The Uncommon Reader

Paperback Published on: 03/05/2012
Price: £7.99
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Bookseller Reviews

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The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
It must be a funny old business being the Queen, you can't even take the corgis for a walk to the local bookshop without finding yourself popping up there ... READ MORE
Erin Britton
The Uncommon Reader
Discover the joy of getting lost in a good book!
On discovering a travelling library on the grounds of Windsor Castle, the Queen borrows a book. A few books later, she is hooked. As a result, HRH embarks ... READ MORE
Joseph Segaran at Amsterdam

Synopsis

What would happen if the Queen became a reader of taste and discernment rather than of Dick Francis? The answer is a perfect story. The Uncommon Reader is none other than HM the Queen who drifts accidentally into reading when her corgis stray into a mobile library parked at Buckingham Palace. She reads widely ( JR Ackerley, Jean Genet, Ivy Compton Burnett and the classics) and intelligently. Her reading naturally changes her world view and her relationship with people like the oleaginous prime minister and his repellent advisers. She comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with much that she has to do. In short, her reading is subversive. The consequence is, of course, surprising, mildly shocking and very funny.

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
  • ISBN: 9781781250143
  • Dimensions: 178 x 111 x 10 mm
  • Weight: 100g

Customer Reviews

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The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
This is a highly entertaining and witty read about what happens when one discovers the joy of reading. It follows the Queen as she discovers a mobile libra... READ MORE
Ecowitch
The Uncommon Reader
An absolute delight
Rarely does a book induce me to say, 'an absolute delight', but this one did. A sumptuously appointed narrative revolves around the Queen's abruptly acqui... READ MORE
David
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
I really enjoyed the witty lines and light hearted homage to reading and books. It made me laugh out loud a few times and cemented my thoughts on how impor... READ MORE
ClarePenelope
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
This is a beautfully written book, based on an amusing premise; that of what the consequences of the Queen suddenly being accidentally bitten by the readin... READ MORE
Leonie Thomas
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
Enjoyed it!
S16
The Uncommon Reader
An insight into what stories offer us
When the Queen notices a mobile library outside Buckingham Palace, she decides to take a look inside. She claims not to be a reader, but with the help of t... READ MORE
Joy Finlayson
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
Any bibliophile would love this book. Not only is it a delightfully imaginative scenario, but as the Queen borrows book after book and discovers what ric... READ MORE
Sheila Rhodes
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
Fabulous - a great essay on the virtues of reading, told in a very humorous way, with some important questions we can all pose to ourselves. A great gift ... READ MORE
Lucy Benham
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
Alan Bennett, the original Anti-Flag drummer, who initially shot to fame as a musician in the late 80's DC hardcore scene, hits the ground running with thi... READ MORE
fred miller
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
A real treat.Short but not lacking in humour and wit.
Laura Lea
The Uncommon Reader
Utterly charming
I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel by Alan Bennett. First published in 2006, it's a charming, amusing tale of the late Queen becoming enthralled by book... READ MORE
Book collector
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader
This was a joy to read. Bennett champions the love of reading in this book with his own views on politics and the country thrown in for good measure.
Timothy Buckle
The Uncommon Reader
An Uncommon Reader
This book is charming and entertaining.
Susan Allemby
The Uncommon Reader
The voice of a Queen
One of the delights of reading Mr Bennett ‘s book The Uncommon Reader is to hear the register one s just have imagined of the Queen. The love of books and ... READ MORE
Cristina Perez
The Uncommon Reader
The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
Short but delightful.
Lynne Moore
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