MobileRead March 2017 Discussion: Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson (spoilers)

[issybird]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

I shall revisit this series. It had its moments, and made for a good discussion.

My favorite in the series is the second Lucia book and third in the chronology, Lucia in London. I suspect it's in part because that was my gateway to the entire series.

[JSWolf]

What is the chronological order of the series?

[BenG]

The Published order is the chronological order as shown in the omnibus version uploaded by HarryT.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=13602
The omnibus has a couple of short stories also.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by issybird

Even more so than Georgie's sisters.

Thanks. I have a vague recollection of her by name, but she didn't make nearly the impression on me that Georgie and his sisters did... hence forgetting her! I'd put Georgie as the second largest character of Queen Lucia after Lucia herself and by extension his sisters shine too, which keep them all at the top of my thoughts when I consider Queen Lucia.

[BenG]

The 2014 Mapp and Lucia series can be seen on the PBS website, at least in the US. Bear in mind that it is based on the fourth book in the series though it does steal the guru and Ursula and Hermione from Queen Lucia. There are 3 episodes.

http://www.pbs.org/show/mapp-lucia/

Last I looked the older series with Geraldine McEwan and Nigel Hawthorne was on YouTube.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by BenG

The 2014 Mapp and Lucia series can be seen on the PBS website, at least in the US. Bear in mind that it is based on the fourth book in the series though it does steal the guru and Ursula and Hermione from Queen Lucia. There are 3 episodes.

http://www.pbs.org/show/mapp-lucia/.

Thanks! I've been curious about this version.

I understand the appeal as potential teleplays of the books with both Lucia and Mapp; still, there's tons of good material in the first three books. And I really don't get the point of redoing (even with borrowing) the fourth book.

That said, I had mixed feelings about the first series. Prunella Scales was Mapp to the life, IMO, but McEwan and Hawthorne didn't really match my conceptions of Lucia and Georgie. Lucia was too grandiose and Georgie isn't an old fuddy-duddy.

[BenG]

I liked Anna Chancellor's Lucia. Miranda Richardson's performance as Mapp is somewhat eccentric but it grew on me.

[WT Sharpe]

One of my wife's old friends came by today, and as a favor asked me to play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata for her. It had been a while since I played it, but I found the music after a short search and sat down at the piano to fulfill her request. I only played the first movement, however, as the two succeeding movements are not on the same sublime level with the exquisit pathos of the first.

Oops! Sorry. Thought I was in the "What Are You Doing Now" thread.

Never mind.

[issybird]

Thank you, Lucia.

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by issybird

Thank you, Lucia.

😁 😁 😁

[WT Sharpe]

Actually, I have played the second and third movements, but I've never played the third in a manner I'd want anyone listening to. Always said when I retire, I'd practice it until I had it down to a point I'd like to share it with people, but never seem to find the time. I love that third movement, but it's a killer to play.

[BenG]

The London Review of Books has a nice article about Benson and his family:
Oh, you clever people!

[issybird]

Originally Posted by BenG

The London Review of Books has a nice article about Benson and his family:
Oh, you clever people!

Thank you; that was fascinating. I was familiar with the general outlines of the Benson family, but nothing approaching that detail or insight.

However, I have to take exception to his blanket disparagement of the family literary output. I'm not saying most of it wasn't junk or tedious or both, but the Lucia books are delightful fun and valued by many, even some with taste , and I found Ronald Hugh Benson's dystopic novel Lord of the World not without interest.