A Voyage Around the Queen

by Craig Brown
A Voyage Around the Queen cover
Good Books rating 4.0
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Hardback • £25.00
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  • ID: 272
  • Added: 2025-09-07
  • Updated: 2025-10-03
  • Formats: 14
  • Reviews: 4
Reviews
cannonballread.com · Unknown · 2025-09-18
enjoyable 4.00

The reviewer enjoyed this unconventional biography of Queen Elizabeth II, which avoids traditional structures and instead presents a collection of anecdotes and perspectives from those around her. They appreciated the unique format and the humor, finding it engaging despite not being particularly interested in the monarchy.

The reviewer was pleasantly surprised by 'A Voyage Around the Queen,' a biography that defies traditional norms. Instead of a linear narrative or deep political insights, the book offers a mosaic of stories and opinions from people who interacted with or were influenced by Queen Elizabeth II. The reviewer highlights chapters like one dedicated to people's dreams about the Queen and another about a woman's lifelong ambition to be a Lady in Waiting, which they found fascinating. The book's format allows readers to form their own opinions about the Queen, and the reviewer enjoyed the humor and variety of perspectives. Despite not being a fan of the monarchy, they found the book highly entertaining and plan to explore more works by the author.

Quick quotes

    It was so much fun! It avoided literally everything that usually makes me avoid reading biographies: the tedious linear structure, the grandiloquence and navel-gazing that comes with writing about a much-lauded (or controversial) figure

    This isn’t so much a book about Queen Elizabeth II, but a book about how she affected the world around her throughout the 70+ years of her rule

    I do not give a fig about the monarchy or the royal family, but this was a really good read.

goodreads.com · Unknown · 2025-09-18
entertaining 4.00

Craig Brown's 'Q: A Voyage Around the Queen' offers a witty and insightful portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, examining her through various prisms. The reviewer appreciates Brown's humorous and empathetic approach, noting that the book is entertaining and free from typical dogmatic clichés about monarchy. They found the book long but engaging, providing insights into the Queen and British society during her reign.

Craig Brown's 'Q: A Voyage Around the Queen' is a deeply original and hilarious portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The reviewer notes that Brown's approach is different from traditional biographies, focusing on what is interesting rather than what is not. They appreciate Brown's kaleidoscopic perspective, which provides a panoramic and complex portrait of the Queen and her subjects. The reviewer found the book entertaining and free from the usual dogmatic clichés about monarchy. They also note that the book is long and at times overwhelming, but it is a clever and good-humored exploration of the Queen and British society during her reign. The reviewer, a lifelong skeptic of the monarchy, found the book insightful and engaging, providing a fresh perspective on the Queen and her role.

Quick quotes

    The Queen lived a long life and this is a very long book. There were times when I felt myself overdosing on royalty and had to come up for air.

    Brown is rather like an amiable visitor from another planet investigating this curious phenomenon with genuine open-minded curiosity.

    The Queen herself remains ultimately elusive, but, in its seemingly offhand way, this is full of insights about the institution of monarchy and British society during her reign.

hopewellslibraryoflife.wordpress.com · Unknown · 2024-10-07
enjoyable 3.50

The reviewer initially had reservations about the author's style but found this book more enjoyable once they understood his approach. They appreciated the diverse stories about Queen Elizabeth II, including some new and intriguing anecdotes, and particularly enjoyed the humorous spoof diary entries and insights into Prince Philip's character.

The reviewer had mixed feelings about the author's previous book but decided to give this one a chance. They found 'A Voyage Around the Queen' more enjoyable once they realized the author's method of compiling stories from various sources about Queen Elizabeth II. The book covers the Queen's life through anecdotes from writers, artists, politicians, and even personal memoirs. Some stories were familiar to the reviewer, but they found new and interesting ones as well, including a particularly unflattering story about the Queen's handling of a former employee. The spoof diary entries were a highlight, as were the insights into Prince Philip's character. Overall, the reviewer enjoyed the collection and appreciated the author's unique approach.

Quick quotes

    The stories related here cover all of the late Queen’s 96 years. They come mostly from the diaries, interviews, articles, memoirs, of writers, poets, artists, politicians and the like, but some come from the memoirs of the Queen’s governess, from the memoirs of her distant cousin, Queen Marie of Romania and all sorts of other sources.

    One of the stories new to me does not paint the Queen or the royal establishment in anything like a good light, but I believe it 100%.

    The funniest was the spoof of the Queen’s diary. (I’m a huge fan of spoof diaries and for a few years wrote one for my… friends of Camilla).

The New Yorker · 2024-09-30
thought-provoking 4.50

The book explores the Queen's significance through the lens of national identity and personal relationships. It is praised for its unique approach and depth of analysis.

The reviewer notes that the book is not just a biography but a reflection on national identity and the Queen's role in shaping it. The approach is unique and the analysis is deep, offering a fresh perspective on the Queen's impact. The reviewer finds the book to be thought-provoking and well-crafted, making it a standout in the genre of royal biographies.

Quick quotes

    This is a book about ourselves as a nation, reflected and refracted through our own relationships with one person, or our ideas of that person.

    The Queen's singular importance—constitutional, historical, psychological—is the subject of Brown's book.

    A thought-provoking and well-crafted exploration of the Queen's legacy and impact.

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