Friday 11 March 2011

An Uncommon Writer

Well, here we are, at the end of the week, and I've made it in one piece. I'm going to celebrate by spending this weekend with the latest book by one of my favourite authors, Sophie Hannah, whose sixth crime novel, Lasting Damage, has just arrived from the library. The phone is coming off the hook, I'm detaching the door bell from the batteries and I shall repel all borders. I will also find time to catch up with my posts here and my on-line visiting ready to get back to a more organised schedule on Monday.

Meanwhile, I want to share what I think is a lovely story. When it first came out my library reading group all read Alan Bennett's wonderful book An Uncommon Reader. I'm sure all of those readers who are in the UK know about this gem but if you are from overseas and it hasn't come to your notice it imagines the arrival of a mobile library in the precincts of Buckingham Palace and the gradual conversion of HM the Queen to books and to reading for pleasure. The writing is absolutely typical of Bennett's perceptive observation and wry humour. It's the sort of book you read at one sitting, not only because it's fairly short, but also because you can't put it down until you've finished it.

Well, as I say, everyone in the group loved it and Mary, the librarian who runs the sessions, decided that because it had given us such pleasure she would contact Bennett's agent and just say thank you on our behalf.  So, she sent him an e-mail and asked him to pass on our best wishes to the author. That would have been the back end of 2007 and none of us had given it another thought until last week - when a postcard arrived.

The postcard, of the Yorkshire Dales, had been sent in September 2009 but had been rather vaguely addressed and it had taken the Post Office sometime to work out where to deliver it. To be honest, the sender's handwriting didn't help either. However, when we deciphered it, we discovered that it had come from Alan Bennett himself.  He thanked us not only for our kind thoughts but also for taking the trouble to contact him and spoke about the process of writing the book and how it had been easier than most because he didn't know HMQ and could therefore let his imagination do the work.   He wrote as if we were the ones doing him the favour instead of our being the people who had benefited immeasurably by the pleasure given by his wonderful writing. We would have been thrilled by a response from his agent, but this was so personal, and so typical of a man who is known here (much to his chagrin) as a National Treasure.  He is, indeed, a most uncommon writer.

Annie

23 comments:

  1. I have not read it! Shame on me!

    I was reminded about it after watching My Life in Books. I certainly want to check it out now. Especially as I have been thinking about mobile libraries just recently.

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  2. That is such a cool story. It's not often that you hear things like that ocurring, but maybe I never take the time to properly thank an author for a really good book! I've heard so many good things about this, I can't think why I've not read it yet. I will add it to my library list as I am sure there is no wait for it by now. Enjoy your weekend--I'm happy the week's over (or almost) as well! Enjoy your Sophie Hannah--another author on my list to read....

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  3. I read the book when it came out in the States 2 years ago I think it was. I loved it! How wonderful that Bennett send your group a post card!

    And so glad you made it to the end of your week in one piece. Have a lovely weekend reading!

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  4. It did make its way across the pond and I loved it! I just read his memoir, too.

    Oh, and thanks for letting me know that Imogen Robertson has written two more books. It sounds (at least I hope) that they're sequels, and there will more of Harriet and Crowther coming our way soon. )I enjoyed Instruments of Darkness VERY much.)

    Audrey

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  5. What a wonderful story! It makes me like Bennett even more, and I liked him a lot already. I really loved An Uncommon Reader.

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  6. I love Sophie Hannah's books too, and Lasting Damage is waiting for me at the library. I read An Uncommon Reader last year, in one go as you say; it was - what? totally fascinating, delightful, and more. I adored it, how could one not love the book and its author?

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  7. Jo, nice to meet you. I really envy you having the pleasure of reading this book for the first time. Do you know any of his other books? If not, you have weeks of wonderful reading ahead of you.

    Danielle, you will love 'An Uncommon Reader'. It's one of those books that just makes you skill from the moment you begin it to the very last page. It also makes you nod your head sagely and say, "Oh yes, you got that just right". Bennett is a truly wonderful writer. And you must read Sophie Hannah, but do start at the beginning with 'Little Face' or you'll not have a hope of understanding the relationship between Charlie and Simon.

    Thanks Stefanie. Sometimes the world just gets on top of you doesn't it? But I'm having lunch with a good friend today and that is absolutely all I have on my agenda. Wonderful!

    Audrey, as I've said on your blog, both of the other books continue with the same characters and the second introduces a couple of new individuals about whom I want to know more. (The third book is only out this month, so I know what it is about, but not the details.) Isn't it wonderful when a new writer just goes on getting better and better?

    Dorothy, Bennett is your sort of writer, I'm sure. Have you read anything else by him? What about 'The Lady in the Van?'

    Elizabeth, how nice to meet you, especially as you obviously have such magnificent reading taste!!! We will have to compare notes on 'Lasting Damage' as soon as we've both read it. Which is your favourite?

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  8. I read this a while ago on Stefanie's recommendation and loved it. It manages the feat of being warmly charming and sharply insightful at the same time. I vowed then to read more Alan Bennett and have I? Sigh. If only there were more hours in the day. Have a lovely entrenched weekend of reading!

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  9. How amazing that you finally got it. The mail is a mysterious beast isn't it? It probably sat in someone's too hard basket for a while ... Oh, and I love the book too.

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  10. This *is* a lovely story! I love that book. I quote the opening of the book to my students whenever we study Jean Genet. It helps to break the ice on an author who shocks and often baffles them. After all, if the *Queen* enjoys Genet....

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  11. Litlove, it is that insightfulness that pulls me back to Bennett every time. If you haven't read anything else by him, have you had the opportunity to see any of his work on stage? He's one of those writers where you have to get the timing spot on or it just doesn't work, but in the hands of a good cast his plays are remarkable.

    WG, the GPO does a remarkable job really. I suspect that it got as far as the central library in the city centre some time ago and that it was there it got held up, even though it clearly had a local librarian's name on it.

    SP, I would never have thought of using it in that way but now you mention it I can see it's wonderful idea. Lucky students!

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  12. What a lovely story. I read The Uncommon Reader in a garden in Devon one afternoon on holiday and was charmed. Though I must confess I have never got on with Ivy Compton-Burnett and would have steered HM to other authors. Barbara Pym maybe.

    I have Lasting Damage to hand too - picked up from the new books shelf in the library on friday - but, as I have it for three weeks, I think I will savour the anticipation for a few days more before I start to read.

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  13. What a wonderful story! And so nice of Alan Bennett to send a personal postcard to you. I haven't yet read the book, but I really should as it sounds good.

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  14. I enjoyed this a lot when I read it. Such a charming idea.
    This is the second time I see Sophie Hannah mentioned. I just reviewed a book by Araminta Hall and she is compared to Sophie Hannah. Maybe I should give her a try.

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  15. Fleur, I hung on for a couple of days and then couldn't take the strain any longer. I always want to know what is happening to Charlie, Simon to some extent, but Charlie, definitely. I'm about half way through but don't worry, no spoilers.

    Nikki-ann, how nice to meet you. You would love the book I'm sure, it seems to appeal to all sorts of different readers and takes very little time to read.

    Caroline, the incongruity of the idea is a big part of the charm, isn't it. If anyone other than Bennett had come up with the idea I'm not sure we would have accepted it, but from him it seems absolutely right. Do try Sophie Hannah, but go back to the beginning and read 'Little Face'. There's a lot you won't understand if you don't.

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  16. Thanks for the recommendation. When I looked her up I didn't know where to start.

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  17. Hello Annie,

    I hope that you survived your 'week from hell' relatively unscathed and ready for your relaxing weekend.

    Sorry to hear about your experience with the credit card 'scammers'. So far we have not had any bad experiences (touch wood), but I often wonder why I keep using the cards, especially on-line. I can only assume that with the current economic stresses and strains, this type of fraud will only increase, as people become more and more desperate. With the advent of 'Smart Cards' I guess that cash won't be an option for much longer either!!!

    The Alan Bennett story is a lovely one, you must have been so pleased to receive his card? It's nice to know that he both read your email and felt moved to reply personally, a dying breed of gentlemen!! A friend had the book and I did manage to sneak read of a couple of chapters before she noticed I had 'borrowed' it, but I have never got around to reading it all.

    Sophie Hannah is another author that I have yet to read, although with the rave reviews her books always seem to attract, I really should make the effort. Her books and style of writing I am sure I would enjoy, it's just that there are so many great authors and books out there and just not enough time.

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  18. I'm in luck since that is the one Sophie Hannah book I have! Not sure why I've not yet read it as I love that sort of book.

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  19. Oh the dreaded 'Not enough time', Yvonne. I thought once I retired I would have all the time I needed to read, but it hasn't happened. Maybe the problem is that I now have more time to look around and discover even more books that I want to explore. Thank goodness I'm not sitting here twiddling my thumbs and wondering what to do with myself now there is no 'work' to go to. That would be the real disaster.

    Danielle, make it a priority:)

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  20. Thanks for the recommendation of The Lady in the Van! This is the only Bennett I've read, so it's good to know where to go next.

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  21. Dorothy, look out for an opportunity to see any of his stage work as well. 'The History Boys' is excellent.

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  22. I have been meaning to read this book since it came out. So many readers whose opinions I trust loved this book, and your story of Bennett sending a thank you note is just wonderful. That's an author to support!

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  23. Michelle, exactly! I had the same experience with the actor, Antony Sher, who once sent me a thank you note after I had written to thank him for speaking to and about the students at a graduation ceremony we were both involved in. The Chancellor had just ignored the students other than to ask them to start donating money to the University as soon as they got their first wage packet! (I hasten to add in case anyone who knows which is my University is reading this that I was playing a way from home on this occasion.) I see everything he does now if at all possible.

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