Scan barcode
A review by katykelly
Mapp and Lucia by E.F. Benson
5.0
Shame on me... for only discovering this book because of a BBC mini-series. How did I never hear of this 20th century classic? Every bit as witty and nuanced as my favourite classics, this is readable, relatable and a read to relish (to continue the alliteration).
A comedy of manners, of gossip and of one-up-womanship, it concerns a small English village in the 1930s and its residents. And a new addition to the town who stirs up interest and tension as her rivalry with the current social Queen instantly starts a series of escalating comic escapades. Lucia refuses to allow Elizabeth Mapp, who rents her the home she stays in for the season, to dominate her from the offset, to the great delight of both her neighbours and us as readers.
There is a fantastic selection of characters to enjoy here, all minor and not as well-developed as Lucia and the controlling Miss Mapp but each adding to the close feel of the village and the small social world of Tilling. Pretensions are exposed, faux pas are gossiped about, and a huge amount of dinner parties are attended.
Adored this from start to finish, and may seek out the other titles in the series. Not as outrightly funny as Wodehouse, not as obviously witty as Austen, but still funny and witty in its own right. Just right for someone looking for a light read that will keep them smiling wryly and shaking their heads at some outrageously underhand females trying to win the social war.
A comedy of manners, of gossip and of one-up-womanship, it concerns a small English village in the 1930s and its residents. And a new addition to the town who stirs up interest and tension as her rivalry with the current social Queen instantly starts a series of escalating comic escapades. Lucia refuses to allow Elizabeth Mapp, who rents her the home she stays in for the season, to dominate her from the offset, to the great delight of both her neighbours and us as readers.
There is a fantastic selection of characters to enjoy here, all minor and not as well-developed as Lucia and the controlling Miss Mapp but each adding to the close feel of the village and the small social world of Tilling. Pretensions are exposed, faux pas are gossiped about, and a huge amount of dinner parties are attended.
Adored this from start to finish, and may seek out the other titles in the series. Not as outrightly funny as Wodehouse, not as obviously witty as Austen, but still funny and witty in its own right. Just right for someone looking for a light read that will keep them smiling wryly and shaking their heads at some outrageously underhand females trying to win the social war.