Brevity is the soul of wit and Alan Bennett's short novella is a classic of it's type. I had read this book twelve years ago, but I thought it might be appropriate to read it yesterday. It only takes less than a couple of hours. In some ways it is a homage to Queen Elizabeth (The "Uncommon" Reader of the title), it is full of Bennett's wit as it imagines her stumbling across a mobile library in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. Her foray into literature allows Bennett to namecheck some of his favourite writers and I have already noted a couple. A Lauren Bacall autobiography and something by Ivy Compton-Burnett whoever she might be. Last time I noted:
"An expert author of fiction, Alan Bennett is on top form with his short book The Uncommon Reader. An essay on how reading can change a life, this time it is the Queen herself who finds how rewarding it can be, much to the annoyance of those around her. A funny and very enjoyable story with a lovely twist at the end. Outstanding."
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