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Thursday, October 14, 2010

Review - The Uncommon Reader Alan Bennett




Since being back in Melbourne, the library will now give me all the books I have been dying to read and not being able to get whilst I am in Colombo. This book was a small one of just 124 pages and I thoroughly enjoyed this light read.

The Queen turns into quite a "commoner", developing a taste for reading (in real life she doesn't read much), the thrills and vagaries of palace politics, the quirky part of British life and a lot of books read in between. It is said that Bennett is fascinated by the monarchy and this seems to come out in this book. It is written in a very nice style which endears you to read a bit more and a bit more and therein lies the success of this story.

The book also makes one reflect as we all should do on how time passes us by and the time we waste doing something which on reflection is not something substantial at all. That we could have done something better with our time and that yes at times its never too late to change. We also can follow our dreams - the Queen here is a doer and this she does - reading, then making little notes as she reads, and eventually writing down her thoughts.

The book was very interesting to read and very charmingly presented. I enjoyed it tremendously.

Melbourne is in a cold, chilly spell. Who said this was spring weather was joking...

11 comments:

  1. by coincidence I just completed my post on The Uncommon Reader a few minutes ago-I enjoyed the book a lot-it shows us how reading effects people lives. I enjoyed reading your post a lot.

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  2. Nice review. I've wanted to read this one for a while but never seem to get around to it. Glad you enjoyed it.

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  3. I just linked up to your review on my post-if you could do same it would be great-I have been a follower of your blog for a while

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  4. Hi, Mystica. I'm here from Mel's blog this time--just read his review on the same book (I have been here before). Lovely review! This book sounds like a book I should read, too. :)

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  5. Charming is the perfect word to describe this book. I loved it!

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  6. I have tried to do a link to another review which is excellent on this book (and failed) I am not very good at the technical aspects of this!

    http://rereadinglives.blogspot.com/2010/10/uncommon-reader-by-alan-bennett.html.

    This is Mel u's blog which is very good reading.

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  7. I love Alan Bennett's gentle, cozy humour and this book was no exception. It presents the Queen as a "real" person who goes through some kind of a transoformation as a result of becoming a bookworm. I'm sure we can all relate to that!

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  8. I love the way Bennett describes how the Queen becomes a bookaholic (my word, not his) and wants to discuss her books and what she is reading. I also wondered if the Queen has read it.

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  9. it sounds interesting! i might just have to read this one!

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  10. I remember when this came out but haven't actually gotten around to reading it yet. I'm glad you liked it. May have to check it out now.

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  11. I thought this book was cute as well!

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