“A fun story. But it made me wonder if any of it is true - does the Queen read or doesn't she? And what would be so bad about the Queen writing a book? Is she not allowed? I notice she doesn't read any non-fiction or anything controversial. Wouldn't it have been funnier if she had read 'Diana's true Story' or 'Fergies story" or even 'the Little Princesses" and commented on it!! ”
“A book that should be given to every book lover.”
“I received it for the holidays and found it be to be a quick, fun read. It's worth recommending and and interesting take on English culture, the Queen, and the importance of reading and literary exploration.”
“Wednesday, November 07, 2007The Delightful Alan BennettLike many Americans I first heard of Alan Bennett in the early 1960s from his name on the cover 0f a 33 1/3 disc of Beyond the Fringe after the musical review had arrived in NYC from London where it had been a great satirical sensation. Along with the side-splitting English wit, the show introduced to American audiences a gaggle of gifted comic personalities at least two of whom -- Dudley Moore and Jonathan Miller -- would eventually make their professional names in America as movie star and playwright and director.Over the years his name surfaced from time to time here and there until Talking Heads finally got my/our attention. Marvelous dialogue, funny, poignant, even at times downright sad. Clearly a writer in touch with the inner English psyche. Captivating when garnished with honest English accents.And then, for me, came The History Boys. Brilliant and disturbing to the soul of any gifted teacher of whatever persuasion. We're moved by what it portrays about the essential mysteries of education and learning. What can be learned? What's worth learning? What is disguised as learning but is really wasteful exercise and damaging to one's future growth? And the delicate but vital process of integrating "academics" with real life and how they inevitably blend, regardless of one's personal plan, or that of the culture and social community in which one is nurtured, particularly in his youth.First the play in New York and eventually the film that expanded its audience. Powerful and engaging! Among many powerful scenes, my favorite:Hector, the eccentric teacher of note (the one we all wish we encountered at school) engaged in a tutorial with Posner, the youngest member of the group and gay:Hector: . . . . What have we learned this week?Posner: "Drummer Hodge," sir. Hardy.Hector: Oh. Nice.(Posner says the poem off by heart. At first, Hector's heart doesn't seem to be in listening to it, but Posner draws him in.)"They throw in Drummer Hodge, to restUncoffined -- just as found:His landmark is the kopje crestThat breaks the veldt around;And foreign constellations westEach night above his mound.'Young Hodge the Drummer never knew -Fresh from his Wessex home -The meaning of the broad Karoo,The bush, the dusty loamAnd why uprose to nightly viewStrange stars amid the gloam.'Yet portion of that unknown plainWill Hodge for ever be;His homely Northern breast and brainGrow to some Southern tree,And strange-eyed constellations reignHis stars eternally."After Posner recites the verse, Hector asks for "any thoughts" after which Posner demonstrates considerable perception of the poem's possible meanings. There are brief exchanges before Hector utters his most telling observations about the act (and art) of reading, a gem to be appreciated by any teacher of literature:"The best moments in reading are when you come across something -- a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things -- which you had thought special and particular to you. Now here it is, set down by someone else, a person you have never met, someone even who is long dead. And it is as if a hand has come out and taken yours. Shall we just have the last verse again, and I'll let you go."Just one of many fine engaging moments in The History Boys.And now there's his novella The Uncommon Reader, an entertaining saga of the Queen of England's introduction to literature, an experience that transforms her life, as well as her public appearance.Since Bennett appears to have read just about every major work of western literature, his comments regarding the effect of these works on an ordinary individual's life and behavior is impressive and instructive, as well as delighting.According to the detailed introduction to other of his more recent works, apparently he has recently survived at least the first attacks and subsequent chemotherapy of cancer of some sort but is pressing on still with full exercise of his creative powers. We can only hope these efforts or long lived.Posted by DPW at 4:46 PM 0 commentsLabels: Alan Bennett, The History Boys, The Uncommon Reader, Thomas Hardy ”
“Very fun. Gets to the heart of what reading can do for a person, although the Queen tackles much harder stuff than I would care to!”
