Queen Lucia
E. F. Benson
Read by Martin Clifton
E. F. Benson was born at Wellington College in Berkshire, where his father, who later went on to become the Archbishop of Canterbury, was the first Headmaster. He wrote 105 books in all.
Queen Lucia (first published in 1920) was the first of Benson’s ‘Mapp and Lucia’ novels of which there were six. This first book is a comedy of manners based in the provincial village of Riseholme, where Emmeline Lucas (the Queen Lucia of the title) presides over the social and artistic universe of the gullible residents. Her aide-de-camp in these matters is the somewhat effete Georgie Pillson and the chief competitor for her ‘crown’ is Daisy Quantock. The scandal of the Guru, the psychical goings on with Princess Popoffski and the arrival into the sleepy village of a famous Prima Donna all conspire to threaten her supremacy… (summary by Martin Clifton) (8 hr 45 min)
Chapters
Chapter 01 | 35:39 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 02 | 31:57 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 03 | 25:57 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 04 | 33:54 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 05 | 27:01 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 06 | 42:13 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 07 | 40:27 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 08 | 39:59 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 09 | 23:43 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 10 | 29:43 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 11 | 37:24 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 12 | 44:12 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 13 | 37:39 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 14 | 32:56 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 15 | 31:25 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Chapter 16 | 10:56 | Read by Martin Clifton |
Reviews
ItsLoriK
I was interested the entire time so I listened to the whole book instead of sleeping! Lucia is a good character but I wanted to "dethrone" her! I wish Georgie had put her in her place, thrown her aside, & left her in his past though. I hope all the other books become available. Right now Miss Mapp is the only other book in this series on Librivox .
Professional Quality
Moonpie1
This is a pearl in the Librivox collection. It is a great story, and the narrator really brings out the best of it with his excellent accents and dialogue.
Most Enjoyable
ekortright
Martin Clifton did an outstanding job reading this wonderful story. E.F. Benson gently pokes fun at the foibles of a small community and its social and cultural conventions, and as we laugh we are reminded that kindness to our neighbor is the one thing that really matters. I have to confess that the first chapter initially seemed a bit tedious and full of pointless details. Don't let that fool you--the characters very quickly come to life in the details, and that is also where a lot of the humor is hidden.
Funny & Charming Story
jbrown
Mr. Clifton is an exceptional narrator! It was pure pleasure listening to him. The story revolves around the social life of a small hamlet. Lucia sets the norm and everyone capitulates. However, a new arrival to town challenges Lucia with various new age type charlatans with disastrous and hilarious results. Very enjoyable!
So Much Fun!
Susan
Really enjoyed this book ! Exceptional writing & equally exceptional narration ! Wanted to give it 5 stars but the screen would only do 4 1/2. Would give it 10 stars if I could !
Wow Good
bowhows
Martin Clifton is one of my favorite readers, and he did a fantastic job with this book. I was sad when it came to an end, and only hope he does the others in the series.
A Little Gem
TheTellMeLady
Thank you, reader, for the excellent job! I fell asleep during some late-night listening but re-listened to what I'd slept through, not wanting to miss any of it!
A LibriVox Listener
Brilliantly read by Martin Clifton who catches every individual cadence of speech in each one of a large cast of characters. Hated for it to end.