Journal Entry 1 by Tarna from Tampere, Pirkanmaa Finland on Monday, May 12, 2008

First published in 2006 in the London Review of Books. This edition first published in 2007 by Faber and Faber (London) and Profile Books (London). Hardback, 124 pages.

The blurbs:

‘Oh, Norman,’ said the Queen, ‘the prime minister doesn’t seem to have read Hardy. Perhaps you could find him one of our old paperbacks on his way out.’

***
Had the dogs not taken exception to the strange van parked in the royal grounds, the Queen might never have learned of the Westminster travelling library’s weekly visits to the palace. But finding herself at its steps, she goes up to apologise for all the yapping and ends up taking out a novel by Ivy Crompton-Burnett, last borrowed in 1989. Duff read through it proves to be, upbringing demands she finish it and, so as not to appear rude, she withdraws another. This second, more fortunate choice of book awakens in Her Majesty a passion for reading so great that her public duties begin to suffer. And so, as se devours work by everyone from Hardy to Brookner to Proust to Samuel Beckett, her equerries conspire to bring the Queen’s literary odyssey to a close.

Subversive and hugely enjoyable, The Uncommon Reader offers the perfect argument for reading, written by one of its great champions, Alan Bennett.

***
ALAN BENNETT has been one of our leading dramatists since the success of Beyond the Fringe in the 1960s. His television series Talking Heads has become a modern-day classic, as have many of his works for the stage, including Forty Years On, The Lady in the Van, A Question of Attribution, The Madness of George III (together with the Oscar-nominated screenplay The Madness of King George) and an adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. At the National Theatre, The History Boys won Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and Olivier awards, and the South Bank Award. On Brodway, The History Boys won five New York Drama Desk Awards, four Outer Critics’ Circle Awards, a New York Drama Critics’ Award for Best Play and six Tonys including Best Play. The film of The History Boys was released in 2006. Alan Bennett’s collection of prose Untold Stories won the PEN/Ackerley Prize for Autobiography, 2006. He was named Reader’s Digest Author of the Year, 2005.

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Alan Bennett (British Council, contemporary writers)
Alan Bennett (Wikipedia)
Bennett, Alan (The Museum of Broadcast Communications)
Bennett, Alan (1934-) (Screenonline)
 

Journal Entry 2 by Tarna from Tampere, Pirkanmaa Finland on Monday, May 12, 2008

I love this book! To me it’s the 21st century 84, Charing Cross Road, a lovely book on books and their reader. The difference is that 84 is more exclusive with titles most readers know but have never read. The Uncommon, on the other hand, speaks about more familiar authors, Anita Brookner, Lewis Carroll, E. M. Forster, Thomas Hardy, Alice Munro, etc. It’s quite funny really since the reader in 84 is this poor, high school educated American writer and the one in The Uncommon happens to be the not-so-poor-or-average person, the Queen of England.
I like the way Alan Bennett writes. He makes the Queen so human, it’s easy to see where she’s coming from. The fact that he made Sir Kevin New Zealander is quite hilarious, to a BC’er at least. According to the BookCrossing statistics, New Zealand has more BookCrossers than any other country in the world when counted number of BC’ers per 1.000 people. And Sir Kevin hates the idea of the Queen reading books! :D Sir Kevin and The Uncommon Reader remind me of Yann Martel’s (the author of Life of Pi) efforts to make Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada, interested in literature. Every two weeks he sends Harper a book and writes about it in his blog What is Stephen Harper reading?

In The Uncommon Reader, there are many thoughts I’d like to quote. I’ll just give you a few and let you find the other ones in the book:
p. 21. What she was finding also was how on book led to another, doors kept opening whenever she turned and the days weren’t long enough for the reading she wanted to do.
p. 22. ‘Of course,’ said the Queen, ‘but briefing is not reading. In fact it is the antithesis of reading. Briefing is terse, factual and to the point. Reading is untidy, discursive and perpetually inviting. Briefing closes down a subject, reading opens it up.’
p. 31. The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something lofty about literature. Books did not care who was reading them or whether one read them or not. All readers were equal, herself included. Literature, she thought, is a commonwealth; letters a republic.
p. 51. Previously she wouldn’t have cared what the maid thought or that she might have hurt her feelings, only now she did and coming back to the chair she wondered why. That this access of consideration might have something to do with books and even with the perpetually irritating Henry James did not at that moment occur to her.

The ending of The Uncommon surprised me in a good way. I really enjoyed this book. I want to read it again and again.
This copy happens to be the second one I’ve got. One stays in my permanent collection but this one is willing to go on with its journey. It’s going to surprise someone I think might enjoy it. I surely hope she does.

Journal Entry 3 by seethroughfaith from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Wednesday, May 14, 2008

what a lovely lovely suprise and to think I was only expecting a sticker! lol. Thank you for your generosity!

 

Journal Entry 4 by seethroughfaith from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Tarna, I loved this book. Once I picked it up I could NOT put it down.

It's in my PC for now, cos I want to savour it and write down some quotes (there are many great ones) but wanted to do the JE now to say thank you again for this lovely, lovely surprise RABCK. It was a wonderful read. 

Journal Entry 5 by seethroughfaith from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Friday, November 21, 2008

I loved this book.
But in the spirit of BC it's time to let it go. I noticed that a friend has this on her wish list ... so up to Northern Finland it goes as a HGG RABCK.

PS my favourite quote (among many) is on p.21

What she was finding also was how one book led to another, doors kept opening wherever she turned and the days weren't long enough for the reading she wanted to do.

Journal Entry 6 by seethroughfaith at Kokkola, Pohjanmaa Finland on Friday, November 21, 2008

Released 3 yrs ago (11/24/2008 UTC) at Kokkola, Pohjanmaa Finland

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May this little book (from your wishlist) really make you smile this Christmas.

Blessings xx 

Journal Entry 7 by Chania from Kokkola, Keski-Pohjanmaa Finland on Thursday, December 25, 2008

Thank you , Seethroughfaith, for the perfect Christmas present! I know I'm going to love this!! 

Journal Entry 8 by Chania from Kokkola, Keski-Pohjanmaa Finland on Sunday, January 11, 2009

Delightful! I absolutely loved it! It was funny to read this because I saw the real Queen of GB in front of my eyes all the time ... in the book she was such a witty lady who didn't let anyone take herself (oneself - I think that is hilarious!!!) as a fool. Very surprising end, and very suitable too :)

I thought I'd keep this book, but then I thought again and decided to keep it going as quite many people had it on their wishlist (sending it to UK next, I think..) - and I will buy myself a copy of my own as soon as I find one.

Thanks again Seethroughfaith for this beautiful present and Tarna who got it in the first place. 

Journal Entry 9 by colleenk from Dryden, Ontario Canada on Tuesday, February 10, 2009

It arrived today! It will go on the top of my TBR pile, and then we'll see where it can travel in Canada. Thanks, Chania. 

Journal Entry 10 by colleenk from Dryden, Ontario Canada on Monday, March 02, 2009

Great little book - it was a fast read, but I've gone back and re-read it already! A captivating premise, although I had to admit I was a tad impatient with the protagonist's constant referral to herself as "one" Does she really talk that way?
I'm passing this to a non BookCrossing friend - if she decides to join, I'll let her journal this, otherwise, I'll get it back and release it somewhere.
Thanks to the Finnish BookCrossers who registered it, and sent it to me!

 

Journal Entry 11 by johngrant from Maple Creek, Saskatchewan Canada on Wednesday, March 11, 2009

The Uncommon Reader came to me as a gift in my home mailbox. A friend, and BC member, admitted to the deed. Inside this smallish book was a bookmark from Finland. I was intrigued and did enjoy the book. Today I've registered as a BC member. Thanks to all involved in this unique book exchange. I plan to release this book to a friend traveling to Ottawa. May it be enjoyed by many more.
 

Journal Entry 12 by johngrant at Maple Creek, Saskatchewan Canada on Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Released 3 yrs ago (3/12/2009 UTC) at Maple Creek, Saskatchewan Canada

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Some very funny bits in this book. One could easily imagine the Queen in this character of Bennett's imagination. The ending was as surprising as it was suitable. But, as the Queen would say "Let's not get carried away." 

Journal Entry 13 by AnonymousFinder on Sunday, May 17, 2009

I was given The Uncommon Reader by a good friend visiting North Gower and truly enjoyed reading it. I am an avid royalist and enjoyed visualizing the Queen in the author's imaginative roles.
I am passing it on to a fellow royalist in Nepean to read and then send it on further

CAUGHT IN PARHAM ONTARIO CANADA