
Author: Alan Bennett
Publisher: Picador/MacMillan
ISBN: 978-0-312-42764-1
Website: Click HERE
Type: Fiction:Novella
Pages: 120 Softcover
Purchase: $9.41 @ Amazon.com (HERE)
The Story
“When her corgis stray into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, the Queen feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Discovering the joy of reading widely (from J. R. Ackerley, Jean Genet, and Ivy Compton-Burnett to the classics) and intelligently, she finds that her view of the world changes dramatically. Abetted in her newfound obsession by Norman, a young man from the royal kitchens, the Queen comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with the routines of her role as monarch. Her new passion for reading initially alarms the palace staff and soon leads to surprising and very funny consequences for the country at large.”
(Above excerpt is from the cover of The Uncommon Reader)
The Review
My friend, Lisa, lent me this book after our book club meeting last week. From the looks of her review, I believe she enjoyed it. One of the things that she states in her review is that the reader can see themselves in the Queen, herself. I could totally relate when her reading appetite increases.
Overall, this quick little royal jaunt is about how the Queen of England, quite frankly by accident, starts reading literature. One after another, she devours them up. Her interest in reading becomes such a part of her persona that there are other aspects of her life that she tends to allow to hold less importance for her. As you can imagine, others around her discourage this change and attempt to alter her path.
One thing that the Queen discovers is that there is a writer inside of her that needs to emerge as a result of this reading. Bravo, Queenie!
What made this novella enjoyable for me were some of the terrific quotes in there:
” ‘… Books are not about passing time. They’re about other lives. Other worlds. Far from wanting time to pass, Sir Kevin, one just wishes one had more of it. If one wanted to pass the time one could go to New Zealand.’ “
“Books did not defer. All readers were equal, and this took her back to the beginning of her life.”
“Authors, she soon decided, were probably best met within the pages of their novels, and as much creatures of the reader’s imagination as the character in their books. Nor did they seem to think one had done them a kindness by reading their writings. Rather they had done one the kindness by writing them.”
“You don’t put your life into your books. You find it there.”
I am finding that I am enjoying the “novella.” With two being reviewed this week, I enjoy the speed and conciseness of the novella. This was a particularly charming book and because I am an avid reader, I could relate.
On Sher’s “Out of Ten Scale:”
As you will see in my review of Disquiet, I have really only read and reviewed two novellas and they both are fiction. I think I preferred Disquiet to The Uncommon Reader, although I did like this book. Consequently, the genre Fiction:Novella, I am going to rate this book an 8 OUT OF 10.
My thanks to my pal, Lisa, for the “reader’s” read!






















Charming is the perfect way to describe this book!
I really adored this novella…very imaginative.
I really enjoyed this one too. So many great and pithy lines about reading and the ending was super cute as well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one and it was a quick little read. I linked to your review on my post which is book review # 34 in my side bar march post list. I found it interesting too that reading lead to taking up writing. Thanks for the review.
I haven’t read this yet but I’d like to one of these days. I love the quotes you used Sheri.
I loved the quotes, too. I definitely need to get around to reading this soon. I hadn’t realized it was so short. It’ll be easy to fit in.
I am a fan of novellas and this one sounds really fun!
The idea of a book about reading is what draws me to the story but what makes me want to go place a hold on it from the library really soon is the fact that of all the blogs I read, there hasn’t been one bad review.
I was thinking that I hadn’t read very many novellas after reading your other novella review, but then I realized that I’ve read The Uncommon Reader and just hadn’t thought of it as a novella (which it obviously is). I wonder how many more I have read without considering the classification?
I loved this book, and I think I would prefer it over the other novella that you read, just because the other one sounds serious and upsetting. But I guess I’ll never really know unless I read the other novella! Great reviews for both the novellas!
I’m glad you liked it, Sheri. I’m a fan of novellas and thought this one was great.
I’ve heard good things about this one, but I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. I’m glad to hear you liked it, too.