for royalsists and republicans alike (The Queen and I - Sue Townsend)

Member Name: beccie777

Product:	The Queen and I - Sue Townsend
Date:	11/10/05 (749 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: laugh out loud funny

Disadvantages: unfortunately the book is aging

I am in love with Sue Townsend books after having read the Adrian Mole diaries so often the cover fell off! So I leapt at the chance when I spotted this book...

Suspend your disbelief and imagine this scene...a Republican government is elected in 1992 and the monarchy is dismantled and shipped out to live in one of the worst council estates in the Midlands.

The beauty of the book is that not a lot happens. There's no complicated twisting plot to follow, the charm lies in the cynical observations of the Royal family, the British class system and the spirit of human nature. The book is laugh aloud funny, strangely moving at times, and above all has you really thinking without you even realising!

And whilst Charles may be on the run from the law in a shell suit, Anne is keeping a horse in a pink stable in the garden while dating a short fat carpet fitter and Phillip is in a downwards spiral towards madness, at no point are the actual people concerned insulted.

It is a wholly believable account of how each of these personalities would cope if the tables were suddenly turned.

The only disadvantage is that the book is becoming old so what would have been easy topical references at the time now require a good memory and is slightly odd that the book portrays Diana and the Queen Mother, who have now both passed away.

However, overall this book is intelligent, witty and best of all laugh out loud side splittingly funny! :)

Published by Mandarin Fiction cover price is £4.99 although mine is a fairly old copy so prices have probably gone up since then!

Summary: brilliantly funny easy reading