Picking up a book definitely isn't easy for some people, either because they're too busy, or most likely they're too lazy and don't want to take the time and effort out to truly indulge themselves in literature. If that's the case then as humans we tend to skim a paragraph or so to try and grab some information, but that can result in our downfall considering that skimming isn't truly reading. It's actually the opposite, according to the wise words of the Queen on page 21, on the last paragraph she argues with Sir Kevin stating that "Briefing is not reading. In fact it is the antithesis of reading. Briefing is terse, factual and to the point. Reading is untidy, discursive and perpetually inviting. " Bennett certainly hides little hints of his love for reading and actually threw a bit of his characteristics into some of the Queens attributes.
Bennett's ideas to his readers are that as soon as you open a book and start reading, it'll transport your mind to an exciting world unlike any other. Reading could bring you back to the 15th century, put you in a cowboy standoff in the Wild West or even help solve a mystery with the infamous Sherlock Holmes. Reading is about escaping reality and letting your imagination take over, because our brains are a vast plethora of ideas, beliefs, facts and opinions. From reading this book you get the gist that The Queen is not a big fan of reading at all and her feelings towards liking books were "something that should be left to other people ". Also the Queens attributes in the beginning of the novel tend to gravitate from a boring opsimath with no preferences of her own, to an avid reader, which is unexpected of her peers and it seems as though she's completely out of her element. Due to the Queens new obsession she becomes disobedient towards her staff and goes on a path of denial and righteousness, she even ignores plenty of her given duties by acting like she was sick one day, just so that she can catch up on her the book she was reading.