Monstering the monarchy
David Walliams delivers an amusing epic of dystopia and dynasty set at a famous UK address.
David Walliams has developed a huge fan base since The Boy in the Dress was published in 2008. Deliberately outrageous and loaded with irreverent references to set young readers sniggering, he’s been compared to his idol, Roald Dahl (although, for this reviewer, that’s like comparing reality TV to Downton Abbey).
Walliams says this dystopian adventure, set in the London of 2120, is “a real departure” for him. With titles such as Gangsta Granny, Demon Dentist and Bad Dad, he’s used to sending up stereotypes beloved by the non-PC crowd. Here, however, he mashes the British monarchy and climate devastation into one very dark brew.
The lights have gone out all over England. The Tower is back in use (you have been warned). Puny Prince Alfred is pitted against the Lord Protector who is holding power with the help of Palace Guard enforcers. In the tradition of kids’ lit, Alfred’s parents are absent – held prisoner by the LP Revolutionaries. The cast also includes a nanny, a degenerating robot, a guttersnipe and an allseeing eye. Oh, and a doddery Old Queen (you know who) with a gang of elderly and infirm ladies-inwaiting named after British writers: Virginia, Daphne,
Beatrix, Enid, Judith and Agatha.
Although Harry Potter fans will recognise the mythical “Beast” of the title as a griffin, it’s not the only one in this dastardly plot, which involves much murder and mayhem. Fans will love it.
THE BEAST OF BUCKINGHAM PALACE, by David Walliams, illustrated by Tony Ross
(HarperCollins, $25)
The cast includes a doddery Old Queen with a gang of elderly and infirm ladies-in-waiting named after British writers.