NUMBER: 63TITLE: The Uncommon Reader: A Novella
AUTHOR: Alan Bennett
STARTED: November 10, 2007
FINISHED: November 12, 2007
PAGES: 120
GENRE: Fiction
FIRST SENTENCE: At Windsor it was the evening of the state banquet and as the president of France took his place beside Her Majesty, the royal family formed up behind and the procession slowly moved off and through into the Waterloo Chamber.
SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] 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.
REASON FOR READING: I heard an interview with Alan Bennett on NPR.org.
THOUGHTS: This was a remarkable little novel. The writing was witty and playful. Bennett was also able to humanize the Queen without condescending to the quarks he gave her character. I particularly enjoyed how he made the Queen into someone I think of as a true reader: they want to read all the time and all they want to talk about with people is what they read.
MISCELLANEOUS: I want a corgi.
RATING: 8/10 [Terrific]
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