The Queen and I

By: Sue Townsend

Narrated by: Angela Thorne

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

When a Republican party wins the General Election, they strip the royal family of everything and send them to live on a housing estate in the Midlands.

Exchanging caviar for boiled eggs, servants for a social worker named Trish, the Queen and her family learn what it means to be poor among the great unwashed. Is their breeding sufficient to allow them to rise above their changed circumstance or deep down are they really just like everyone else?

©1992 Sue Townsend (P)2012 AudioGO Ltd

Critic Reviews

"Kept me rolling about until the last page." ( Daily Mail)

"Absorbing, entertaining ... the funniest thing in print since Adrian Mole." ( Daily Telegraph)

Made me smile......in commuter traffic

Two things before I start this review:

1. It will be biased because I ADORE Sue Townsend and everything she writes. I will read and re-read the Adrian Mole series until the day I die. It's just how it is.
2. I commute in HEAVY traffic and am bitchy and cynical during most of this time. Light-hearted does not tend to get me through bumper-to-bumper traffic (my library speaks to this). This book made me smile....in traffic.

Ok, I don't care about character development, plot feasibility, or anything thing else because this book made me FEEL GOOD. However, the characters ARE well-developed and the plot, while admittedly unrealistic, was an interesting concept and was done with respect to both the monarchy and the working class.

This is a sweet, heart-warming story that doesn't over-indulge on the sugar. There is enough dry wit thrown in so the tone strikes a perfect balance. Damn it, if those Brits don't always do humor up right!

Listen to it, laugh, maybe cry and let yourself....FEEL GOOD!

3 people found this helpful

Fabulous!!

If you could sum up The Queen and I in three words, what would they be?

Funny...absorbing....and funny!!!

Have you listened to any of Angela Thorne???s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I cannot find any other books read by Angela thorne on Audible!!
She is one of the very best narrators and I have listened to hundreds of your books

2 people found this helpful

from an american perspective

I do read quite a lot of British fiction. This book was an anomoly .... I found the story and dialogue to be boring and a bit sad. The end, however, was very meaningful and a lesson in government that many americans might find instructive at the present time. Would I recommend the listen? No. Did it nonetheless have an important message? Yes.

1 person found this helpful

So funny it will take your breath

If only there were more books out there that were this funny and this smart. I feel quite bereft now that it's over.

Imaginative peek into another reality

If you love the Queen of England as much as I do, you're in for a treat. There are a few of these sorts of stories out there, fanciful stories of QE2 out in the world, living some other sort of life. This one is great. It has Elizabeth, Philip, Charles, Diana, William and Harry as well as Margaret and at least one of the corgis. It's set in the early 90's, and it's not a tear-jerker. If I shed any tears on this book, it was because I was laughing. It's funny, and at least from an American perspective, I think it's respectful. No cheap shots, just a fish-out-of water kind of story. The audio sample gives a very good idea of what you're in for.
The narrator deserves an award or something. She nailed it. The narration brings so much to the story that it takes it to a higher level. I gave the story 4 stars, but I would have given it 3.5 if that were an option, only because the writing actually does get a little weak toward the end. It's a case of.... you create this fantastical situation... now how to you wrap it up? how do you actually end this kind of story. No spoilers, but unfortunately, the writer disappoints a little with her answer to that question. It's literally the only criticism I have of the writing, but it is a necessarily important point.
Having said that, I will look for more work by both the author and the narrator. This was a very fun, lighthearted listen.

so funny

Would you listen to The Queen and I again? Why?

would listen again, so much happening i must of missed some bits while laughing!!
great book for light hearted escapism

3 people found this helpful

Very, very funny

A fabulous idea for a book (I wonder if any of the royals have read it? I would love to know their opinion!) and I still found it relevant and engaging despite my reading it a decade or so after the fact. Great political satire, great characters, despite many being hugely exaggerated stereotypes, this added to the humour and was just right for this book! Love Sue Townsend, no cringe-worthy cliches in her writing, and this is one of her best.

3 people found this helpful

Great book

I read this book when it was first released and listening to it was great. Well read very funny

2 people found this helpful

Laugh out loud and giggle in between!

If you could sum up The Queen and I in three words, what would they be?

Funny Clever Sharp

What does Angela Thorne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

A different slant on voice personality

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me laugh out loud between giggling and smiling.

Any additional comments?

Seriously funny even for a Royalist!

2 people found this helpful

Wasn't sure what to expect

This had been on my list of books I should read for such a long time. I was concerned that it would be in some way disrespectful, even though I am not 'a royalist'. Saying that, it has been really funny in parts, some real laugh out loud moments at the absurdity of it all. I have found myself in the position of the residents of hell close, on benefits with little spare change and could really identify with all of the things people do to manage from day to day, the thought of the Queen and the Royal family doing the same was so funny. I will definitely be buying the sequel.

2 people found this helpful

A little disappointing

Having loved the Adrian Mole books I was looking forward to this. The feeble plot was simply a disappointing dream sequence. Angela Thorne did her best to cover all the characters voices and accents but failed miserably with most. It was in parts excruciating to listen to. All things considered I couldn't in all honesty recommend this book.

1 person found this helpful

Finished too quickly

Not wanting to give away any spoilers, I felt really let down by the end. It was almost as if the author had reached her required word count and then tried to finish as quickly as possible.

Overall, I felt that the plot had dated quite badly.

That said, on the whole, I enjoyed listening to this book. But I wouldn't recommend it...

1 person found this helpful

I loved it

I have read this book before and enjoyed it, but listening to the audiobook with the wonderful narration by Angela Thorne made it even more enjoyable. I think this is the best of Sue Townsend's books

3 people found this helpful

mildly amusing

What did you like best about The Queen and I? What did you like least?

I expected a really funny story but it was rather mundane and although I had one or two smiles,overall it was not that funny.

Would you recommend The Queen and I to your friends? Why or why not?

Its horses for courses, some people may find it more to their taste than I did

What does Angela Thorne bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Narration was excellent with different voices and accents for each character

Did The Queen and I inspire you to do anything?

No

Any additional comments?

None

1 person found this helpful

Fab-u-lous

I remember reading this book at a teenager and it had been brought to life brilliantly in this performance