Wednesday, February 6, 2008

A Royal Expert is Born


I just finished Laurie Graham's Gone with the Windsors last night. Someone at work brought it in for me to read after I read and lent them Alan Bennet's Uncommon Reader. What is with me and the Royal Family lately? I have read like 4 books in a row. Does this make me an expert?After all my time reading the Kaleed Husseini and the Bookseller of Kabul I felt like an expert on Afghanistan and was ready to appear on Nightline if they had a sudden need for an Afghani expert. Surprisingly, in spite of my expertise, Nightline never actually called me to weigh in on Afghani situations. (Wonder if they have the right phone number for me?). Anyway I suppose my new area of expertise (British Royalty) may get me some calls from Entertainment Tonight. I hope they don't expect me to get Botox with all my TV appearances. I will have to draw the line somewhere.


Now I just read two fictionalized accounts of Royalty. Gone With the Windsors is all about Wallis Simpson and the Man Who Would Not be King written through the eyes of a very dim wealthy American widow named Maybell in the form of a diary. It's actually quite funny with the diarist missing the point of every conversation and of all the political situations. Descriptions of visits to Hitler in Germany describe what everyone was wearing and the great shopping available. Maybell and Wallis Simpson finally part ways after her little dog pees on Maybell's tapestry purse.


The Uncommon Reader I read a couple of weeks ago. Also a fictionalized account of the current Queen Elizabeth who discovers the joys of reading and how it impacts all her day to day activities. Everyone is very annoyed as her reading gets in the way of her duties. She also expects people to read books she gives them. One typical Alan Bennet bit when the Prime Minister's aide complains to the Queen's aide that her Majesty keeps on giving the Prime Minister things to read at their weekly chats.
"Your employer has been giving my employer a hard time."
"Yes?"
"Yes. Lending him books to read. That's out of order."
"Her Majesty likes reading."
"I like having my dick sucked. I don't make the prime minister do it..."

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