Collected Works of E. M. Delafield: The Complete Provincial Lady Series, 15 Novels, Short Story Collections & Plays (Illustrated) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Domestic Comedy & Social SatireBy E. M. Delafield
Length132h 42m
About this audiobook
This illustrated collected edition gathers E. M. Delafield's celebrated Provincial Lady sequence alongside fifteen novels, short-story collections, and plays, offering a panoramic view of her comic intelligence and social observation. Best known for its diary form, the Provincial Lady books transform domestic triviality—servants, bills, children, committees, literary ambitions—into exquisitely controlled satire. Delafield's style is brisk, ironic, and deceptively light, placing her within the interwar tradition of English comic realism while also revealing sharp feminist insight into marriage, class, and authorship. E. M. Delafield (1890–1943), born Edmée Elizabeth Monica de la Pasture, drew upon her own experiences as a writer, wife, mother, and participant in provincial social life. Educated in convent settings and briefly associated with religious vocation, she later became a prolific novelist, dramatist, and contributor to Time and Tide. Her intimate knowledge of middle-class expectations and women's constrained independence gives her comedy both authenticity and bite. This volume is ideal for readers interested in interwar fiction, women's writing, social comedy, and the evolution of autobiographical satire. It rewards both casual reading and scholarly attention, preserving Delafield as a major comic voice whose wit remains remarkably modern.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreLiterary Classics
Length132 hrs 42 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJul 30, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
45The Heel of Achilles (1921) (pt. 3)
2Introduction
46The Heel of Achilles (1921) (pt. 4)
3Historical Context
47The Heel of Achilles (1921) (pt. 5)
4Synopsis (Selection)
48The Heel of Achilles (1921) (pt. 6)
5The Diary of a Provincial Lady (1930) (pt. 1)
49Humbug: A Study in Education (1922) (pt. 1)
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6The Diary of a Provincial Lady (1930) (pt. 2)
50Humbug: A Study in Education (1922) (pt. 2)
7The Diary of a Provincial Lady (1930) (pt. 3)
51Humbug: A Study in Education (1922) (pt. 3)
8The Provincial Lady Goes Further (1932) (pt. 1)
52Humbug: A Study in Education (1922) (pt. 4)
9The Provincial Lady Goes Further (1932) (pt. 2)
53Humbug: A Study in Education (1922) (pt. 5)
10The Provincial Lady Goes Further (1932) (pt. 3)
54Messalina of the Suburbs (1924)
11The Provincial Lady in America (1934) (pt. 1)
55Part I (pt. 1)
12The Provincial Lady in America (1934) (pt. 2)
56Part I (pt. 2)
13The Provincial Lady in America (1934) (pt. 3)
57PART II (pt. 1)
14The Provincial Lady in Russia (I Visit The Soviets) (1937)
58PART II (pt. 2)
15The Provincial Lady in Moscow
59Gay Life (1933) (pt. 1)
16They Also Serve: The Provincial Lady in Leningrad
60Gay Life (1933) (pt. 2)
17To Speak My Mind About Russia: The Provincial Lady in Odessa
61Gay Life (1933) (pt. 3)
18The Provincial Lady in Wartime (1940)
62Gay Life (1933) (pt. 4)
19Dedication (pt. 1)
63Gay Life (1933) (pt. 5)
20Dedication (pt. 2)
64General Impressions (1933)
21Dedication (pt. 3)
65GENERAL IMPRESSIONS
22Zella Sees Herself (1915)
66MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN IN FICTION
23PROLOGUE (pt. 1)
67HOME LIFE RELAYED
24PROLOGUE (pt. 2)
68STUDIES IN EVERYDAY LIFE
25PROLOGUE (pt. 3)
69LOOKING AT THE CLASSICS
26PROLOGUE (pt. 4)
70THE SINCEREST FORM ...
27PROLOGUE (pt. 5)
71WHEN I'M ALLOWED TO BE . . .
28The War Workers (1918) (pt. 1)
72Late and Soon (1943) (pt. 1)
29The War Workers (1918) (pt. 2)
73Late and Soon (1943) (pt. 2)
30The War Workers (1918) (pt. 3)
74Late and Soon (1943) (pt. 3)
31The War Workers (1918) (pt. 4)
75Late and Soon (1943) (pt. 4)
32Consequences (1919)
76The Bond of Union (1924)
33Book I (pt. 1)
77Lost in Transmission (1924)
34Book I (pt. 2)
78Time Work Wonders (1924)
35Book I (pt. 3)
79The Hotel Child (1924)
36Book I (pt. 4)
80The Gallant Little Lady (1924)
37Book II (pt. 1)
81Impasse (1924)
38Book II (pt. 2)
82The Appeal (1924)
39Tension (1920) (pt. 1)
83The Philistine: A Story (1926)
40Tension (1920) (pt. 2)
84The First Stone (1924)
41Tension (1920) (pt. 3)
85To See Ourselves. A Domestic Comedy in Three Acts (1931)
42Tension (1920) (pt. 4)
86Analysis
43The Heel of Achilles (1921) (pt. 1)
87Reflection
44The Heel of Achilles (1921) (pt. 2)
88Memorable Quotes
The War-Workers & Consequences (Annotated)E. M. Delafield21h 48m$2 · $0.00
Late and Soon (NOVEL & 8 SHORT STORIES) (Annotated)E. M. Delafield13h 40m$2 · $0.00
The Provincial Lady: The Complete SeriesE. M. Delafield25h 54m$1 · $0.00
The optimistE. M. Delafield8h 20m$1 · $0.00
The pelicansE. M. Delafield12h 43m$2 · $0.00
The Diary of a Provincial Lady (Illustrated)E. M. Delafield5h 30m$2 · $0.00
The Provincial Lady Goes Further (Illustrated) (Annotated)E. M. Delafield7h 13m$2 · $0.00
LATE AND SOONE. M. Delafield13h 28m$1 · $0.00
The Diary of a Provincial Lady: Humorous Classic from the Renowned Author of Thank Heaven Fasting, Faster! Faster! & the Way Things Are (Summarized Edition)E. M. Delafield2h 35m$1
The E. M. Delafield Boxed Set - 6 Novels in One EditionE. M. Delafield67h 16m$1 · $0.00
Collected Works of E. M. Delafield (Illustrated)E. M. Delafield132h$1 · $0.00
The Collected WorksE. M. Delafield132h 52m$1 · $0.00
Late and SoonE. M. Delafield13h 28m$1 · $0.00
Gay LifeE. M. Delafield11h 26m$1 · $0.00
The War-WorkersE. M. Delafield8h 3m$1 · $0.00
The Messalina of the SuburbsE. M. Delafield6h 32m$2 · $0.00
The Diary of a Provincial Lady (Illustrated)E. M. Delafield6h 11m$2 · $0.00
The Collected Works of E. M. Delafield (Illustrated)E. M. Delafield132h 17m$2 · $0.00
The Provincial Lady Goes Further (Summarized Edition)E. M. Delafield2h 52m$2
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