THE UNCOMMON READER

Alan Bennett (BBC Audio, (2 CDs) £12.99)

As Alan Bennett explains in the opening chapter of his latest work, The Uncommon Reader, it was all the corgis' fault. If they hadn't barked as they strayed through the grounds of Buckingham Palace, the Queen would never have discovered the City of Westminster's travelling library parked by the palace wall, and the wealth of books it contained.

Until then, the Queen had considered reading a hobby, and she didn't have hobbies. But as she was there, it seemed bad manners not to borrow a book. She began with Ivy Compton Burnet, a little volume that had not been taken out since 1989, and although she read it right to the end, she found it a little dry. Her second choice was Nancy Mitford's The Pursuit of Love. She became so engrossed, she actually laughed out loud. After that it was a case of one book leading to another.

Naturally, this new royal interest in literature did not please everyone. It made some members of the royal household feel quite uneasy. as books are devices that ignite the imagination. Until the Queen picked up that first volume she had been content to be briefed on published works, now she was actually reading them for herself. And so begins the struggle to wean Her Majesty away from the printed page. Not an easy task.

The two BBC CDs include nuances added by the author as he emphasises particular passages. It is a rare delight, which provides two and a half hours of total relaxation for all those who enjoy being entertained by the incomparable Alan Bennett.