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Queen Lucia

by Benson Edward Frederic

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Author: Benson Edward Frederic

Literature & Fiction » Classics

Added by: Ronald W. Med...

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A peculiar chronicle of the rise and fall of Mrs. Emmeline Lucas of Riseholm, an utter pretentious snob. Her foolish embarrassing antics, in her desire to be the Social Queen of Riseholme, run out event the worst humiliation.
“Queen Lucia” became the first of Benson’s six ‘Mapp and Lucia’ novels. The book relates of rivalry and intrigues in a small town life, appearing a satire of shortcomings of provincial middle-class life in Britain in the 1920s and '30s.

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...garden till the bell rings. What is it thatNietzsche says about the necessity to _mediterranizer_ yourselfevery now and then? I must _Riseholme_ myself. "Peppino remembered the quotation, which had occurreded in a review of somework of that celebrated author, where Lucia had also seen it, and wentback, with the force of contrast to aid him, to his prose-poem of"Loneliness, " while his wife went through the smoking-parlour into thegarden, in order to soak herself once more in the cultured atmosphere. In this garden behind the house there was no attempt to construct aShakespearian plot, for, as she so rightly observed, Shakespeare, wholoved flowers so well, would wish her to enjoy every conceivablehorticultural treasure. But furniture played a prominent part in theplace, and there were statues and sundials and stone-seats scatteredabout with almost too profuse a hand. Mottos also were in greatevidence, and while a sundial reminded you that "_Tempus fugit, _"an enticing resting-place...