[Hardy-l] The Archers

[Keith Wilson]

Angelique's posting about last night's Archers reminds me of the Hardy mention I came upon a while back in Alan Bennett's recent comic novella, The Uncommon Reader, whose plot involves the Queen  being introduced to the novelty of reading (with some disruption to state affairs) by the combined forces of an earnest young palace servant and a mobile library she accidentally happens upon while pursuing her corgis.  She becomes so infatuated with books that she suggests to the prime minister that her Christmas broadcast open with the camera discovering her curled up on a couch, reading -- perhaps even the poetry of Thomas Hardy, perhaps even "The Convergence of the Twain."  The Prime Minister asks how that will help "the people": 
 
"'Oh, surely,' said the Queen, 'it would show, wouldn't it, that fate is something to which we are all subject'", to which the Prime Minister replies "'I'm not sure that is a message the government would feel able to endorse'.
 
It's a very amusing little book and worth a quick read for entirely non-Hardyan reasons too.
 
There's a project out there for someone: the compilation of what might well turn out to be another amusing little book on passing references to TH in popular culture.
 
Keith Wilson
 

 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/ms-tnef
Size: 4274 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://coyote.csusm.edu/pipermail/hardy-l/attachments/20080806/d82b8d73/attachment.bin