• Queen Lucia

  • By: E. F. Benson
  • Narrated by: Nadia May
  • Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (279 ratings)

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Queen Lucia  By  cover art

Queen Lucia

By: E. F. Benson
Narrated by: Nadia May
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Publisher's summary

The fascinating story of the village of Riseholme's reigning queen of high society: the indomitable Lucia!

England between the wars was a paradise of utter calm and leisure for the very, very rich. But into this enclave is born Mrs. Emmeline Lucas - La Lucia, as she is known - a woman determined to lead a life quite different from the pomp and subdued nature of her class. With her cohort, Georgie Pillson, and her husband, Peppino, she upends the greats of high society, including the imperious Lady Ambermere and her equally imperious dog, Pug; the odious Piggy and Goosie Antrobus; the Christian Scientist Daisy Quantrock, with her penchant for the foreign; and everyone else in the small English town that the wealthy Britons call their country home. Beset on all sides by pretenders to her social throne, Lucia brings culture, the fine arts, and a great deal of excitement and intrigue into this cloistered realm.

(P)1997 Blackstone Audio Inc.

Critic reviews

"[A] delicious satire of the pretensions and foibles of provincial middle-class life in Britain in the 1920s and '30s...[with] droll send-ups of the bitter battles waged by matrons desperate to live out their fantastical versions of upper-class elegance and wit, and...shrewd readings of the ways in which our longings can make us both bizarre and sometimes appealing." (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Queen Lucia

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

A delight

A little slow to get into but well worth it! Funny characters and situations, well narrated.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Satire and escapism at their best

No bodices ripped, no politics to speak of, and nothing important to anyone outside a village the size of at most three city blocks. But, the Guru! The Princess! The Diva! And a half dozen village snobs, all social schemers and climbers and pretenders and people I would walk a mile out of my way to avoid in real life, and the ridiculous pretentious social crises they create ... I just cannot get enough of them as told by EF Benson and performed by Nadia May, archaic colonialisms and all. Satirical mountain upon mountain -- dizzying heights and stupendous social crashes narrowly averted again and again. George Pilson, acolyte and occasional private critic, brings the only suggestion of self-awareness to the (dinner, tea, garden) party. He momentarily wonders at the thrill as he is towed along in the Queen's social wake. "And why do I say it in Italian?" But Georgie is as happy and busy with his selfish little concerns as any of the social elite, and Benson makes me love him for it. This book and this reading of it give my soul a rest.

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Gentlest of Social Satires

It’s easy to poke fun of the leisured classes. It’s hard to do it without malice, without sounding as silly, self-satisfied and smug as the people you’re writing about. In my experience, only two authors pull this trick off: P. G. Wodehouse and E. F. Benson. Each succeed in their own unique, delightful way.

And Nadia May’s pitch-perfect performance faithfully reflects Benson’s tone and intentions.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

If you like the television show, Frasier, you'll love this book

The story is full of the absurdities of the self involved. The characters and situations will give you a chuckle.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Maybe I was looking for Wodehouse

I think I expected funnier. And Lucia is a woman I don't think I'd want to spent any time with in real life. Control-freak, anyone? But the full cast of characters are charming (and not in the snotty, backhanded way). I might read the next in the series. Nadia May made the reading worth finishing. A few laugh out loud moments.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful characters and interactions

Would you consider the audio edition of Queen Lucia to be better than the print version?

Not this audio edition - it is read way too fast for me to truly enjoy and savor it.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters and their motivations seem authentic.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

SLOW DOWN!!!!!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Jilted, replaced and reclaimed

Any additional comments?

Beautifully written and intricate enough to hold my attention. I get so tired of mystery novels and prefer stories involving understanding of human relationships which can vary from culture to culture but still contain the common thread of humanity. "Make new friends and keep the old ones..." I like the book so much I will try another reader.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Oh, those poor poor rich people!

This book (or at least the 15 minutes I listened) is a total bore! It’s much ado about nothing as far as I can tell. I had to stop listening. Pass on this one.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Always irresistible.

Nadia May is superb, which suits Lucia just fine. The story as narrated by miss May is never tarsome

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

We all need more E.F. Benson in our life!

I am ashamed to say that I did not know this author before stumbling by mere chance on "Queen Lucia." What a find! Absolutely hilarious. Well written, witty, entertaining and just plain good (humorous) literature.
I will look for more audiobooks from this author.
As far as Nadia May is concerned: BRAVA! I bought a few Audibles read by Nadia May and hated them all. As I indicated in my reviews, I couldn't tell if it was because of the reader's lack of talent or because the novels themselves were not well written. But finally, for this book, this reader was ideal!! Absolutely unbeatable!
I highly recommend this Audible.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent reading

Which character – as performed by Nadia May – was your favorite?

Ms May does a delightful job with the male voices.

Any additional comments?

Nadia May does a fine job at bringing this charming story to life.

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1 person found this helpful