If you like British satires on British upper middle class village life, you will love this. If not, well, you probably will not. ( )

Highest reccomendation! Brilliant, witty, hilariously funny stories about wealthy English citizens between WW1 and WW2 when they filled their leisure hours by tormenting each other trying to reach social prominence through cutthroat bridge games, treacherous tea parties and filching desirable receipes by hook or crook. ( )

This is a massive book, nearly 1000 pages altogether, and I devoured it in big bites. It is the story of a socialite named Emmeline Lucas (Lucia to her friends) who was the undisputed social leader of her small village of Riseholme. Set in the 1920s and early 30s, these novels are filled with delightful characterizations of people for whom the smallest details of each others' lives are the fuel that runs the gossip mill and social whirl. The first two novels center on Lucia herself, a woman who always comes out on top no matter how things turn out, who manipulates things to her best advantage on a daily basis. And while her neighbors may grumble about her high-handedness and haughty ways, they are all fully aware that without Lucia and her grand ideas and grace, their lives would be dull as dishwater. You will have to be a big fan of British humor in order to fully enjoy Lucia's adventures, but I found her to be one of the most memorable fictional characters I've ever met.

Lucia is completely absent in Miss Mapp, as it centers on another social dominatrix in the village of Tilling. The characters of Tilling are well fleshed out and absolutely hilarious, as well. They make no secret of their resentment of Elizabeth Mapp and when her position of authority in Tilling is challenged by Godiva Plaistow, the results are intriguingly funny. Eventually, Benson brings these two titans together in "Mapp and Lucia" when Lucia moves to Tilling after the death of her husband. The sparks fly continually between them as they constantly maneuver themselves and the other villagers in a battle for social supremacy.

The characters in these books are as colorful as any I've ever seen gathered together on the written page. Reading all of these delightful works, one right after the other, was almost as decadent as standing at the kitchen sink and eating a whole quart of Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream, all by myself. I didn't want them to end, and I know that I'll be making some return visits to Tilling in years to come. These are keepers. Every single novel gets a high 5 from me. ( )

E.F.Benson's "Lucia" books have made him one of my favorite authors. Delicious, unmatched humor set in the English village of Tilling, circa 1920. This compilation contains all six Lucia novels - "Lucia in London," "Mapp and Lucia," "Miss Mapp," "Queen Lucia," "Trouble for Lucia,' and "Lucia's Progress." "Mapp & Lucia" was made into a film series and appeared on PBS. ( )

I didn't want these books to end! A wicked pleasure.