BIBLIOTECA TECLA SALA May 19, 2016 The Uncommon Reader

Alan Bennett

(Source: http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/13-fiction/1089-uncommon-reader-bennett)

Introduction

A deliciously funny novella that celebrates the pleasure of reading.

When the Queen in pursuit of her wandering corgis stumbles upon a mobile library she feels duty bound to borrow a book.

Aided by Norman, a young man from the palace kit- chen who frequents the library, Bennett describes the Queen's transformation as she discovers the liberating pleasures of the written word.

With the poignant and mischievous wit of , England's best loved author revels in the power of literature to change even the most uncommon rea- Contents: der's life.

Introduction 1

Alan Bennett: Bio- 2 graphy

The Uncommon 4 Reader: Reviews

Notes 6

Page 2

Alan Bennett: Biography

English author and Tony Knew Lloyd George. A highly Bennett is both unsparing and Award-winning playwright. regarded television comedy compassionate in laying bare Bennett was born in Armley sketch series On the Margin his characters' frailties. This in Leeds, Yorkshire. The son (1966) was regrettably era- can be seen in his television of a Co-op butcher, Bennett sed. Around this time Ben- plays for LWT in the late attended Leeds Modern nett often found himself pla- 1970s and the BBC in the School (when it was a state ying vicars, and claims that as early 1980s, and in the 1987 grammar school), learned an adolescent he assumed he Talking Heads series of mono- Russian at the Joint Services would grow up to be a logues for television which School for Linguists during his Church of England clergyman, were later performed at the Author Bio National Service, and gained a for no better reason than Comedy Theatre in London place at Sidney Sussex Co- that he looked like one. in 1992. This was a sextet of llege, Cambridge. poignantly comic pieces, each • Birth—May 9, 1934 Bennett's first stage play, Forty of which depicted several • Where—Yorkshire, However, having spent time Years On, was produced in stages in the character's decli- England, UK in Cambridge during national 1968. Many television, stage ne from an initial state of • Education—Oxford service, and partly wishing to and radio plays followed, denial or ignorance of their University follow the object of his unre- along with screenplays, short • Awards—Tony predicament, through a slow quited love, he decided to stories, novellas, a large body Award (New York's realization of the hopeless- apply for a scholarship at Ox- of non-fictional prose and Broadway); 3 Olivier ness of their situation, and Awards, (London)— ford University. He was ac- broadcasting, and many ap- progressing to a bleak or am- one for Outstanding cepted by Exeter College, pearances as an actor. Ben- biguous conclusion. A second Contribution to British Oxford and went on to recei- nett's lugubrious yet expressi- set of six Talking Heads pieces Theater; National ve a first-class degree in his- ve voice (which still bears a followed a decade later. Critics Circle Award tory. While at Oxford he slight Leeds accent) and the (USA) performed comedy with a sharp humour and evident Recent writings • Currently—lives in number of future successful humanity of his writing have London, England actors in the Oxford Revue. He made his readings of his own In his 2005 prose collection was to remain at Oxford for work (especially his autobio- Untold Stories Bennett has several years researching and graphical writing) very popu- written candidly and movingly teaching Medieval History lar. His readings of the Winnie of the mental illness that af- before deciding he was not the Pooh stories are also flicted his mother and other cut out to be an academic. widely enjoyed. family members. Much of his work draws on his Leeds Early performing and wri- Many of Bennett's characters background and while he is ting are unfortunate and downtro- celebrated for his acute ob- dden, or meek and over- servations of a particular type In August 1960, Bennett, looked. Life has brought them of northern speech ("It'll take along with Dudley Moore, to an impasse, or else passed more than Dairy Box to ba- Jonathan Miller, and Peter them by altogether. In many nish memories of Pearl Har- Cook, achieved instant fame cases they have met with bor"), the range and daring of by appearing at the Edinburgh disappointment in the realm his work is often underva- Festival in the satirical revue of sex and intimate relations- lued—his television play The Beyond the Fringe. After the hips, largely through tentati- Old Crowd, for example, inclu- Festival, the show continued veness and a failure to con- des shots of the director and in London and New York. He nect with others. technical crew, while his stage also appeared in My Father play inclu-

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des two characters named Boys was released in the UK Bennett earned Honorary Alan Bennett. The Lady in the in 2006. Membership of The Coterie Van was based on his expe- in the 2007 membership list. Honors and personal life riences with a tramp called Bennett has lived in Camden Miss Shepherd who lived on Bennett was made an Hono- Town in London for thirty Bennett's driveway in a dilapi- rary Fellow of Exeter College, years, and shares his home dated van for fifteen years. Oxford in 1987. He was also with Rupert Thomas, his part- awarded a D.Litt by the Uni- In 1994 Bennett adapted his ner for the last fourteen versity of Leeds in 1990 and a popular and much-praised years. (From Wikipedia.) hon Ph. D from Kingston in 1991 play The Madness of 1996. However in 1998 Ben- George III for the cinema as nett refused an honorary doc- The Madness of King George. torate from Oxford Universi- The film received four Acade- ty, in protest at its accepting my Award nominations, inclu- funding for a named chair in ding nominations for Ben- honour of press baron Rupert nett's writing and the perfor- Murdoch. He also declined a mances of CBE in 1988 and a kni- and Helen Mirren. It won the ghthood in 1996. award for best art direction. In September 2005, Bennett Bennett's critically-acclaimed revealed that, in 1997, he had The History Boys won three undergone treatment for can- Olivier Awards in February cer, and described the illness 2005, for Best New Play, Best as a "bore". His chances of Actor (Richard Griffiths), and survival were given as being Best Direction (Nicholas Hyt- "much less" than 50%. He ner), having previously won began Untold Stories (published Critics' Circle Theatre 2005) thinking it would be Awards and Evening Standard published posthumously. In Awards for Best Actor and the event his cancer went Best Play. Bennett himself into remission. In the auto- received an Olivier Award for biographical sketches which Outstanding Contribution to form a large part of the book British Theatre. Bennett writes openly for the The History Boys also went on first time about his homose- to win six on xuality (Bennett has had rela- Broadway, including best play, tionships with women as well, best performance by a leading although this is only touched actor in a play (Richard Grif- upon in Untold Stories). Pre- fiths), best performance by a viously Bennett had referred featured actress in a play to questions about his sexua- (Frances de la Tour), and best lity as being like asking a man direction of a play (Nicholas dying of thirst to choose bet- Hytner). ween Perrier or Malvern mi- neral water. A film version of The History

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The Uncommon Reader: Reviews

In The Uncommon Reader Mr. a meditation on the power of behavior and protocol at the Bennett poses a delicious and print…You can finish The palace, and the few instances very funny what-if: What if Uncommon Reader in an hour of mild coarseness seem al- Queen Elizabeth at the age of or two, but it is charming most scandalous. There are 70-something were suddenly enough and wise enough that lessons packed in here, but to become a voracious rea- you will almost certainly want Bennett doesn't wallop rea- der? What if she were to to keep it around for rere- ders with them. become an avid fan of Proust ading—unless you decide to Publishers Weekly and Balzac, Turgenev and share it with friends. Either Trollope and Hardy? And way, this little book offers British screenwriter, what if reading were to lead what English readers would playwright, and novelist Ben- her, in turn, to becoming a call very good value for mo- nett, author of the Tony writer? Mr. Bennett's musings ney. Enjoy. Award-winning play The His- on these matters have produ- tory Boys, has written a wry Michael Dirda - Washing- ced a delightful little book and unusual story about the ton Post that unfolds into a witty me- subversive potential of re- ditation on the subversive Briskly original and subversi- ading. Bennett posits a theo- pleasures of reading…Mr. vely funny, this novella from retical situation in which Bennett has written a captiva- popular British writer Ben- Queen Elizabeth II becomes ting fairy tale. It's a tale that's nett sends Queen Elizabeth II an avid reader, and the new as charming as the old Gre- into a mobile library van in ideas she thus encounters gory Peck-Audrey Hepburn pursuit of her runaway corgis change the way she thinks movie "Roman Holiday," and and into the reflective, obser- and reigns. Coming upon a as keenly observed as Ste- vant life of an avid reader. traveling library near phen Frears's award-winning Guided by Norman, a former Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth, movie "The Queen"—a tale kitchen boy and enthusiast of who almost never reads, de- that showcases its author's gay authors, the queen gradu- cides to take a look. Mostly customary elan and keen but ally loses interest in her end- out of politeness, she begins humane wit. less succession of official duti- to borrow from the library es and learns the pleasure of via a kitchen page. As she Michiko Kakutani - New such a common activity. With begins to view reading as her York Times the dawn of her sensibi- "duty," a way "to find out In this charming novella Alan lity...mistaken for the onset of what people are like," she is Bennett imagines what might senility, plots are hatched by exposed to increasingly occur if the sovereign of En- the prime minister and the sophisticated books and ideas gland, Queen Elizabeth her- queen's staff to dispatch Nor- that criticize society. As Eliza- self, were suddenly to deve- man and discourage the beth loses interest in the lop a ravenous passion for queen's preoccupation with chain of ship launches and books. What might in less books. Ultimately, it is her groundbreakings that make capable hands result in a labo- own growing self-awareness up her reign, her staff beco- red exercise or an embarras- that leads her away from re- mes resentful, and the story sing instance of literary lese- ading and toward writing, ends in an unexpected way. majeste here becomes a deli- with astonishing results. Ben- Though the book is at times cious light comedy, as well as nett has fun with the proper annoyingly snobbish and har-

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ping that people do not read really have anywhere to take enough, the unusual story line it except in circles, as it mo- keeps readers engrossed. ves toward what might be a Recommended for larger pu- surprise ending. There are blic libraries and libraries some funny bits: her questio- where British literature is ning of the president of Fran- popular. ce about Jean Genet (of whom he hasn't a clue) and Christina Bauer - Library the disdain she develops for Journal the "perpetually irritating A royal fable celebrating the Henry James." She also enjoys transformative properties a lovely visit with one of her (and a few of the unsettling literary subjects, Alice Munro. consequences) of reading as Perhaps the keenest insight an obsession. In a country of here concerns her difficulty commoners, the uncommon with Jane Austen, whose no- reader is the Queen. She has vels pivot so frequently on never been a reader, because class distinctions that the reading isn't something that Queen herself has never ex- "one" (as she invariably refers perienced. Those who love to herself) does. Yet an reading will recognize the unlikely incident involving her process of the Queen's en- dogs and a mobile library rapturing, how one book ine- making its weekly appearance vitably leads to another, and outside Buckingham Palace so many others, and that the moves her to borrow a book. richness of the reading life And then another. And ano- will always be offset by the ther, until reading has beco- recognition that time grows me her life's focus. Though shorter as the list of books the prolific Bennett is better grows longer. Yet this is ulti- known in America for his mately a breezy afternoon's plays and screenplays (his read, one that doesn't seem Tony Award-winning play, The like it took all that much mo- History Boys, was made into a re effort to write. If, as the movie in 2007), his subtle wit Queen discovers, reading is "a and tonal command show muscle" that she has why he is so beloved in his "seemingly developed," this native Britain. Yet this slight novella reads like light calis- novella feels padded, because thenics rather than heavy once he puts his plot into lifting. motion—the Queen reads, Kirkus Reviews reading changes the Queen, others are uncomfortable with the changes—he doesn't

BIBLIOTECA TECLA SALA

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