Paying Guests (Unabridged) (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. An Interwar English Boarding House Satire of Class Snobbery, Flirtation, and Genteel RivalryBy E. F. Benson
Length10h 21m
About this audiobook
In Paying Guests (Unabridged), E. F. Benson turns the apparently modest world of a genteel boarding establishment into a finely calibrated theatre of manners. The novel observes its residents' rivalries, economies, flirtations, and vanities with comic precision, transforming domestic inconvenience into social revelation. Written in Benson's supple, ironic prose, it belongs to the interwar tradition of English social comedy, where class anxiety, diminished fortunes, and the rituals of respectability are exposed through conversation, habit, and deliciously petty conflict. Edward Frederic Benson (1867–1940), born into an eminent clerical and intellectual family, possessed an intimate understanding of Edwardian and postwar social codes. Best known for the Mapp and Lucia novels, he was also a prolific writer of biography, memoir, and supernatural fiction. His lifelong attention to small communities, status competition, and the comic self-deceptions of the well-bred clearly informs this novel's sharp yet humane satire. This book is warmly recommended to readers who enjoy elegant comic fiction, finely drawn ensemble casts, and the quiet ferocity of English manners. It will especially appeal to admirers of Jane Austen's social acuity, Barbara Pym's observational wit, and Benson's own Lucia universe.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.9 (244)
Includes Goodreads
GenreHumor
Length10 hrs 21 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 11, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Paying Guests (Unabridged) (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Paying Guests (Unabridged) (pt. 1)
Show all chaptersShow less
6Paying Guests (Unabridged) (pt. 2)
7Paying Guests (Unabridged) (pt. 3)
8Paying Guests (Unabridged) (pt. 4)
9Analysis
10Reflection
11Memorable Quotes
The Werewolf Blood Trail: Tales of Gore, Terror & HuntE. F. Benson, Marie de France, Alexandre Dumas Père, George W. M. Reynolds, Eugene Field, Émile Erckmann, Alexandre Chatrian, Rudyard Kipling, Robert E. Howard, Gladys Gordon Trenery, Clifford Ball, Clemence Housman, Caroline Taylor Stewart61h 23m$1.99 · $0.00
Premium Short Stories Collection - Blackmailing, Crank, Spook & Classic Tales (Annotated)E. F. Benson17h 19m$2 · $0.00
Mrs. Ames (Annotated)E. F. Benson11h 4m$2 · $0.00
Paying Guests (A Satirical Novel) (Annotated)E. F. Benson10h 26m3.9 (243)$2 · $0.00
MAPP AND LUCIA (Annotated)E. F. Benson60h 38m4.3 (466)$2 · $0.00
DAVID BLAIZE TRILOGY - Complete Collection (Illustrated) (Annotated)E. F. Benson24h 27m4.5 (14)$2 · $0.00
Complete Short Stories of E. F. Benson: 70+ Classic, Ghost, Spook, Supernatural, Mystery and Other Tales (Annotated)E. F. Benson41h 46m4.4 (22)$2 · $0.00
MAKE WAY FOR LUCIA - Complete Mapp and Lucia Series (6 Novels & 2 Short Stories) (Annotated)E. F. Benson60h 39m4.5 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
The Luck of the Vails (Annotated)E. F. Benson12h 34m4.3 (12)$2 · $0.00
Premium Short Stories Collection - Blackmailing, Crank, Spook & Classic Tales (Unabridged) (Annotated)E. F. Benson17h 23m$2 · $0.00
E. F. Benson: Complete Short Stories Collection: 70+ Classic, Ghost, Spook, Supernatural, Mystery, Haunting and Other Tales (Annotated)E. F. Benson41h 46m$2 · $0.00
An Act in a Backwater (Annotated)E. F. Benson7h 21m$2 · $0.00
The Relentless City (Annotated)E. F. Benson10h 26m3.7 (11)$2 · $0.00
The Complete DODO TRILOGY: Dodo - A Detail of the Day, Dodo's Daughter & Dodo Wonders (Annotated)E. F. Benson27h 44m3.4 (103)$2 · $0.00
The Relentless City (Unabridged) (Annotated)E. F. Benson10h 26m3.7 (11)$2 · $0.00
The E. F. Benson Ultimate Collection (Annotated)E. F. Benson334h 30m$2 · $0.00
Spook Stories - Complete Collection: 25 Supernatural, Mystery, Ghost and Haunting Tales (Annotated)E. F. Benson16h 6m$2 · $0.00
MAPP AND LUCIA SERIES – Complete Make Way For Lucia Collection: 6 Novels & 2 Short Stories In One VolumeE. F. Benson60h 34m4.4 (1.4K)$1 · $0.00
E. F. Benson: Complete Short Stories Collection: 70+ Classic, Ghost, Spook, Supernatural, Mystery, Haunting and Other TalesE. F. Benson41h 37m4.4 (136)$1 · $0.00
Chaos in a CoupeDivya Dugar9h 18m4.7 (177)$18 · $0.00
The Life of DaiDai Henwood, Jaquie Brown8h 2m4.6 (790)$26 · $0.00
What If? 10th Anniversary EditionRandall Munroe7h 29m4.5 (41.4K)$23
Welcome to PawneeJim O'Heir6h 24m4.5 (5.3K)$24 · $0.00
Going PostalTerry Pratchett13h 36m4.5 (163.8K)$33 · $0.00
Woman UninterruptedBrodie Kane7h 1m4.6 (562)$24 · $0.00
1984 & Animal Farm (Annotated)George Orwell15h 54m4.5 (220.8K)$3.99 · $0.00
Kingsblood Royal (Annotated)Sinclair Lewis14h 42m4.6 (264)$2 · $0.00
Hot Cowgirl Sh*tLacie Evans2h 15m4.7 (103)$15
This Is Going to HurtAdam Kay5h 47m4.4 (444.7K)$24 · $0.00
You Will Get Through This NightDaniel Howell6h 56m4.4 (11.8K)$24 · $0.00
Northanger Abbey (Annotated)Jane Austen10h 7m4.5 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
My Dear HamiltonStephanie Dray, Laura Kamoie23h 7m4.4 (63.6K)$46 · $0.00
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS & SCREWTAPE PROPOSES A TOAST (Annotated)C. S. Lewis5h 6m4.4 (471K)$2 · $0.00
Jungle UpNick Pirog10h 8m4.4 (3.1K)$20
The 13½ Lives of Captain BluebearWalter Moers16h 10m4.4 (34.3K)$28
Damon Runyon OmnibusDamon Runyon27h4.5 (242)$2 · $0.00
WotchaKev Saunders14h 41m5.0 (18)$8 · $0.00
BufferingHannah Hart5h 55m4.4 (12.4K)$24 · $0.00
The House of Mirth (Annotated)Edith Wharton14h 25m4.3 (109.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
You may also like
The Importance of Being EarnestOscar Wilde1h 41m4.3 (463.5K)$1 · $0.00
Just PattyJean Webster5h 55m3.9 (1.4K)$2.30 · $0.00
The Jeeves & Wooster SeriesP. G. Wodehouse24h 34m4.7 (3.3K)$2 · $0.00
The Importance of Being EarnestOscar Wilde2h 32m4.3 (470.7K)$2.30 · $0.00
Captain CatSyd Hoff5m4.1 (274)$4 · $0.00
My Weirdest School #2: Ms. Cuddy Is Nutty!Dan Gutman1h 2m4.4 (1.3K)$13 · $0.00
Daddy-Long-Legs (Annotated)Jean Webster5h 2m4.2 (133.3K)$2 · $0.00
The Importance of Being EarnestOscar Wilde2h 37m4.3 (471.3K)$5 · $0.00
The Imaginary InvalidMolière2h4.0 (13.8K)Free
Northanger AbbeyJane Austen8h 23m4.0 (563.4K)$1.20 · $0.00
My Weirder-est School #3: Dr. Floss Is the Boss!Dan Gutman1h 3m4.5 (1.9K)$13 · $0.00
My Weirdest School #3: Miss Brown Is Upside Down!Dan Gutman1h 3m4.4 (1.8K)$13 · $0.00
Welcome to Dunder MifflinBrian Baumgartner, Ben Silverman11h 14m4.4 (7K)$29 · $0.00
Mansfield Park and Lovers’ VowsJane Austen, August Kotzebue18h 13m4.0 (376.7K)$35
She Stoops to Conquer; Or, The Mistakes of a NightOliver Goldsmith3h 54m3.8 (15.7K)$1 · $0.00
Paying Guests (A Satirical Novel) (Annotated)E. F. Benson10h 26m3.9 (243)$2 · $0.00
The IdiotJohn Kendrick Bangs2h 27m3.7 (88)$2.30
Trelawny of The "Wells": A Comedietta in Four ActsArthur Wing Pinero4h 50m3.3 (72)$2 · $0.00
Letters of Jonathan Oldstyle, GentWashington Irving1h 49m3.3 (25)$1.99 · $0.00
Welcome to SmellvilleR. L. Stine3h 19m3.8 (410)$15