April 2013 Book of the Month.
The delightful reinvention of E F Benson’s world of Mapp and Lucia continues with the trials and tribulations faced by Major Benjy when his irascible nature leaves him servantless and Miss Mapp making much out of the seemingly simple task of finding a summer tenant. Light, frothy and delicious with a satisfying sharp bite - any fan of the original novels simply won’t be able to resist.
A ‘Piece of Passion’ from the publisher Elliott & Thompson...
'Guy and I met when we published a book he had written on cricket and racial and class tensions in the 1960s and 70s; a fascinating subject, but not one I had known much about beforehand. We bonded over a mutual love of EF Benson’s classic Mapp and Lucia novels when I discovered Guy had written his own sequel – with another in the pipeline. Like me, Guy came across the originals as a child and has been hooked ever since.
Although we were largely focusing on non-fiction I just couldn’t resist, and I’m so glad I didn’t. Both Lucia on Holiday and Major Benjy have been a joy to edit: the brilliance of Benson’s books is in the writing – full of nuanced and exquisitely funny observations – and Guy brings the same joyously jaded eye and fantastic turn of phrase to his sequels.
Tilling (a fictional Rye) is the archetypal timeless English village: in Major Benjy, as with Benson’s novels, the plot revolves around ordinary life in the 1920s. There’s skulduggery at a cake-making competition, a disastrous dinner party and a housekeeper with designs on her employer. All so seemingly minor and yet Tilling is a hotbed of strategic alliances, fiendish plotting and one-upmanship. It’s the perfect anecdote to the stresses of the modern world; more refreshing than a gin and tonic.''
Olivia Bays, Publisher at Elliott & Thompson
In addition to our Lovereading expert opinion for Major Benjy a small number of Lovereading members were lucky enough to be invited to review this title - 'The atmosphere of a small town and its gossipy characters are convincing and endlessly entertaining - Sue Broom' Scroll down to read more reviews.
| Primary Genre | Modern and Contemporary Fiction |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
