Monday, Mar 30, 2009

Book Review: The Uncommon Reader

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!

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