The death of Her Majesty Elizabeth II in September inspired me to pick up this slim novella which features her as the main character. Back in March, I read the charming mystery The Windsor Knot, which likewise stars Her Maj. There is a definite difference in style, unsurprisingly.
Alan Bennett writes older women really well. (See The Lady in the Van, Smut) No doubt spending time with his mother in her last years contributed to his understanding. If I had never read S.J. Bennett, I would have been delighted with this book. It does deal with my own obsession, reading, with great insight. Reading is certainly a consuming pastime, very enjoyable but also informative. I realized how much more than the usual person I read when talking to one of my sister's friends, who finally looked at me with cocked head and said, “You read a lot, don't you?” Apparently enough to make me a bit weird to the average person, anyway.
S.J. Bennett’s depiction of the Queen is much more sympathetic and human than Alan's. Her version of the monarch gives her much more curiosity, intellect, and ability. She portrays the Queen as widely experienced and often underestimated by the men on her staff. This Queen is well informed and would never turn down a good book.
Both books are fun and worth reading, in my opinion. But I like the mystery-solving Queen best.
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