Emmeline Lucas, better known as Lucia (pronounced as if Italian), is the undisputed center of society in the southern English town of Riseholme. She sees it as her duty to bring culture and refinement to the townsfolk. Her most faithful subject is her neighbor Georgie, who visits daily to gossip, plan garden parties, and practice the piano. No one in the town dare comment on an artist, poet, or musician without first determining Lucia's opinion.

The security of Lucia's realm is threatened one summer by the rebellion of Daisy Quantock, who has the audacity to invite a yoga guru to her house, and by the arrival of opera star Olga Bracely, who immediately brings Georgie under her spell.

"The red star had risen in Riseholme; Bolshevism was treading in its peaceful air, and if Mrs. Quantock was going to secrete her Guru, and set up her own standard on the strength of him, Georgie felt much inclined to ask Olga Bracely to dinner, without saying anything whatever to Lucia about it, and just see what would happen next." (pp. 34–35)

In this first Lucia book, which takes place in the late 1920s, Benson introduces us to the upper-middle-class residents of Riseholme, who are sure they are every bit as refined as and certainly more industrious than anyone who lives in London. Life is easy and innocent for Lucia and her friends, and we are treated to a charming game of Queen of the Social Hill, which involves competing social events and even matchmaking.

From Georgie and his tomboy sisters to Daisy and her pursuit of all things spiritual to Olga and her threat to Lucia's supremacy, the doings of Riseholme are always fun and often funny. Here are two more quotes:

Olga: "Come into my house instantly, and we'll drink vermouth. Vermouth always makes me brilliant unless it makes me idiotic, but we'll hope for the best."

Daisy: "Georgie suspects something, but luckily he doesn't know what he suspects."
I first read the Lucia books around 1980. I noticed that they had been released on audio, and I thought that would be a nice way to revisit Lucia and her world. The unabridged audio production (narrated by Nadia May) was nicely done, but I think Lucia is much better savored in print.

If you are as taken by Lucia as I was, don't miss the other books in the series. Lucia and Georgie are at the core of them all. ( )

I so wanted to enjoy this book, given the high praise the series has received. Alas, I found it terribly overwritten, too long and a real task to finish. The humor was so subtle so as to generate barely a chuckle and the competition between Lucia and Olga became tired very quickly. Recognizing that the boredom and ennui of this wealthy community is what makes them as petty and egotistical as they are, I found the group unpleasant to spend time with and never generated any caring about any of them. Give me Wodehouse any day for this type of English satire...that is real out loud funny writing! ( )

benson is wickedly funny. and look into the bbc series with prunella scales & co. ( )

I love this book.

Perhaps that needs a little background. This book was sent to me by a dear older friend (who has now sadly passed away) when I was a teenager. I started reading it, expecting it to be kind of dull.

Well, to be honest, at first I wasn't engrossed. I was about a quarter of the way (or more) into this book before I began to get interested. E.F. Benson is a very wordy writer. He spends a long time dwelling on what people look like and how they do things.

But by the time I got through all the descriptions and wordiness, I discovered that those words had been a painter's palate, and my mind the canvas - because suddenly I found that I had marvelously clear and colorful images of all the characters in my mind. I knew how they looked and how they acted, and when the story really began to take shape, I avidly followed it to its conclusion.

It's just a simple little story of a handful of people who are essentially the main busy-bodies of a small town in England. Not very engrossing? Think again. By the time you finish reading this book they will be your best friends.

Give this book a chance. Wade through the first part, where you're thinking that the descriptions will never end, and wonder when the "real" story will start. By the end, you will be in love - and, like I did, you'll keep coming back for more. ( )

W. H. Auden says, "I am a devoted fan." The Desperate Housewives say, "Lucia is our Queen." Gossip Girls say, "Glamorous!"

Riselhomme, a small town in Britain is ruled by Lucia, its social "queen". However, her sidekicks, a plump housewife, Daisy Quanstock, and a metrosexual, George, are planning to revolt against Lucia's autocracy. Quanstock enlists the help of an Indian yoga Guru and a mystic Russian Princess Popoff to be the queen bee of the town. George switches his alliance to an opera singer who newly moves into town. Will Lucia lose her throne?

This 1920 novel is deliciously campy and humorous. But I have higher expectations of it because of the author's name. E. F. Benson's father was the Archbishop of Canterbury, the highest ranking priest in Church of England and his mother was described by Gladstone, ex-English Prime Minister as "the cleverest woman in Europe" at a time when George Eliot, a polymath, was alive. When Benson's father died in 1896, his mother set up a lesbian household with the daughter of the previous Archbishop of Canterbury. Benson and his two brothers, who also wrote novels, are certainly almost gay. Benson was also a great athlete and represented England at figure skating. He became the Mayor of East Sussex in 1934 and died of throat cancer in 1940. Given Benson's sensational life, I have to say the novel doesn't live up to its name. But this is only the first of his seven Lucia novels and perhaps the rest will be better. ( )