An absolute gem, this novella is Alan Bennett’s take on the Queen becoming a bibliophile and it is absolutely delightful. At one point the Queen laments not having read books of authors she had met in the past, her private secretary says “But ma’am must have been briefed surely?” to which the Queen responds “Briefing closes down a subject, reading opens it up”. A very funny and thoroughly enjoyable book about the joy of reading. A must for all book lovers…..and for those that aren’t and should be!
From one of England's most celebrated writers, a funny and superbly observed novella about the Queen of England and the subversive power of reading
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. With the poignant and mischievous wit of The History Boys, England's best-loved author Alan Bennett revels in the power of literature to change even the most uncommon reader's life.
