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" Ms McCaddon reads this book with great skill - well paced, clear and in an engaging style.
All the Lucia and Mapp books by E F Benson are worthwhile in that they present, in a humorous fashion, the foibles, social conflicts, eccentricities and hypocrisies of the Anglican middle class in the early part of the 20th century.
It would be a worth project for the other books in this series to be produced as audiobooks and narrated by Ms McCaddon "
- greg, 10/27/2018
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" Miss Mapp is certainly formidable! Benson is a master at helping us see from the participants' perspective the every-woman-for-herself struggle for social standing among the comfortable in a quaint English village in the 1920s. Satirical, clever, and tightly constructed. I have been informed this is part of a larger series called "Mapp and Lucia" and apparently also was a program on British TV. I would expect the other books in the series offer more of the same review of adroit one-upmanship in an emphatically British fashion, if that is your cup of tea, drink up! (These people do entertain me, but they scare me a little too, which perhaps makes them so intriguing: I doubt I could survive a bridge night among them.) Still, as a testimony to just how compelling this writing is, I awoke at 4 am last night and since I couldn't sleep, I started reading more of it. Then when I got tired, and should have gladly returned to Morpehus's arms, I was so involved in the social life of Tilling I made myself stay awake to complete the book. I didn't get the ending that would have pleased me the most, and I've only been half awake all day as a result, but the tale was so well told I couldn't put it down, and I don't regret it. "
- Scot, 2/18/2014
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" Miss Mapp is a horrid woman and the society at Tilling is narrow. But the book is utterly fascinating. Food-hoarding. Competitive clothing. It describes the constant struggles for position among the characters, especially Miss Mapp, and the negotiations that can allow bosom enemies to attend the same bridge parties. Wicked, witty, insightful, addictive. "
- Vivianne, 1/27/2014
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" Introducing Miss Mapp, Lucia's counterpart and soon-to-be nemesis from another village. Lucia isn't in this one, but it sets up the rest of the series beautifully and is hilarious in its own right, of course. "
- Lorena, 1/22/2014
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" Not funny to me. Wish I could find a book that would make me laugh. "
- pjreads, 1/22/2014
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" This was about Miss Mapp and how she would sit in her garden room and watch all the people come and go on the High Street. She was involved in a lot of gossip in making it and also a topic. There were a lot of interesting characters and this author does write with some humor as well. "
- Connie, 1/16/2014
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" Downloaded this yesterday. This is what I will listen to on the way to and from work. "
- Wanda, 1/11/2014
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" I am a little embarrassed that I enjoy these silly novels about English village life in the 1920s so much, but it's kind of a relief to read something where nothing very bad ever happens and the characters do things like drink tea and erect elaborate tableaux vivants. A game of bridge, anyone? "
- Diana, 12/22/2013
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" An absolutely wonderful read; if you like farce and fun, this is the author for you! "
- Allison, 12/20/2013
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" Entertaining book set in 1930s (I think) England - in a small town. About the quirky characters who live there. It's a little annoying in places but a nice quick read. "
- Christine, 12/16/2013
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" This book introduces the nosy and scheming Miss Mapp and the eccentric inhabitants of Tilling, Quaint Irene being a special favourite of mine. Laugh out loud funny, and beautifully written, a pure pleasure. "
- Gemma, 11/22/2013
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" Miss Mapp is a character you love to hate. I laughed out loud several times at the antics of "society" in her tiny English village. It was a tonic. I'll be looking for the Mapp and Lucia books next. "
- Jessica, 8/27/2013
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" Love this a wonderful re-read "
- Carey, 7/10/2013
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" This series continues to entertain, but the introduction of Miss Mapp, who is a meaner-spirited character than Lucia, was not quite as enjoyable. "
- Bobbi, 4/8/2013
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" Pure laugh out loud fun. This is the second time I have read it, and there were plenty of fresh laughs. "
- Carol, 1/13/2013
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" Spotted this on Bettie's list and thought I'd check it out - and it was worth it all right! Amazing cattiness and one-upmanship leads to hilarious consequences. I am definitely looking out for more of this series. My thanks to Bettie! "
- Esther, 12/5/2012
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" The whole Lucia series is worth reading, but this is my favorite of the Lucia stories. If you can find the video of the first season of Mapp and Lucia, the costumes are wonderful and Geraldine McEwan as Lucia is perfect. "
- Barbara, 10/12/2012
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" it's like a book about rachel lynde. "
- puck, 9/30/2012
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" Set in the fictional town of Tilling (but is really Rye, I recognised it, it's a sweet town), about a group of people who gossip about each other & play bridge. Miss Mapp is a great character, all her neighbours see through her lies but she doesn't realise. "
- Rita, 7/8/2012
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" One of the funniest books ever written. I've read it many times. "
- Karen, 6/26/2012
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" Paula recommended this series to me years ago and it might have been what cemented my love for the nosy and newsy British humor. "
- Debbie, 6/18/2012
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" An oldie, but very funny "
- Betty, 5/17/2012
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" I can't think of many things as seamlessly executed as these books. "
- James, 6/24/2011
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" This was unexpectedly, unremittingly hilarious. Seriously, it's up there with Lucky Jim as far as comic novels go--I can't believe it's not more well-known. And it's so modern, too, especially for something written in the 1920's. It reminded me of a funnier, meaner Jane Austen.
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- Beth, 4/5/2011
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" Love this a wonderful re-read
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- Carey, 4/4/2011
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" I like the characters but not the plot
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- Sonja, 6/14/2010
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" Set in the fictional town of Tilling (but is really Rye, I recognised it, it's a sweet town), about a group of people who gossip about each other & play bridge. Miss Mapp is a great character, all her neighbours see through her lies but she doesn't realise.
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- Rita, 6/7/2010
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" An absolutely wonderful read; if you like farce and fun, this is the author for you!
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- Allison, 3/4/2010
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" it's like a book about rachel lynde.
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- puck, 10/19/2009
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" Paula recommended this series to me years ago and it might have been what cemented my love for the nosy and newsy British humor.
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- Debbie, 8/18/2009
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" All books by E.F. Benson are worth reading. The Mapp and Lucia books deal with the minutae of daily life in Tilling, actually Rye, where Benson lived. It is social comedy at it's best.
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- Jim, 7/21/2009
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" I can't think of many things as seamlessly executed as these books.
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- James, 6/18/2009
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" I love this series...
Although written in the 1920's and '30's, the characters are people we can recognize in our lives today. So funny and wicked and true!
I must be on my 10th reading of the entire series. I can't recommend it enough!
"
- Patricia, 4/8/2009
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