
Author
Edward Frederic Benson
Language
English
Genre
audiobook
by Edward Frederic Benson
F. Benson. Read by Martin Clifton.
E. F. Benson (1867-1940) was born at Wellington College in Berkshire, where his father, who later went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury, was the first Headmaster.
He wrote 105 books in all. Queen Lucia (first published in 1920) was the first of Benson’s ‘Mapp and Lucia’ novels of which there were six. This first book is a comedy of manners based in the provincial village of Riseholme, where Emmeline Lucas (the Queen Lucia of the title) presides over the social and artistic universe of the gullible residents.
Her aide-de-camp in these matters is the somewhat effete Georgie Pillson and the chief competitor for her ‘crown’ is Daisy Quantock. The scandal of the Guru, the psychical goings on with Princess Popoffski and the arrival into the sleepy village of a famous Prima Donna all conspire to threaten her supremacy… (summary by Martin Clifton) For further information, including links to online text, reader information, RSS feeds, CD cover or other formats (if available), please go to the catalog page for this recording. org.
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There are books you finish and forget. Then there are books like Queen Lucia that you keep going back to mentally. This is the second kind. Brilliant.
My partner overheard me listening and ended up sitting down with me for the rest of it. We're both still talking about it. That's not nothing.
I specifically look for audiobooks with a natural narration style — nothing worse than robotic delivery. This nails it. Very easy to listen to for long stretches.
Some chapters hit differently depending on where you are in life. I think I needed to hear Queen Lucia right now. Perfect timing, perfect book.