A delightfully quirky story by English author Rachel Joyce which takes us from dreary 1950s postwar London to the remote tropical north of New Caledonia, with reclusive middle-aged spinster Margery Benson in search of a possibly non-existent golden beetle. When Margery decides to break free of the confines of her drab, conservative life and advertises for a French speaking assistant for her expedition, Enid Pretty is the furthest thing from her mind. Enid arrives in Margery’s world like an avalanche of colour and life, with her tight-fitting pink suit, bottle blonde hair and pom-pom sandals. The two of them embark upon a madcap adventure which includes running from the police, trying to fit in with the British colonial office wives in New Caledonia, searching for beetles on remote mountaintops and avoiding entanglement with an unhinged stalker. The book provides a little snapshot of life in the French territory of New Caledonia in the 1950s but is mainly about the characters, their journey and growth and their unlikely friendship. A lovely, funny, warm-hearted book that I thoroughly enjoyed. ( )

Rachel Joyce explains, in my copy of this book, how the idea for this novel evolved over many years and with the help of many people. This shines through this wonderful story. In her 40s, in the drab days of 1950 Margery Benson looses her cool as she is ridiculed by her pupils and she steals a pair of boots and decides to follow her vocation and set off on an expedition to New Caledonia to find a gold-coloured beetle. New Caledonia is a French territory in the Pacific, the shape of a rolling pin. She first searches for an assistant who she interviews in a Lyons teashop. Margery is a large woman, often clumsy and keeps her emotions to herself. She ends up travelling with Enid Pretty, a young woman with no qualifications for the role but most importantly for Rachel Joyce's story, in many ways, including physically, the opposite of Margery. And so begins an unlikely friendship that allows both women to grow. This is the nub of the story as they travel across the world and endure difficulties and new experiences. They learn about each other and themselves and become truly good friends. It is hard not to love them both. The novel is often amusing as their different characteristics deal with situations from travelling by ship to Australia, cleaning a hut, brewing coffee, how to dress and making camp in a forest. There are also many poignant moments, as you would expect, as the two women very gradually share their stories. In my humble opinion this is Rachel Joyce's best novel. I was gripped by every page and every cliff-hanger and the ending ...! No spoilers. ( )

An enjoyable read. Marjorie Benson's childhood was a difficult one, and she's clearly a damaged individual, who after a final straw of humiliation is inspired, even though middle-aged, without suitable skills, and fat, to set off to New Caledonia on a reckless mission to find an undiscovered species of golden beetle. Where, after a chapter of misadventure she has the assistance of flighty, attractive, young, undereducated Enid Pretty. They engage in a long series of misadventures, not helped by her bizarre stalker Mr Mundic, a traumatised former PoW. They live in primitive conditions neither of them has any experience of, over which they bond, and learn to care for one another. While the journey of self-discovery may be predictable, Miss Benson’s Beetle is a novel that offers real insight into the lives of women, the value of friendship and the lasting effects of war. It's a fun read, with serious undertones. ( )

Miss Benson's Beetle is a great novel about unlikely friendship and queer-platonic love. Enid and Margery go through such vast changes over the novel to become their true selves, and with that, accept a new kind of platonic love.

I will admit, I had a hard time reading this story, mostly because I was in a reading slump, but once I convinced myself to pick it up, it was hard to put back down.

I didn't like the stalker part of the story. It was interesting, but it made me uncomfortable at times. Mundic is a very entitled and troubled man.

Overall, I did like the book. ( )

In 1950, Margery Benson is a lonely and mocked schoolteacher. On a whim, she gives up everything to chase to the other side of the world, in search of a beetle that mightor might not exist. She advertises for an assistant, seeking someone fluent in French and experienced in travel--but ends up with a young woman in completely impractical garb who appears to on the run from something or someone. An unlikely friendship forms and I completely rooted for these characters. ( )