Mapp and Lucia: Amazon.co.uk: E.F. Benson, Prunella Scales: Books

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Product Description

The middle novel of Benson's six-book "Lucia" series sets Lucia in an English summer resort town.

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite, 29 Aug 2007

By	Tyke (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mapp and Lucia (Penguin Modern Classics) (Paperback)

At first I found the Mapp and Lucia books disappointing, if not tarsome. They seemed like pale watercolours when compared to the vivid and breezy strokes of Wodehouse's Wooster, so I confess that the popularity of Benson's two gently warring ladies was a mystery.

Perseverance however paid off and addiction followed. The rivalry between Elizabeth Mapp and Emmeline Lucas (Lucia) is very subtle and the eccentricities of the characters who encircle them seem at first trite, but then become delicious, even outrageous, given the time in which the books were published.

In this book, Mapp and Lucia, each being central to the social lives of their respective villages (Tilling and Riseholme) are thrust together when Lucia rents Mapp's house for a few weeks in summer, while Mapp herself rents a neighbour's smaller house so that she can make a little money, as do several other residents who form a chain of rental possession for a few weeks each year.

Lucia's swift popularity with the locals chafes Mapp considerably and she attempts to undermine her at every opportunity. Lucia rises to the challenge and thus begins a genteel savagery between them which galvanises the locals and moves the tide of approval from one to the other, depending on the nature of the skirmish. Each lady gets her come-uppance at various points along the way, yet both always emerge eager for their next polite duel.

But this and the others books in the series are not simply tales of two ladies out-snobbing each other - there is much warmth and vulnerability woven into their characters, despite their desire for social prominence in their small world. Moreover, the books give a glimpse back in time to a pre-WWII era, when shopping for fresh produce was a daily necessity, small villages had their own railway stations and domestic staff were still commonplace for those who could afford them.

Many of the other main characters are comically surreal; the Birmingham vicar with a medieval cod-Scots accent; the wealthy Susan who is never seen without her sable and Rolls Royce; plump Diva and her forthright gossip; `Quaint Irene' and her lesbianism; and Lucia's closest companion, the devoted, toupee-wearing Georgie Pillson, whose devotion is not beyond slipping when Lucia gets too high-handed.

It's a pity that Benson didn't write more Mapp and Lucia books, but the ones we have are fully deserving of their long-standing affection in English comic literature.

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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars English wit exemplified, 2 Jan 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Mapp and Lucia (Prion Humour Classics) (Hardcover)

An absolute must read for all lovers of humourous writing. Benson's tale of social struggle is a true masterpiece and demonstrates what an insightful observer of human nature Benson was. English wit exemplified.

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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent adaptation of E.F.Benson Classic, 11 Dec 1998

By A Customer

This audio tape is an abridged reading of the classic E.F.Benson novel "Mapp & Lucia". It's a subtle social comedy of manners in a small English coastal town, following the progress of recently widdowed gentle-lady and her devoted friend as they battle with the local society queen for supremacy. Prunella Scales, who played 'Mapp' in the C4/LWT TV Series, is in wonderful form, using a different voice for all the characters, and the whole things plays very well. Well worth a listen, whether a fan or not.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
As a lifelong fan of PG Wodehouse, and seeing the introduction to this book put the series in a class with Wodehouse, Dickens, Waugh and Diary of a Nobody, I was hoping for more... Read more

Published 22 days ago by Jon

4.0 out of 5 stars Thoroughly enjoyable, but buyers beware...
The great point regarding Mapp & Lucia is that they are thoroughly likeable, although not entirely so: the reader is treated to two characters who are not vying for your attention... Read more

Published 3 months ago by J. Hutchings

4.0 out of 5 stars Very English humour
This novel is a delicious evocation of a past age, where the protagonists have nothing better to do than plot and scheme all day whilst attended to by cook and parlour maid. Read more

Published on 17 Aug 2006 by S. A. Dodwell

4.0 out of 5 stars Gently amusing
Two middle-aged ladies of independent means vie with each other for control of the social scene in a provincial town known as Tilling, but which is of course a thinly disguised... Read more

Published on 29 May 2006 by A. Gordon

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant and timeless
Oh I wish I could get others to read this. It's a small tale of small minded people trying to get one over each other. Read more

Published on 20 Feb 2006 by C. Clark

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant satire that deserves a wider audience
Two strong-willed women battle it out for social preeminence. Benson's humor is subtle but biting, and stands alongside that of PG Woodhouse-- the same kind of wackiness but with... Read more

Published on 4 Jan 2005

3.0 out of 5 stars Less is More
I had a dim image of Mapp and Lucia in my head before I read this book. Was there a TV series in the distant past? Read more

Published on 10 Jul 2004 by John Self

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	69% buy the item featured on this page: Mapp and Lucia 4.2 out of 5 stars (10)
	11% buy Lucia Victrix: Mapp and Lucia; Lucia's Progress; Trouble for Lucia 4.8 out of 5 stars (5) �9.07
	9% buy Lucia Rising: "Queen", "Miss Mapp Including the Male Impersonator", "Lucia in London" 5.0 out of 5 stars (6) �10.41
	3% buy Miss Mapp 5.0 out of 5 stars (2) �6.99

Mapp and Lucia [Abridged] [Audiobook] (Audio Cassette)

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