Miss Mapp

By: E. F. Benson

Narrated by: Nadia May

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Miss Elizabeth Mapp, magnificent grande dame and heiress, is always on the lookout lest her neighbors fall outside the bounds of perfect, exemplary manners. But her tightly controlled world is soon beset on all sides by interlopers, first in the disturbingly masculine form of two very different retired army officers, both of whom are anything but retiring in their conflicting aims upon her heart. Second, there appears the elegant, insidiously evil Contessa possessed of dazzling charm and diabolical designs.

Public Domain (P)2001 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Nadia May does a hilarious Miss Mapp, the small-minded small-town heiress of a certain age who leads an absolutely full life spying on and attempting to best her neighbors." (AudioFile)

Better title- petty old women

Really, there is no *story* and if the narrator wasn’t so pleasant to listen to, I would’ve turned it off. It’s just a group of petty old women wasting their energies on trying to see who can be the meanest girl. Nothing actually HAPPENS, no one learns a life lesson or gains a modicum of self awareness. Really a total waste. It was included in the Plus section for free, so I paid the exact right amount for it.

Everyone is awful (but also funny)

I don’t think there’s anyone in this book that I liked, in that I would want to “have a beer“ with them. However, as long as they stayed between the pages of the book, they were kind of hilarious. And the narration by Nadia May was just brilliant.

Enjoyable

I had a little trouble getting into this book, but after about 45 minutes I was hooked. While I thought that Miss Mapp could be petty and gossipy, her little rants, plottings, and schemes seemed familiar and realistic. I even found myself laughing out loud at some of the conversations that Miss Mapp had with Diva. For me, the competitions between Miss Mapp and Diva were the best part of the book and I thought the book lost momentum when it followed other characters.

Perfect Narrator for this charming story

Any additional comments?

Nadia May was spot on as the narrator for this charming tale of English village life. A delightful listen for long summer days.

More unabridged Lucia! More! More!

This title and Queen Lucia are a great start, both just about perfectly performed by Nadia May. But we need the rest of the Make Way For Lucia series in unabridged form. I have read and re-read all of the titles, and listened over and over to Miss Mapp and QL. These two are not enough.
For newcomers to the series, you have a treat coming in this title. Be aware, nothing "important" ever happens in this village. Angst and scheming over social nothings is pretty much the whole point. "Will the stash of post war groceries fall out of the cabinet and disgrace the hoarder-shaming Miss Mapp?" "Will Diva show up to the party in That Dress??" Even a death matters so much less than the resulting distaste for soup with dinner. Sly and subtle, and sometimes so obviously cutting--it never gets old. I can see Tilling so vividly as I listen. If you've read the series, don't worry, this performance renders Benson's characters so well it's difficult to imagine them in any other voice. Love it.

Fun and joyful

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, itis a funny, endearing story, a reminder of another time when life was so simple!

What did you like best about this story?

Mapp's character is funny and sooo hypocritical!

Have you listened to any of Nadia May’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Miss Mapp Makes Me Miss Lucia

Yes, I enjoyed this second installment of the Mapp and Lucia series very much. But compared to the illusions with which Lucia bemuses Riseholme—a command of Italian, a profound understanding of all things musical and cultural—those of Miss Mapp pale. Hers are but the pedestrian triumphs of dress, gossip, and conversational one-ups. Because Lucia reaches so ridiculously high, her downfalls are so much more entertainingly spectacular.

Nevertheless, this is an essential piece of E. F. Benson’s delightful mosaic. And one of the delights of Nadia May’s performance is her ability to sound like Prunella Scales playing Miss Mapp in the BBC series. Whether intentional or not, it makes the book that much more enjoyable.

Delightful

Having read the Lucia books, I was revisiting an old friend in Miss Mapp. The reading was everything I had hoped it would be. I will listen to it again when my spirits need a lift.

Delightful

Truly delightful. Well written, witty and entertaining. It comes with your membership. Give it a listen.

loved the book

I have enjoyed this story and the narration of it so much that I have listened to it about 15 times and it never gets old . this is my favourite story by E.F.B. so far.