E. F. Benson

Scarlet and Hyssop by E. F. Benson

E.F. Benson was born at Wellington College in Berkshire on July 24th 1867. Educated at Marlborough and Kings College Cambridge he began his career as a writer at an early age and was published whilst still studying. As an athlete he represented his country at Figure skating. His career was prodigious and widely acknowledged. Perhaps he is best known for his collection of novels about 'Mapp & Lucia' which have proved very popular through the decades and have crossed over to many a TV Series. He was also well regarded as a writer of ghost stories – 'spook stories' in the then vernacular- as well as biographies. Benson never married and his lifestyle gave rise to much speculation as to his sexual orientation. Benson died in 1940 of throat cancer in University College Hospital, London.

The first volume of E.F. Benson's wildly satirical take on the Edwardian English upper class. The books were recently adapted by the BBC into a mini-series starring Sherlock's Mark Gatiss.Emmeline Lucas -- Lucia, to her friends -- is a determined social climber, determined to rise to the top of the town of Riseholme, a little one-street village inhabited by a strange group of the idle rich. The result is a mish-mash of petty schemes, gossip, and backstabbing the likes of which Riseholme has never seen.Penguin Random House Canada is proud to bring you classic works of literature in e-book form, with the highest quality production values. Find more today and rediscover books you never knew you loved.

Mrs. Emmeline Lucas of Riseholm is a relentless social climber who rules her small English village with a calculating mind and an iron fist. She is attended at every turn by Peppino, who writes bad poetry, and her best friend, Georgie, with whom she plays Mozart duets and pretends to speak Italian. Lucia's position is shaken by a newcomer to Riseholm who absorbs Georgie into her own orbit, and reveals Lucia's shallowness, vindictiveness, and ignorance of music and culture. The other residents of Riseholm cringe at Lucia's many plots and indiscretions, yet cheer when she is able to re-establish her position at the top of the social order. A delicious, witty read.

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