The Uncommon Reader By Alan Bennett

I know that Ms Moonrat has already commented on this but I loved every page so........ (I really like Alan Bennett too) Then, again, it might be my advanced age, ha

Witty, humorous, and elegantly written, this satire about Queen Elizabeth discovering the pleasure of reading and confounding the people at the palace, particularly those who govern her life (non readers) as well as the public who are used to getting simple questions from Her Majesty "where did you come from?, did you drive far?", and now they are asked "what have you read lately?", was a joy to savor. (Wow!, that was a Proust - like sentence)

While chasing her Corgies on the palace grounds, Her Majesty discovers a mobile library parked near the kitchen of the palace. She stops in and meets the driver and a single patron, a young boy, Norman who works in the kitchen. The Queen supposes that "One should be duty bound to borrow a book when in a library" but she is not sure what to pick. She has never been particularly interested in reading; she felt that she was a "doer" and reading was something better left for other people. The young boy mentions several authors and prefaces that he is partial to Gay writers. Queen makes a decision, takes her book to the palace and feigning illness to get out of the heavy schedule for the day, reads her book and wants more. Each time she visits the mobile library, Norman is there; she decides to elevate Norman to some kind of page in her personal quarters where they can discuss books and Norman can go to other libraries for chosen volumes. This does not set well with the palace people. The Queens books begin to disappear and the mobile library is mysteriously routed away from the palace. The more Her Majesty reads, the less interested she becomes in the mundane duties she is asked to perform. She, now has a journal and makes notes on what she reads and she is forever embarrassing her associates and even her Prime Minister with quotations and questions about classical works. Rumors abound and Her secretary and the PM are wondering if the Queen is becoming senile. Norman is "promoted" and sent on to College while the Queen is away on an extended trip. When she returns she is surprised and saddened and suspicious. The PM and others close to her put more and more pressure on her to fall back, as it were, to when she was the more "traditional" Queen. She manages, however, and even threatens to write a book and that causes the PM and party to threaten her with constitutionality and precedence. The Queen rises to the occasion very well.

I enjoyed this Novella, only 128 pages but all were fast moving, interesting and, certainly, gave pause for thought. I thought it was funny when the Queen was discussing Proust and his "Madeline's" as he dipped them in his tea and his past life came to mind; the Queen said "she tried it but it did nothing for her" Alan Bennett wrote the play "The Madness of King George" that was a riot!