When one learns of a novella based on the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom that is written by the creator of The Madness of King George and The History Boys, one is overcome with gleeful anticipation. These works deftly weave together humor and poignancy with skilled observation of English culture. Indeed, Alan Bennett delivers again with The Uncommon Reader.
Bennett carefully builds a representation of Queen Elizabeth II that is instantly recognizable to BBC or PBS viewers. She is punctual, fluent in French, a lover of Corgis and horse racing, an undisputed arbiter of proper British manners and a master in the art of small talk. One can almost hear her ask a visitor, "How far did you have to come?" Bennett takes this royal construct and envisions what might happen if the Queen met a mobile library and an enabling young kitchen worker on the palace grounds and developed a love of reading. The result, while a brief work, is a witty and multi-layered meditation on the joys of reading, divisions of class, and the personal life and role of the British Monarch.
Note: A royal thank you to Picador and LibraryThing for the opportunity to review this book!
Originally posted @ LibraryThing on January 10th, 2009.
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