soon discovers the joy of reading. With the guidance of another travelling library member, Norman who works in the palace kitchens, she becomes widely read. She soon finds that she prefers reading to her duties as monarch to the dismay of the palace staff. This new passion of the queens leads her to behave somewhat differently than she has ever done before when undertaking her duties.<br />Brilliant and witty, it is a short and enjoyable read, full of interesting facts which will be a delight to anyone fascinated by the world of books.

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  Lindyloumac said on Dec 5, 2009 | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  I don't have much to say about the Queen, although I have some "nostalgic" feelings for her. When I was still a child and overslept in front of the TV, her portrait was the first image came to my eyes as they opened in the middle of the night. It was the colonial days of Hong Kong anyway.
  Yet, Alan ... (continue)

  I don't have much to say about the Queen, although I have some "nostalgic" feelings for her. When I was still a child and overslept in front of the TV, her portrait was the first image came to my eyes as they opened in the middle of the night. It was the colonial days of Hong Kong anyway.
  Yet, Alan Bennett's remarks about reading hit my nerve. There has been a time when I thought reading can only be good but my mother objected. Frowning disapproval on my postgraduate application, she said: "Girl, you've got a degree that is enough to find you a decent job. Why bother to read more?" I therefore sympathise with the fictional character when nearly everyone in the palace opposed her passion for reading. This short novel is filled with inspiring (and interesting) quotations. I just take few examples here:
  "Books are not about passing the time. They're about other lives. Other worlds. Far from wanting time to pass, one just wishes one had more of it." (p.29)
  "Authors, she soon decided, were probably best met with in the pages of their novels, and were as much creatures of the reader's imagination as the characters in their books." (p.53)
  "You don't put your life into your books. You find it there." (p.102)

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  Agatha_Ngai said on Jul 23, 2010 | Add your feedback

• 1 person find this helpful

  

  Whether you like the Queen of England or not, you would love this novella by Alan Bennett, renowned author of the critically acclaimed novel/ play/ movie "The History Boys".

  I am sure the plot is fictional as I really doubt that Queen Elizabeth II only took up reading in her twilight years and ... (continue)

  Whether you like the Queen of England or not, you would love this novella by Alan Bennett, renowned author of the critically acclaimed novel/ play/ movie "The History Boys".

  I am sure the plot is fictional as I really doubt that Queen Elizabeth II only took up reading in her twilight years and that she fell in love with the hobby after wandering into a travelling library while chasing after her corgis. But you would marvel at the boundless imagination of Bennett who, through this story of the Queen devouring one book after the other in the genres ranging from poetry, classics to gay literature, gives readers a glimpse of the Queen's personality as a human being despite the royal duties and responsibilities bestowed upon her.

  Reading "The Uncommon Reader", you will see a lot of display of dignity and decorum of the Queen with which we are all familiar, but her humour, shrewdness and insight into literature, politics and life are fascinating. These of course are made up by Bennett, but readers may find it not far from the truth. At one point, the Queen quipped that "One recipe for happiness is to have no sense of entitlement ... This is not a lesson I have ever been in a position to learn." I think it, to a certain degree, captures how the Queen feels about royalty.

  Bennett's writing is fluid and sharp. The Queen's take on reading and writing is one of the best lines I have ever read: "Books are wonderful ... At the risk of sounding like a piece of steak, ... they tenderise one." "... if reading softens one up, writing does the reverse. To write you have to be tough, do you not?" Witty and brilliant, Bennett has proved himself to be the heavyweight of contemporary literature.

  This is a simply smashing gem of a book. And there is even a twist in the tale. If there are still not enough reasons for you to pick up this book and enjoy it, I don't know what to say.

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  Tracy W said on Jan 28, 2009 | Add your feedback

• 

  Very funny
  I identified with the queen
  I too may be an " osimath"

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  Alexanderb said on Jan 22, 2012 about the Hardcover edition | Add your feedback

• 

  "a book is a device to ignite the imagination", dice her majesty. sono completamente d'accordo: un libro ben scritto ha un effetto esplosivo come l'ascia sul ghiaccio di kafka. questo libro, secondo me, è ben scritto e mi ha messa di buon umore, forse anche perché l'ho abbinato alla visione di "midn ... (continue)

  "a book is a device to ignite the imagination", dice her majesty. sono completamente d'accordo: un libro ben scritto ha un effetto esplosivo come l'ascia sul ghiaccio di kafka. questo libro, secondo me, è ben scritto e mi ha messa di buon umore, forse anche perché l'ho abbinato alla visione di "midnight in paris" dove ho trovato tante vecchie conoscenze - anche lì. bello.

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  terra said on Dec 9, 2011 | 1 feedback

• 

  England - present

  Dry sense of humour. Nice read

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  Mati said on May 26, 2011 | Add your feedback

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Book Details

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• English Books
• Paperback 128 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0312427646
• ISBN-13: 9780312427641
• Publisher: Picador
• Pub date: Sep 30, 2008
• Also available as: Hardcover, Audio CD, Others and eBook
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書, Livres Français, Deutsche Bücher, Libros en Español, Livros em Português, llibres en català, Libri Italiani, Svenska böcker, Libros en Galego

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9780312427641	Paperback	$12.00	$8.64	bn.com
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