Anyone who frequents Twitter will know that it's a mixed blessing. It's a mine of wonderful information and supportive camaraderie. It's also - unfortunately - home to a lot of people who take great pleasure in causing pain to others. But in amongst all this are a few gems and one of them is @Queen_UK, a delightful satire on members of the royal family, celebrities, the political classes and the state of Her Majesty's nation. Or, one's nation as Ma'am would say. Still Reigning is her second book, after Gin O'Clock and it's the sort of parody which leaves you wondering if the writer might not be someone very close to the original.
| Still Reigning by The Queen | |
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| Category: Humour | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: The book of one of the cleverest parodies on Twitter. Sniggeringly good fun. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 272 | Date: August 2014 |
| Publisher: Duckworth Overlook | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0715649138 | |
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The voice is captured perfectly. It's almost-but-not-quite curt, slightly acerbic and with the sort of insight which you get from trying to work out which is more troublesome - one's prime minister or one's dysfunctional family. Some events have worried one more than others: Harry's disregard as to when and where he displays the crown jewels troubles Ma'am on several occasions, but it's irritation which slips through as she records the number of times on which the Duchess of Cambridge's mother (the Queen Mother in waiting?) suggests that one should call her Carole. There's wry knowledge about the ambitions of her eldest son, who fears that one's Coronation might be the only one that he gets to see.
Characters are created (or demolished) in remarkably few words. Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall is just a little bit raunchy, the Duchess of Cambridge is a knitter and Nick Clegg has not yet put away his childhood toys. Most delightful, though, is the character of Her Majesty herself, devoted to her husband (DoE as she refers to him) and rarely going beyond the word awkward when things don't go quite as one expected.
It's sniggeringly good. The humour is barbed but I never felt that it reached 'cruel'. Best just gloss over Elton sodding John, I think. I'll confess to having read the book through in one sitting - and annoyed everyone around me by either laughing and not saying why - or reading excerpts whether they wanted to hear them or not. Great good fun. I'd like to thank the publisher for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
For another affectionate look at Her Majesty we can recommend The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Still Reigning by The Queen at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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