Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #801 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-06
• Binding: Hardcover
• 124 pages

Robert McCrum, Observer
`...a masterpiece of comic brevity.'

Jane Shilling, Times
`An exquisitely produced jewel of a book...[but] beneath the tasteful gilt-and-beige cover seethes a savagely Swiftian indignation against stupidity, Philistinism and arrogance in public places, and a passionate argument for the civilising power of art.'

Robert McCrum, Observer
'A masterpiece of comic brevity.'

Customer Reviews

Gorgeously clever, funny and delightful
The premise of this gorgeous novella is that the Queen, a woman previously devoid of hobbies, suddenly discovers the joy of reading. She starts seizing every opportunity to pick up a book - declaring a sick day or surreptitiously reading in the coach on the way to open Parliament. On walkabouts, instead of asking people whether they've come far, she asks them about what they're reading. This disconcerts and displeases almost everyone around her: her staff, her visitors, the Prime Minister, even her corgis (who get fewer walks).

"The Uncommon Reader" is a deliciously funny book. (I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of the Duke of Edinburgh.) The details are well researched and the premise somehow feels both totally believable and quite fantastic. It's a love letter to reading but also in a way a love letter to the Queen. Plus, the ending is perfect. It's a glorious book that only takes a couple of hours to read, but one of the best that I've read all year (along with "The Spare Room" by Helen Garner, which I also recommend).

Book about books
This is a great addition to my book about books collection. I found it charming, funny, biting, and witty. Reading about the queen withdrawing into the life of a reclusive bibliophile is too funny for words and the unexpected ending made me chuckle out loud.

Fairy tale celebrating the joys of reading
Following one of her dogs, the Queen takes an unfamiliar turn and bumps into the Westminster mobile library. Its only other patron at the time is a young kitchen boy. Out of politeness she takes out a book. But as all bookworms know: one book can lead to another and in no time the Queen is hooked. Going nowhere without a book, she becomes distracted in her duties. She starts attempting to have literary conversations with other heads of state, including the prime minister. Young Norman is promoted from the kitchen in order to be close at hand to dicuss, recommend and procure books. All this leads to consternation amongst her staff who start conspiring to undermine her reading.

What a lovely "tongue in the cheek" celebration of books and writing! A pure delight up until the very last page with its surprise ending.