The E. F. Benson Ultimate Collection (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. 30 Novels and 70+ Short Stories, Illustrated—featuring Mapp and Lucia, the Dodo Trilogy, The Room in the Tower, Paying Guests, The Relentless City, historical works, and a biography of Charlotte BrontëBy E. F. Benson
Length334h 30m
About this audiobook
The E. F. Benson Ultimate Collection gathers the remarkable breadth of Benson's fiction, from the sparkling social warfare of the Mapp and Lucia novels to his elegant ghost stories and sharply observed comedies of manners. Written in a prose style at once urbane, ironic, and deceptively light, these works occupy a distinctive place in late Victorian, Edwardian, and interwar literature, where drawing-room wit, class performance, and the supernatural often reveal the anxieties beneath polite society. Edward Frederic Benson (1867–1940), son of Archbishop Edward White Benson and brother of A. C. and R. H. Benson, was formed by an intellectually ambitious, socially observant milieu. Educated at Cambridge and widely travelled, he brought to fiction both cosmopolitan experience and an intimate knowledge of English provincial life. His residence in Rye, later fictionalized as Tilling, helped shape his enduring comic vision of rivalry, snobbery, and self-invention. This collection is highly recommended for readers seeking both entertainment and literary sophistication. Benson's genius lies in making trivial disputes feel epic and spectral visitations feel psychologically exact. It is an indispensable volume for admirers of English social satire, classic supernatural fiction, and the subtle absurdities of human vanity.
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
Length334 hrs 30 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateAug 11, 2015
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
92The Angel of Pain (pt. 2)
2Introduction
93The Angel of Pain (pt. 3)
3Historical Context
94The Angel of Pain (pt. 4)
4Synopsis (Selection)
95The Angel of Pain (pt. 5)
5Make Way For Lucia
96The Angel of Pain (pt. 6)
Show all chaptersShow less
6Queen Lucia (pt. 1)
97The Angel of Pain (pt. 7)
7Queen Lucia (pt. 2)
98The House of Defence
8Queen Lucia (pt. 3)
99Volume I (pt. 1)
9Queen Lucia (pt. 4)
100Volume I (pt. 2)
10Miss Mapp (pt. 1)
101Volume I (pt. 3)
11Miss Mapp (pt. 2)
102Volume II (pt. 1)
12Miss Mapp (pt. 3)
103Volume II (pt. 2)
13Miss Mapp (pt. 4)
104The Blotting Book (pt. 1)
14Lucia in London (pt. 1)
105The Blotting Book (pt. 2)
15Lucia in London (pt. 2)
106Daisy's Aunt (pt. 1)
16Lucia in London (pt. 3)
107Daisy's Aunt (pt. 2)
17Lucia in London (pt. 4)
108Daisy's Aunt (pt. 3)
18Mapp and Lucia (pt. 1)
109Mrs. Ames (pt. 1)
19Mapp and Lucia (pt. 2)
110Mrs. Ames (pt. 2)
20Mapp and Lucia (pt. 3)
111Mrs. Ames (pt. 3)
21Mapp and Lucia (pt. 4)
112Mrs. Ames (pt. 4)
22Mapp and Lucia (pt. 5)
113Mrs. Ames (pt. 5)
23Lucia's Progress or The Worshipful Lucia (pt. 1)
114Thorley Weir (pt. 1)
24Lucia's Progress or The Worshipful Lucia (pt. 2)
115Thorley Weir (pt. 2)
25Lucia's Progress or The Worshipful Lucia (pt. 3)
116Thorley Weir (pt. 3)
26Lucia's Progress or The Worshipful Lucia (pt. 4)
117Thorley Weir (pt. 4)
27Trouble for Lucia (pt. 1)
118Arundel
28Trouble for Lucia (pt. 2)
119Prologue
29Trouble for Lucia (pt. 3)
120Book One (pt. 1)
30Trouble for Lucia (pt. 4)
121Book One (pt. 2)
31The Male Impersonator
122Book Two (pt. 1)
32Desirable Residences
123Book Two (pt. 2)
33Dodo Trilogy
124Book Three
34Dodo A Detail of the Day
125Michael (pt. 1)
35Volume I (pt. 1)
126Michael (pt. 2)
36Volume I (pt. 2)
127Michael (pt. 3)
37Volume II (pt. 1)
128Michael (pt. 4)
38Volume II (pt. 2)
129Michael (pt. 5)
39Dodo's Daughter or Dodo the Second (pt. 1)
130Up and Down (pt. 1)
40Dodo's Daughter or Dodo the Second (pt. 2)
131Up and Down (pt. 2)
41Dodo's Daughter or Dodo the Second (pt. 3)
132Up and Down (pt. 3)
42Dodo's Daughter or Dodo the Second (pt. 4)
133Up and Down (pt. 4)
43Dodo's Daughter or Dodo the Second (pt. 5)
134Across the Stream
44Dodo Wonders (pt. 1)
135Book I (pt. 1)
45Dodo Wonders (pt. 2)
136Book I (pt. 2)
46Dodo Wonders (pt. 3)
137Book II (pt. 1)
47David Blaize Trilogy
138Book II (pt. 2)
48David Blaize (pt. 1)
139Book III (pt. 1)
49David Blaize (pt. 2)
140Book III (pt. 2)
50David Blaize (pt. 3)
141Paying Guests (pt. 1)
51David Blaize (pt. 4)
142Paying Guests (pt. 2)
52David Blaize (pt. 5)
143Paying Guests (pt. 3)
53David Blaize and the Blue Door (pt. 1)
144Paying Guests (pt. 4)
54David Blaize and the Blue Door (pt. 2)
145Short Story Collections
55David Blaize of King’s (pt. 1)
146The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (pt. 1)
56David Blaize of King’s (pt. 2)
147The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (pt. 2)
57David Blaize of King’s (pt. 3)
148The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (pt. 3)
58David Blaize of King’s (pt. 4)
149The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (pt. 4)
59Other Novels
150The Countess of Lowndes Square, and Other Stories
60The Rubicon
151BLACKMAILING STORIES
61Book I.
152GENERAL STORIES
62Book II. (pt. 1)
153CAT STORIES
63Book II. (pt. 2)
154CRANK STORIES
64Book III.
155SPOOK STORIES
65The Judgement Books (pt. 1)
156Visible and Invisible (pt. 1)
66The Judgement Books (pt. 2)
157Visible and Invisible (pt. 2)
67The Vintage
158Visible and Invisible (pt. 3)
68The Vineyard (pt. 1)
159Visible and Invisible (pt. 4)
69The Vineyard (pt. 2)
160Spook Stories (pt. 1)
70The Eve of the Gathering (pt. 1)
161Spook Stories (pt. 2)
71The Eve of the Gathering (pt. 2)
162Spook Stories (pt. 3)
72The Treading of the Grapes (pt. 1)
163More Spook Stories (pt. 1)
73The Treading of the Grapes (pt. 2)
164More Spook Stories (pt. 2)
74The Treading of the Grapes (pt. 3)
165More Spook Stories (pt. 3)
75Mammon and Co.
166More Spook Stories (pt. 4)
76Book I (pt. 1)
167Uncollected Stories
77Book I (pt. 2)
168Historical Works
78Book I (pt. 3)
169Deutschland Über Allah
79Book II (pt. 1)
170Crescent and Iron Cross (pt. 1)
80Book II (pt. 2)
171Crescent and Iron Cross (pt. 2)
81Scarlet and Hyssop (pt. 1)
172Crescent and Iron Cross (pt. 3)
82Scarlet and Hyssop (pt. 2)
173Biography
83Scarlet and Hyssop (pt. 3)
174Charlotte Bronte (pt. 1)
84Scarlet and Hyssop (pt. 4)
175Charlotte Bronte (pt. 2)
85The Relentless City (pt. 1)
176Charlotte Bronte (pt. 3)
86The Relentless City (pt. 2)
177Charlotte Bronte (pt. 4)
87The Relentless City (pt. 3)
178Charlotte Bronte (pt. 5)
88The Relentless City (pt. 4)
179Analysis
89The Valkyries (pt. 1)
180Reflection
90The Valkyries (pt. 2)
181Memorable Quotes
91The Angel of Pain (pt. 1)
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