From Goodreads
Led by her yapping corgis to the Westminster traveling library outside Buckingham Palace, the Queen finds herself taking out a novel by Ivy Compton-Burnett. Duff read though it is, the following week her choice proves more enjoyable and awakens in Her Majesty a passion for reading so great that her public duties begin to suffer. And so, as she devours work by everyone from Hardy to Brookner to Proust to Beckett, her equerries conspire to bring the Queen's literary odyssey to a close.
My thoughts
This was a read for my local Library reading group. This is the first Alan Bennett that I have read, he is not an author that I have ever been drawn to. I will read more by him as I quite enjoyed this one.
I have to admit that this was a quick read at a 124 pages and it's only a small book in dimensions. Telling the story of the Queen as a character that developed a huge interest in reading and how her public duties began to suffer as a result of it. Some of the people that she associated with for the commitments that she had to fulfil weren't happy with this new found love and did their best to bring things to an end. I gave this a 4 stars or 8/10. It had me laughing in places at some of the passages, I am glad that I was on my own when I was reading it and not getting any funny looks from people.
This quote resonated with me:
' When they arrived at the palace she had a word with Grant, the young footman in charge, who said that while ma'am had been in the Lords the sniffer dogs had been round and security had confiscated the book. He thought it had probably been exploded.
'Exploded?' said the Queen. 'But it was Anita Brookner.
The young man, who seemed remarkably undeferential, said security may have thought it was a device.
The Queen sad: 'Yes. That is exactly what it is. A book is a device to ignite the imagination.' '
I know that I am one who is thankful for the devices that ignite our imaginations. Thanks to all the Authors for all that they have done.
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