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2009 Longlist

The Uncommon Reader

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ABOUT
THE BOOK

When her corgis stray into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, the Queen feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Discovering the joy of reading widely (from J. R. Ackerley, Jean Genet, and Ivy Compton-Burnett to the classics) and intelligently, she finds that her view of the world changes dramatically. Abetted in her newfound obsession by Norman, a young man from the royal kitchens, the Queen comes to question the prescribed order of the world and loses patience with the routines of her role as monarch. Her new passion for reading initially alarms the palace staff and soon leads to surprising and very funny consequences for the country at large.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Alan
Bennett

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NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS

The power of literature to change lives is explored in this imagined adventure: what if the Queen began to read? A delight to read.

An enjoyable little story on the power of literature.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Country
England
Original Language
English
Author
Publisher
Farrar

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