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!
It was the corgis' fault. When they strayed through the grounds of Buckingham Palace, the Queen discovered the City of Westminster travelling library. The Queen has never had much time for reading - pleasure has always come second place to duty - though now that one is here I suppose one ought to borrow a book. She is about to discover the joys of literature, albeit late in life. One book leads to another and the Queen is soon engrossed in the delights of reading. However, this uncommon reader creates an uncommon problem. The royal household dislikes the Queen's new interest; it makes them uneasy. Books are devices that ignite the imagination. And devices like that are likely to explode. Alan Bennett reads his new story about HM the Queen's all-consuming new interest, as heard on BBC Radio 4. This exclusive and extended edition is twice as long as originally broadcast.
Alan Bennett has been one of our leading dramatists since the success of Beyond the Fringe in the 1960s. His television series Talking Heads has become a modern-day classic, as have many of his works for the stage, including Forty Years On, The Lady in the Van, A Question of Attribution, The Madness of George III (together with the Oscar-nominated screenplay The Madness of King George) and an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. His most recent play, The History Boys, won Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle awards for Best Play, The Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play and the South Bank Award.
