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Royal commoners
The Queen and I is a light-hearted look at British royalty stripped of their status. Juhi Roddam reviews the book.
- By Juhi Roddam, Notes Report
- Published: 23:29 October 11, 2008
- Sue Townsend's new book The Queen and I is set in a fictitious England where the new prime minister dismantles the monarchy and converts Britain into a republic.
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Being funny comes naturally to British writer Sue Townsend. Her widely successful Adrian Mole series had readers rolling on the floor in fits of laughter. The funnybone doesn't just appear in the Adrian Mole series. It seeps into her 1992 novel The Queen and I.
This witty book is set in a fictitious England after the general election, which the People's Republican Party has won. The new prime minister dismantles the monarchy and converts Britain into a republic. The queen and her family are made to live like 'normal' citizens of England. Their new residence is Hell Close, a poor locality and home to illiterates.
The book focuses on how the ex-royal family deals with this new, alien lifestyle. How do the supremely upper class royals adjust to a life of depravity? Instead of servants, they have a social worker; instead of a palace, they have a shack. The queen submits to her new life while Prince Charles welcomes the change with open arms.
Told mostly from the queen's point of view, the book is quite believable. The story is unique and humorous due to the impossible situations that the ex-royals find themselves in. From cutting up beloved, expensive carpets to fit their tiny rooms, to taking public transport for the first time ever, the story certainly has its moments.
Townsend's writing style is easy to read. The story leads to a highly improbable situation that makes you gasp with hilarity, but as you read the last chapter, you discover the anti-climatic and predictable end.
The Queen and I surely isn't one of Townsend's best works; however, if you are looking for a fun and light read, be sure to pick this one up.
— The writer is a communications studies student at the Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, India
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