#the uncommon reader by Alan Bennett

[crowley1990]

It’s December so everyone put in the tags what your favourite book(s) you read this year is (are)

[diaryoftruequotes]

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. Alan Bennett, The Uncommon Reader

[taylorswiftstylequestions]

Hi Sarah! Would you mind sharing a book update? Have you read anything good lately? :) I’m actually rereading The Hunger Game series right now. Just finished the first book. Probably haven’t read it in a decade. I’d recommend a reread if you are a fan!

Hi! GWAH. My 2023 year of books hasn't been super great and I have also honestly significantly slowed down on my reading the last few months due to #projects and #otherthings that I #canttellyouaboutinfullyet. #annoying #imsorry #reallysorry

World Travel by Anthony Bourdain - I miss this man and his voice.

How To Fall Out Of Love Madly by Jana Casale - A funny / weird read.

Everything All At Once by Stephanie Catudal - Quite emotional.

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson - This was an easy read. Great characters that are human and by human I mean delightfully flawed.

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett - I'd consider this a novella? Very humourous concept. A charming quickie I'd rec for any royal watchers like myself.

Maame by Jessica George - Many intriguing things here. Not super exciting but fascinating / emotional family dynamics.

Stay True by Hua Hsu - If you liked the Catudal book above this is a similar vein in it's a memoir on grief/death/loss.

And I am nearing completion on three books that I've had on the go simultaneously (which is not usually like me - I am typically a 'read one, finish one' type of reader) because they took me so long to read I've had to put myself on my library's waiting list twice now but I've enjoyed all of the below - and the first one listed I think is likely my favourite read of 2023.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett - I love anything she writes and this was no exception.

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai - I really enjoyed her other book The Great Believers and hoped this would be similar. It is not but it has still been a good read.

The Guest by Emma Cline - This is wild.

[blackswaneuroparedux]

You don't put your life into your books, you find it there.

- Alan Bennett, The Uncommon Reader    

[gregor-samsung]

“ «Continuo a pensare che farebbe meglio a raccontare la sua vita, Maestà» ribadì il primo ministro stremato. «No» ribatté la regina. «Non mi interessano le facili reminiscenze. Spero che sarà qualcosa di più ponderato. Anche se quando dico ponderato non intendo riguardoso. Scherzo…». Nel silenzio generale, il sorriso stampato sulla faccia del primo ministro era diventato un ghigno orrendo. «Chissà,» disse la regina allegramente «magari il mio libro potrebbe sconfinare nella letteratura». «Avrei detto» fece l'altro «che Sua Maestà fosse al di sopra della letteratura». «Al di sopra della letteratura?» esclamò lei. «Chi mai può essere al di sopra della letteratura? Sarebbe come essere al di sopra dell'umanità. Ma, ripeto, non ho ambizioni letterarie, mi interessano l'analisi e la riflessione. Ci sono quei dieci primi ministri». Fece un sorriso smagliante. «C'è molto su cui riflettere. Ho visto il paese entrare in guerra più volte di quanto ami ricordare. Anche lì c'è da pensarci su». Sua Maestà sorrideva ancora, ma la imitarono solo i più anziani, che non avevano niente da perdere. «Ho incontrato e anche ospitato molti capi di Stato in visita ufficiale. Certi erano dei farabutti fatti e finiti, con mogli della stessa risma». Qui almeno ci fu qualche mesto cenno d'assenso. «Ho teso la mano guantata di bianco a mani grondanti di sangue e conversato amabilmente con uomini che avevano trucidato dei bambini. Mi sono fatta strada tra escrementi e sangue rappreso, e spesso ho pensato che l'equipaggiamento essenziale per una regina è un paio di stivaloni di gomma. «Su richiesta dei miei vari governi sono stata costretta a acconsentire, seppure passivamente, a decisioni a mio parere avventate e spesso ignobili. A volte mi sono sentita come una candela mangiafumo mandata qua e là per profumare delle dittature: al giorno d'oggi la monarchia è solo un deodorante governativo. «Io sono la regina d'Inghilterra, ma negli ultimi cinquant'anni me ne sono vergognata spesso. Tuttavia» e si alzò «non dobbiamo perdere di vista le priorità e dopotutto questa è una festa, quindi, che ne dite di un po' di champagne prima di continuare?». “

Alan Bennett, La sovrana lettrice, Adelphi, 2007.

[Edizione originale: The Uncommon Reader, Faber & Faber Limited, London, UK, 2007]

[urbanhermit]

'The Uncommon Reader: A Novella' (2007) by the playwright & author Alan Bennett is a short humorous speculation on the Queen becoming a reader. Known for such works as 'The Lady in the Van', 'The Madness of King George III' & 'The History Boys' the 'Uncommon Reader' is a short 120 pages, which is a quarter in size of a hardcover book. I was hoping for a longer more developed work. But its shortness is still worth the read. What happens when the Queen discovers a book-mobile parked near the kitchen entrance to Buckingham Palace. And she then discovers Norman, an avid reader, who scrubs pots & pans in the palace kitchen and introduces her to new writers. The palace staff & her husband the Duke wonder about the mental health of their reading Queen, who is now writing into notebooks. Is it Alzheimer's? I found myself picturing the different actresses who have portrayed the Queen in films voicing some of the passages. An easy amusing read in 2 hrs' time. I ordered this book before the Queen's death was announced. https://www.instagram.com/p/CiZseuHuor1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[jazin95]

The late Queen Elizabeth II was a huge inspiration to me. So, what better way to remember her remarkable life than to read about her? Here is my list of book recommendations... Slide Two: 👑 Elizabeth: A Biography of Britain's Queen by Sarah Bradford 👑 The Crown: The Inside History by Robert Lacey Slide Three: 👑 The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly 👑 Elizabeth: A Diamond Jubilee Portrait by Jennie Bond Slide Four: 👑 Mrs Queen Takes the Train by William Kuhn 👑 The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett Slide Five: 👑 The Gown by Jennifer Robson 👑 Before the Crown by Flora Harding #readingtips #readmore #reading #bookstagram #bookcommunity #whattoread #readingtime #readinggoals #readinggoal #readingadvice #bookreccomendations #reader #readmore #librarybooks #bookaesthetic #cozyvibes #explorepage #bookreader #quotes #QueenElizabethII https://www.instagram.com/p/CiYn8YpBd65/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ballata]

Continuo a pensare che farebbe meglio a raccontare la sua vita, Maestà» ribadì il 1 ministro.

No ribatté la regina. «Non mi interessano le facili reminiscenze.

Nel silenzio generale, il sorriso stampato sulla faccia del 1 ministro era diventato un ghigno orrendo.

Chissà disse la regina allegramente magari il mio libro potrebbe sconfinare nella letteratura.

Avrei detto fece l'altro che Sua Maestà fosse al di sopra della letteratura. Al di sopra della letteratura? Esclamò lei. Chi mai può essere al di sopra della letteratura? Sarebbe come essere al di sopra dell'umanità. Ma, ripeto, non ho ambizioni letterarie, mi interessano l'analisi e la riflessione. Fece un sorriso smagliante. «C'è molto su cui riflettere. Ho visto il paese entrare in guerra più volte di quanto ami ricordare. Ho incontrato e anche ospitato molti capi di Stato in visita ufficiale. Certi erano dei farabutti fatti e finiti, con mogli della stessa risma.Ho teso la mano guantata di bianco a mani grondanti di sangue e conversato amabilmente con uomini che avevano trucidato dei bambini. Mi sono fatta strada tra escrementi e sangue rappreso, e spesso ho pensato che l'equipaggiamento essenziale per una regina è un paio di stivaloni di gomma. A volte mi sono sentita come una candela mangiafumo mandata qua e là per profumare delle dittature: al giorno d'oggi la monarchia è solo un deodorante governativo.

Sono la regina d'Inghilterra, ma negli ultimi cinquant'anni me ne sono vergognata spesso. Tuttavia e si alzò non dobbiamo perdere di vista le priorità e dopotutto questa è una festa, quindi, che ne dite di un po' di champagne prima di continuare?

Alan Bennett, La sovrana lettrice, Adelphi, 2007. Ed originale: The Uncommon Reader, Faber & Faber Limited, London, UK, 2007

#gliaudaci #robertonicolettiballatibonaffini #uk #thequeen #lettaratura #libri #narrativa #books #theuncommonreader

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[nochargebookbunch]

Marmalade, Lemon Curd, and A List of Books

Marmalade, Lemon Curd, and A List of Books

Watching the Queen having tea with Paddington inspired me to make some scones. Alan Bennett might have written about the Queen’s proclivity for a good book in “The Uncommon Reader,” but surely she was having tea and scones while reading, or perhaps pulling out her marmalade sandwich. I always wondered what she kept in her purse; the best part of her tête-à-tête. with Paddington was the big reveal…

[crowley1990]

I really enjoyed the uncommon reader by Alan Bennett. I listened to it today at work and it’s such a love letter to reading it makes me want to commit even more to reading.

[diaryoftruequotes]

Books are not about passing time. They're about other lives. Other worlds. Far from wanting time to pass, one just wishes one had more of it. If one wanted to pass the time one could go to New Zealand. Alan Bennett, The Uncommon Reader

[sczerbetto]

“The days weren't long enough for the reading she wanted to do.” ― Alan Bennett, The Uncommon Reader #bibliobibuli #leitura #livros #leitores #frases #citações #pensamentos #colagensdasandra https://www.instagram.com/p/CdsUnYiuhVi/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[ijustkindalikebooks]

“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.”

― Alan Bennett.

[justforbooks]

«Το βασίλειό μου για ένα βιβλίο»: Ένα απολαυστικό παραμύθι για τις χαρές του διαβάσματος!

Τι θα συνέβαινε αν η Ελισάβετ της Αγγλίας ανακάλυπτε στα εβδομήντα της τις χαρές του διαβάσματος; Τι συνέπειες θα είχε η όψιμη γνωριμία της με το έργο του Προυστ, του Χάρντι, των αδελφών Μπροντέ; Και πώς θ' αντιδρούσαν οι γύρω της βλέποντάς την να εξελίσσεται σε βουλιμική αναγνώστρια και ν' αδιαφορεί όλο και περισσότερο για τους τύπους που τηρούσε ευλαβικά σ' όλη της τη διαδρομή;

Οι απαντήσεις, στη σπιρτόζα νουβέλα του Βρετανού δραματουργού Άλαν Μπένετ «Το βασίλειό μου για ένα βιβλίο», όπως μεταφέρθηκε το «Uncommon reader» στα ελληνικά (μετ. Τ. Παπαϊωάννου, «Μεταίχμιο», 2009). Γνωστός μας από την «Τρέλα του βασιλιά Γεωργίου Γ'», που μεταφέρθηκε και στον κινηματογράφο, αλλά κι από το σενάριο του «Τεντώστε τ' αφτιά σας» του Στίβεν Φρίαρς, ο Μπένετ υπογράφει ένα διαμαντάκι για τη «δημοκρατία των γραμμάτων», ένα απολαυστικό κι ενίοτε ξεκαρδιστικό παραμύθι για το πώς τα βιβλία, διευρύνοντας τη συνείδη��ή μας, μας αλλάζουν τη ζωή.

Ένα ωραίο πρωί, λοιπόν, ενώ βγάζει βόλτα τα σκυλιά της, η βασίλισσα πέφτει πάνω σ' ένα καμιόνι παρκαρισμένο πλάι στους σκουπιδοτενεκέδες των μαγειρείων, που δεν είναι παρά η κινητή βιβλιοθήκη του Δήμου Γουεστμίνστερ. Η Αυτής Μεγαλειότητα, σπρωγμένη από το καθήκον, ως συνήθως, θ' αρχίσει να δανείζεται στην τύχη διάφορους φθαρμένους τόμους. Και παράλληλα θα πιάσει γνωριμία με τον (γκέι) φιλαναγνώστη βοηθό του μάγειρα, ο οποίος θα αναβαθμιστεί σε γραμματέα της.

Σύντομα η βασίλισσα θα διαπιστώσει ότι το ένα βιβλίο οδηγεί στο άλλο, κι ότι οι μέρες της δεν είναι αρκετά μεγάλες για να διαβάσει όσα θα ήθελε. «Αισθανόταν, όμως, και θλίψη και ντροπή», γράφει ο Μπένετ. Γιατί, μολονότι παλιά είχε γνωρίσει τον Έλιοτ, τον Λάρκιν, ακόμα και τον Τεντ Χιούζ, «που της είχε γυαλίσει μάλιστα λιγάκι», επειδή αγνοούσε το έργο τους δεν είχε τίποτε ενδιαφέρον να τους πει. Ανακαλύπτοντας, επίσης, τον βίο της Σίλβια Πλαθ, θ' ανακουφιστεί που δεν είχε ανάλογες εμπειρίες, αλλά μπροστά στις αναμνήσεις της Λορίν Μπακόλ με ζήλια θα συνειδητοποιήσει «ότι η κυρία αυτή είχε περάσει πολύ καλύτερα»!

Γιατί διαβάζουμε; Από περιέργεια, για την ευχαρίστησή μας, για να περνάμε την ώρα μας ή για να γνωρίζουμε τους ανθρώπους καλύτερα; «Ω, έλα λοιπόν, προχώρα!» φωνάζει η Ελισάβετ μ' ένα... αργόσυρτο βιβλίο του Χένρι Τζέιμς στο χέρι, σπεύδοντας ν' απολογηθεί στην πληγωμένη υπηρέτριά της, που νόμισε ότι η διαταγή προοριζόταν γι' αυτήν. «Ότι αυτή η έκρηξη ευαισθησίας μπορεί να είχε κάποια σχέση με τα βιβλία, ακόμα και μ' αυτόν τον μονίμως εκνευριστικό Χένρι Τζέιμς, ούτε που της πέρασε από το μυαλό εκείνη τη στιγμή»!

Εν τω μεταξύ, όλοι σχεδόν γύρω της δυσανασχετούν. Από τα σκυλιά της, που διασκεδάζουν την πλήξη τους ξεσκίζοντας μυθιστορήματα του Ίαν Μακ Γιούαν και της Αντόνια Μπάιατ, ως τους αυλικούς της που ανησυχούν μήπως το χόμπι της βασίλισσας, «αν και δεν είναι ακριβώς ελιτίστικο», στέλνει λάθος μηνύματα δημιουργώντας κοινωνικούς διαχωρισμούς! Κι ενώ οι τελευταίοι μηχανεύονται τρόπους να... «παραγοντοποιήσουν» τη νέα συνήθειά της (μ' ένα δελτίο τύπου, π.χ., που θα έλεγε ότι η Α.Μ. διαβάζει κι άλλες εθνικές λογοτεχνίες πέραν της αγγλικής), εκείνη αρχίζει να συζητάει με τους πολίτες περί Χάρι Πότερ και Τζέιν Όστιν και να ζητάει –εις μάτην– από τον πρόεδρο της Γαλλίας τη γνώμη του για τον Ζενέ.

Πού θα φτάσουν οι... εκκεντρικότητες της βασίλισσας; Ας μην αποκαλύψουμε πόσο κάλπασε η φαντασία του Μπένετ. Ας κρατήσουμε μόνο μια φράση-κλειδί, που τόσο εντυπωσίασε την ηρωίδα του ώστε την αντέγραψε στο σημειωματάριό της αμέσως: «Μια συνταγή ευτυχίας είναι να μη δίνεις σημασία στα προνόμια». Ένα δίδαγμα που η πραγματική Ελισάβετ ίσως να μην καταφέρει να μάθει ποτέ.

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at http://justforbooks.tumblr.com

[uselessatheart]

Above literature?' said the Queen. 'Who is above literature? You might as well say one was above humanity.

Alan Bennett, The Uncommon Reader

[bibliophilecats]

August 10: Bookworm

... come from all social backgrounds.