Mrs Queen Takes the Train

By: William Kuhn

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

An absolute delight of a debut novel by William Kuhn - author of Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books - Mrs Queen Takes the Train wittily imagines the kerfuffle that transpires when a bored Queen Elizabeth strolls out of the palace in search of a little fun, leaving behind a desperate team of courtiers who must find the missing Windsor before a national scandal erupts. Reminiscent of Alan Bennett's The Uncommon Reader, this lively, wonderfully inventive romp takes readers into the mind of the grand matriarch of Britain's Royal Family, bringing us an endearing runaway Queen Elizabeth on the town - and leading us behind the Buckingham Palace walls and into the upstairs/downstairs spaces of England's monarchy.

©2012 William Kuhn (P)2012 Dreamscape Media, LLC

Critic reviews

"Royal watchers and students of class alike will enjoy this smart, if familiar, tale." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Kuhn does a convincing job of inhabiting the heads of his characters, crowned or not. ... An affectionate, sympathetic but also unstinting look at the woman inside the sovereign." ( Kirkus Reviews)

Female characters fairly daft

The author writes women as if they were children. Kate get repeatedly sexually harassed by men including Cheddar and you're supposed to think it's sweet.

Amusing at times, but not memorable

I found the story to be just okay. Nice to hear insiders view of Royalty and story touched on reality of depression possible in anyone, even the Queen.

Ripping

Would you consider the audio edition of Mrs Queen Takes the Train to be better than the print version?

Did not read the print version

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Queen - historic, complex, sympathetic

Have you listened to any of Simon Prebble’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes - many of them. Simon Prebbles is one of the very best book performers ever. Love him.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

I don't know what this question means

Any additional comments?

I wandered into this book because of the place, subject and mostly the narrator. What a wonderful story. Beautifully woven. Loved it.

Like reading People Magazine

Or watching Entertainment Tonight. Quite predictable with some interesting characters but overall a lightweight listen.

Best performance by THE very best reader!

So touching. Every character quickly becomes real. I cried and laughed and reflected with The Queen. After listening 3 times, I still find more moments to love.