The Uncommon Reader
Jane finds more reasons to be a fan of Her Majesty The Queen in Alan Bennet's small, but beautifully crafted new book


A new work by Alan Bennett is always something to be celebrated, and this tiny gem of a book makes for the best kind of guilty pleasure. Unplug the phone, lock the door and curl up with it, or better yet, buy the audiobook and have Mr Bennett himself read it to you (then again, I?m always put in mind of the Dead Ringers version of Talking Heads where Thora Hird is a drug runner or arms dealer, all done in his cosy style).
Taking an unaccustomed turn one day in the grounds of Buckingham Palace, The Queen discovers a mobile library van, and returns to her duties with two things: a library book and a new page called Norman, a kitchen boy with a passion for reading. Unused to reading for pleasure (for fear of expressing a preference), The Queen does not enjoy her first book, but she takes another out of politeness and so embarks on a tour of literature, human emotion and frailty. Not only does she discover a new interest and empathy with her subjects, she also begins to neglect her duties, all to the consternation of her staff, who do their best to rid her of this new obsession (without being seen to, of course).
If Helen Mirren raised our admiration and affection for The Queen, this book will do likewise, but it will also arouse your sympathy. We forget that, although her role has afforded her many experiences we would love to have, it is, at bottom, very hard work and that she has had to give up many things to do it to her fullest. We will never know how accurate any of the portrayal is (although this is not Mr Bennett's first time writing Her Majesty) but it raises enough questions for us to really stop, think and give thanks to her for such unflinching duty.
It's very short, only 124 pages, so, even if, like The Queen of the novel, you don't read much, you'll be able to manage it. Think of it as an amuse bouche, and then move on to the rich banquet of writing out there. If you do read lots, it'll disappear as quickly as one of Proust's madeleines - and will stay in your memory just as long.
The Uncommon Reader is published by Profile Books at £10.99 (BBC audiobook £12.99)
Sign up for the Country Life Newsletter
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
Country Life is unlike any other magazine: the only glossy weekly on the newsstand and the only magazine that has been guest-edited by HRH The King not once, but twice. It is a celebration of modern rural life and all its diverse joys and pleasures — that was first published in Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee year. Our eclectic mixture of witty and informative content — from the most up-to-date property news and commentary and a coveted glimpse inside some of the UK's best houses and gardens, to gardening, the arts and interior design, written by experts in their field — still cannot be found in print or online, anywhere else.
-
Everything you need to know about private jet travel and 10 rules to fly by
Despite the monetary and environmental cost, the UK can now claim to be the private jet capital of Europe.
By Simon Mills
-
'I'd willingly give a year of my life for a fortnight there': The green dream that is the garden of Derreen
Exotic woods, labyrinths of narrow, mossy paths and thousands of tree ferns make this an internationally important garden, writes Charles Quest-Ritson. Photographs by Jonathan Hession.
By Charles Quest-Ritson