A royally good time.

If you like reading, you're going to love The Uncommon Reader, by Alan Bennett.

What's not to love?  The Queen comes across a mobile library on the grounds of Buckingham Palace, and feels she'd probably better check out a book, for the purposes of good public relations.  A member of her kitchen staff, Norman, is picking out a book at the same time, and eventually the Queen makes him a member of her household staff, largely charged with helping to pick out her further reading.

Of course, no one really likes it that the Queen is reading (and enjoying herself doing so), and various intrigues to banish Norman and put a halt to her new, antisocial, and deemed rather unsettling reading habit ensue.  If you like reading OR the British royals, I think you'll be amused by this short novel, and if you like both (guilty!) you'll love it so much you'll draw a nice and very proper bath immediately and retreat to it so you can read the whole thing in one go.

There's not much in the way of plot to sum up, but I can give you a tiny flava:

"She soon became engrossed, and passing her bedroom that night clutching his hot-water bottle, the duke heard her laugh out loud.  He put his head round the door.  'All right, old girl?'

'Of course.  I'm reading.'

'Again?' And he went off, shaking his head.

The next morning she had a little sniffle and, having no engagements, stayed in bed saying she felt she might be getting flu.  This was uncharacteristic and also not true; it was actually so that she could get on with her book." (pp. 13-14.)

The Queen as "old girl."  Tee hee.  Check this one out.

Comments

[Citizen Pop Tart (or CPT hereafter)]

I read this last week and found it very charming. Loved all the discussion about her reading and how they needed to "spin" it for the public who couldn't possibly understand why anyone would want to read. Good stuff.

[Sarah]

Hey, I though the Duke's pet name for his wife is "Sausage".

[CitizenReader]

CPT!
Yes, I think "charming" is an excellent word. It was so good it made me want to get his book "The Clothes they Stood Up In" again--that was kind of funny too, if memory serves.

Sarah,
Hm. Interesting. To each their own but I think I prefer "Old Girl."