The Complete Mapp and Lucia, Volume 2

Mapp and Lucia, Lucia's Progress, and Trouble for Lucia

By: E. F. Benson

Narrated by: Georgina Sutton

Length: 27 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

Sharply observant and wickedly funny, E.F. Benson's six Mapp and Lucia novels satirize the upper-middle-class social climbers in 1920s and '30s rural England. Games of bridge and cups of tea fuel hilarious gossip and vindictive plots a-plenty. It is a masterfully sustained spotlight on the minutiae of village life - a clever and ultimately heartwarming series that seems tailor-made for audio. This second volume contains the second three books.

Mapp and Lucia: When Lucia goes to stay in Tilling, Miss Mapp's social pedestal starts to wobble. Far from falling into line as Miss Mapp expects, Lucia soon maneuvers herself - via dinners, luncheons, and games of bridge - into a position of control. Behind a facade of exaggerated manners, the gloves are off!

Lucia's Progress: Lucia's 50th birthday is approaching, and she is determined to give her life more meaning. From rumors of pregnancy and Roman remains to Tilling's Town Council elections, renewed rivalry between Lucia and Elizabeth Mapp-Flint (who has married Major Benjy) ripples irresistibly through the novel with many a laugh-out-loud moment.

Trouble for Lucia: Lucia is now rich, happily married, and mayor of Tilling - but the village gossip is in full swing, and Lucia's arch-rival Elizabeth is out for revenge. Will Lucia fall at the final hurdle? 

Delightfully witty and shamelessly entertaining, this is a fitting finale to the series - E.F. Benson's au reservoir!

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2021 Naxos Audiobooks (P)2021 Naxos Audiobooks

poor narration

I love E. F. Benson so I bought this collection. So sad about this narrator! Her blank chocolate-boxy delivery completely flattens the humor and slapstick comedy out of these stories. Sometimes it seems to me that audiobook publishers (and alot of readers) believe these older books have value just for their clicheed coziness, and don't even realize or care they were actually witty, funny, clever. I wish Audible had this collection being read by Jilly Bond, Nadia May or someone similar.

Best books of my year

These 2 volumes win my prize for my best reads of the last 3,years just let yourself slide into it it is worth every word !!! The characterization is outstanding so you can see them . Cannot have enough stars!!! And I have 700 books in my library .makes me wish to start over again I will do sure I’m passing the word !!!

Finally Mapped and Lucia complete!

Took me a while to adjust to Ms. Sutton since I love Nadia May's reading of Queen Lucia and Miss Mapp, but I am so relieved finally to have the complete unabridged novels with this part 2 and the separate part 1. I have finished the series multiple times, only to run immediately back to the first to begin again. Thank you Audible!

Fabulous and laugh out loud

Wonderfully stiff and formal language combines hilariously with the excruciating minutiae of life in semi-rural England between the wars. With one exception into London, the characters make Alpine Peaks out of the molehills of village life. Exquisite.

Grateful for an unabridged reading, bad narration.

Georgina Sutton did such a great job with "Diary of a Provincial Lady" that I was thrilled to see she was doing my favorite series. Sadly the narration is flat, and rather monotonous. She either didn't understand the stories are satirical, or didn't get the jokes, because this was a joyless rendition. Prunella Scales and Geraldine McEwen both did SO much better.

Brilliance Eternal!

Benson never disappoints. Fresh, funny, an example of sarcasm that stings, but not too deeply.

Bloody amazing

Been wanting the full and unabridged M&L books for a while. I humbly awaited Miriam M to do them as I have her abridged performances. You can imagine my wonderment when I saw they were available for purchase and I can confirm Georgina performs them wonderfully and gets the nuances perfectly down to a ‘T’. One of the best audible purchases I’ve made.

Spoiled by the narrator

E. F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia series is a minor masterpiece in its portrait of human folly. The books, especially these three, are superbly written, breathtaking in their observation and hilariously funny.

The narrator is great too, she is just entirely wrong for these books. She misunderstands the characters, portraying each in the same arch monotone, she mispronounces their names and deadens the exposition.

Somehow every vestige of compulsion, humer and joy is stripped from the narration and discarded.

The best audio versions are narrated by Miriam Margoles, get those instead.

Totally brilliant!

These six books written as a series are excellent. They vividly take you to another world. The comedy is laugh out loud and often hilarious. I have read them a number of times as I think the satire and social commentary is brilliant. They don’t date and the themes are still relevant today. The reading is wonderful and full of convincing characterisation. A great joy all round. Feel sad I’ve finished but will listen again in a few years !

Perfect creation of the world of Tilling

What a superb experience to enter the world of Mapp and Lucia with a narrator who could not be better

poor experformance

unlike other books in the series this reader lends no expression to the characters, Lucia is mild mannered and soft voiced, whilst Georgie is deep throated and laconic.

Superb narration of an hilarious classic

This is the best narration I have ever heard: every character distinct; no voices too freakish to believe in; beautifully clear and distinct and no annoying mispronunciations. Of course, the stories themselves are absolutely wonderful, often making you laugh out loud, and they’re brilliantly well-observed. An absolute joy in every way. Many congratulations to the narrator who brought the stories to life so vividly and convincingly.

such an amazing view of small town snobs

I have read these books and enjoyed,listening to this was fantastic. I was delighted, perfect

Always an enjoyable listen

Always an enjoyable listen, the stories are full of twists and surprises, all topped by excellent narration.

Fantastic listen

I loved everything about the Mapp and Lucia books. I’ve just listened to them all whilst painting and decorating. The characters are superbly drawn and the plot twists comic. The spitefulness and rivalry between Mapp and Lucia is a joy. The narrator, Georgina Sutton, is absolutely fantastic and does the voices so well that you can see them all in your mind’s eye.
Thank you Audible!

N M Murray

Beautifully read which reallly enhanced the story,An Engrossing and delightfully written areal pleasure .Comic and insightful.
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