All readers were equal, herself included.”Ĭertainly reading is a solitary pursuit but, perhaps that is why so many book-lovers enjoy meeting up to discuss them, however the very fact of it being a ‘selfish’ thing to do doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have great benefits in making a person less selfish. Books did not care who was reading them or rather one read them or not. “The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference. The Queen simply replies that she is setting a good example then, and later she considers that Certainly, the Queen’s private secretary – the horrible Sir Kevin – expresses concern about her new pursuit arguing that it is somehow elitist because not everyone reads. Firstly there is discussion around whether reading is a solitary and selfish exercise. She becomes an avid reader discovering author after author, with one book leading her to another, so much so that her passion takes over somewhat and she finds growing opposition to her new ‘hobby’ in the Palace.Īs well as writing a beautiful little snapshot of imagined royal life, Bennett covers a surprisingly wide range of quite serious themes in The Uncommon Reader. Not wanting to seem rude, she borrows a book and although she gets off to a bit of a drab start with Ivy Compton Burnett, is soon hooked on books. What a little gem! Almost a short story at only 128 small pages, this was the perfect book to help me catch my breath after reading Celine Curiol’s intense Voice Over and Peter Carey’s 2001 Booker prize-winning True History of the Kelly Gang.Īn unexpected but quite believable premisem The Uncommon Reader tells how one day Queen Elizabeth is out walking her corgis and stumbles upon a mobile library. Other than that, the evolution of a reader was nicely depicted.I am so grateful to Simon ( Savidge Reads) for giving me a copy of The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. Plot wise I would have preferred to see this book as a play. The authors background in play writing was obvious. Reading is a personal activity and our choice of books should not be evaluated by anyone but ourselves. But soon it was obvious that there were too many of them and the list would be irrelevant. “Reading is untidy, discursive and perpetually inviting.”Īt first I wanted to make a list of all the books and the authors that the main character started her love of reading with. I actually felt spoiled using the book marker ribbon that was a part of this book. The spacing and the letter size was very luxurious as well. The hardcover edition had covers of red velvet. What I liked about it now was the small size and page count.įirst of all the Croatian translation of this book was a bit special. But somehow I just was not interested enough to pick it up. It looked fancy and it was presented like a book lover book.

When it first came out I was not that impressed with it. Finished reading The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett ★★ ★ ★ Expectation

The uncommon reader book review