As you know, since I work in the book industry I see all the new authors works come in, some I’ve heard of or read before, some I have not. The writer Alan Bennet had a new book come out this month, called Smut, which is I think two short stories? Anyway, it just reminded me of another of his works which I read about a year ago and thought I would do a general ramble about it. It ‘s called ‘the Uncommon Reader’ and it is about the Queen of England discovering the joys of reading and henceforth neglecting her queenly duties. It is absolutely heart-warmingly adorable in theme. The Queen starts questioning her place in the world and all she has to do with it, gets short with her irritating and exasperating advisors and starts to aspire to being a writer. It's brilliant!
Edward Marriot observed “A gloriously entertaining comic narrative, but it is also much more: a deadly serious manifesto for the potential of reading to change lives”. When I read this on the back cover I absolutely had to get the book, because that is a sentiment that I live my life for. The potential of reading to change lives. Books do change lives. They inspire. They give you an escape. You can be someone else, to forget all the everyday annoyances or even the life changing problems and for however long, ten minutes, an hour, a day, escape yourself. To encounter problems and things dreamt up by other big minds to feed our hungry ones. Be someone else, as they face dragons or people they hate, or the president, To fall in love, be part of them as they fall in love, as they experience loses we’ve never had to face, or ever ordinarily relate to. Books to me are the highest form of intelligence, enjoyment, fulfilment and escapism. To me, books are perfect.
This gorgeous little work is from a Lithuanian Agency called Love for Mint Vinetu, a campaign called 'Become someone else'. So lovely.
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