The Luck of the Vails (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A NovelBy E. F. Benson
Length12h 33m
About this audiobook
The Luck of the Vails is a compact Edwardian romance of inheritance, secrecy, and supernatural suggestion, centred on the fortunes of an old family whose "luck" seems at once a talisman, a burden, and a narrative trap. Benson works in the borderland between sensation fiction and the Gothic tale: clues, atmosphere, and social observation matter as much as overt terror. Its style is lucid, ironic, and controlled, placing ancient houses, dynastic anxiety, and modern scepticism within the broader fin-de-siècle fascination with heredity, occult forces, and moral retribution. E. F. Benson, son of Archbishop Edward White Benson and brother of A. C. and R. H. Benson, moved easily among literary, clerical, and upper-middle-class circles whose manners he later anatomised with brilliance. Although now famous for Mapp and Lucia, he was also a prolific writer of ghost stories and romances. His lifelong interest in social performance, family pressure, and the uncanny clearly informs this novel's blend of drawing-room realism and darker ancestral menace. Readers who enjoy Victorian mystery, Edwardian Gothic, or Benson's supernatural fiction will find here a subtle, intelligent entertainment. It is recommended to those who value atmosphere over spectacle and psychological unease over simple shocks.
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★★★★ 4.3 (12)
Includes Amazon
GenreHorror, Mystery and Thriller
Length12 hrs 33 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateDec 2, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Collected Works of E. F. Benson
26MR. FRANCIS IS BETTER
2Introduction
27CHAPTER XI
3Synopsis
28MR. FRANCIS SEES HIS DOCTOR
4Historical Context
29CHAPTER XII
5PART I
30THE MEETING IN THE WOOD
Show all chaptersShow less
6PART I
31CHAPTER XIII
7CHAPTER I
32HARRY ASKS A QUESTION
8THE SHADOWS DANCE
33CHAPTER XIV
9CHAPTER II
34LADY OXTED'S IDEA
10THE COMING OF THE LUCK
35PART II
11CHAPTER III
36CHAPTER XV
12THE SPELL BEGINS TO WORK
37FROST
13CHAPTER IV
38CHAPTER XVI
14THE STORY OF MR. FRANCIS
39FIRE
15CHAPTER V
40CHAPTER XVII
16A POINT IN CASUISTRY
41A BIRD OF NIGHT
17CHAPTER VI
42CHAPTER XVIII
18THE POINT SOLVED—THE MEETING
43RAIN
19CHAPTER VII
44CHAPTER XIX
20THE POINT IN CASUISTRY SOLVES ITSELF
45GEOFFREY LEAVES VAIL
21CHAPTER VIII
46CHAPTER XX
22THE SECOND RETURN TO VAIL
47DR. ARMYTAGE ARRIVES
23CHAPTER IX
48CHAPTER XXI
24CARDIAC
49GEOFFREY MEETS THE DOCTOR
25CHAPTER X
50CHAPTER XXII
The Greatest Short Stories of E. F. BensonE. F. Benson17h 18m4.4 (89)$1.99 · $0.00
Dodo Trilogy - Complete Edition: Dodo, Dodo's Daughter & Dodo WondersE. F. Benson27h 43m3.7 (151)$1.99 · $0.00
Werewolf StoriesE. 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 22m4.0 (36)$1.99 · $0.00
The Collected Works of E. F. Benson (Illustrated Edition)E. F. Benson239h 27m4.3 (88)$1.99 · $0.00
PAYING GUESTSE. F. Benson10h 22m4.0 (454)$2.99 · $0.00
The Complete Dodo Trilogy: Dodo - A Detail of the Day, Dodo's Daughter & Dodo WondersE. F. Benson27h 43m4.1 (59)$1.99 · $0.00
Paying GuestsE. F. Benson10h 22m4.0 (513)$1.99 · $0.00
The Complete Short Stories of E. F. BensonE. F. Benson41h 42m4.5 (140)$1.99 · $0.00
The Complete Works of E. F. Benson (Illustrated Edition)E. F. Benson333h 54m4.6 (128)$2.99 · $0.00
THE RELENTLESS CITYE. F. Benson10h 26m3.7 (11)$1.99 · $0.00
THE SHORT STORIES OF E. F. BENSONE. F. Benson17h 19m4.3 (254)$1.99 · $0.00
The Relentless CityE. F. Benson10h 27m3.7 (11)$1.99 · $0.00
The Essential E. F. Benson: 53+ Titles in One Volume (Illustrated Edition)E. F. Benson239h 27m$1.99 · $0.00
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$0.99 · $0.00
Paying Guests (Unabridged) (Annotated)E. F. Benson10h 22m3.9 (244)$2 · $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
Glacier's EdgeR. A. Salvatore13h 44m4.5 (3.4K)$33 · $0.00
Good OmensNeil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett12h 33m4.4 (1.1M)$33 · $0.00
Dark of NightJonathan Maberry, Rachael Lavin4h 59m4.4 (3.8K)$20 · $0.00
The Renegade HunterLynsay Sands10h 7m4.4 (17.3K)$29 · $0.00
Lost GodsBrom14h 50m4.4 (18.5K)$33 · $0.00
Jane Eyre (Unabridged)Charlotte Brontë22h 9m4.3 (2.6M)$1.99 · $0.00
The AccusedJana DeLeon6h 32m4.4 (3.9K)$12 · $0.00
Corpus HermeticumHermes Trismegistus3h 43m4.4 (8.6K)$7 · $0.00
LambChristopher Moore15h 22m4.3 (211.3K)$33 · $0.00
CARMILLA (Gothic Classic) (Annotated)Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu4h 2m4.4 (1K)$0.99 · $0.00
The ExorcistWilliam Peter Blatty12h 52m4.3 (285.9K)$8 · $0.00
Lost ValleyWalt Browning7h 47m4.3 (5.4K)$20 · $0.00
Twice TemptedJeaniene Frost8h 17m4.3 (54.8K)$26 · $0.00
Scared to BreatheKerena Swan10h 56m4.4 (1.7K)$13.60 · $0.00
1984George Orwell12h 18m4.3 (6M)$25 · $0.00
The Best Tales of Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe5h 19m4.4 (2.2K)$1 · $0.00
A Christmas CarolCharles Dickens3h 7m4.3 (1.1M)$5 · $0.00
Hollywood DeadRichard Kadrey9h 22m4.3 (5.5K)$29 · $0.00
Frankenstein (The Uncensored 1818 Edition) (Annotated)Mary Shelley9h 25m4.3 (1.7M)$3 · $0.00
The Collected Ghost StoriesM. R. James18h 30m4.3 (12.1K)$2 · $0.00
Olympic Mountain PursuitJodie Bailey5h 55m4.6 (638)$12 · $0.00
Glen AffricKarine Giebel22h 51m4.5 (3.2K)$46 · $0.00
Deadly Badlands PursuitSharee Stover5h 53m4.6 (361)$12 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$0.99 · $0.00
Three ComradesErich Maria Remarque15h 50m4.5 (47.3K)$2 · $0.00
AngelAnita Waller10h 30m4.6 (672)$30 · $0.00
The BorderDon Winslow29h 8m4.5 (35.7K)$53 · $0.00
FlashpointCatherine Coulter11h 38m4.5 (11.6K)$29 · $0.00
The Gothic Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Illustrated Edition)Edgar Allan Poe21h 5m4.5 (2.9K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Man in the Brown Suit & They Came to BaghdadAgatha Christie15h 43m4.6 (495)$33 · $0.00
Fang Si-Chi's First Love ParadiseYi-Han Lin8h 25m4.5 (4K)$26 · $0.00
The Rose CodeKate Quinn16h 2m4.4 (493.7K)$33 · $0.00
No Woman Left BehindJulie Moffett8h 49m4.5 (3K)$25 · $0.00
CovertJanie Crouch6h 15m4.5 (2K)$12 · $0.00
Cold Case InvestigationNicole Helm5h 30m4.6 (321)$5 · $0.00
The ReunionJana DeLeon6h 31m4.5 (1.6K)$12 · $0.00
Courage Under FireSharon Dunn5h 50m4.5 (730)$24 · $0.00
Decoding the TruthJulie Miller7h 31m4.6 (350)$12 · $0.00
Murder Gone ColdB.J. Daniels5h 50m4.5 (562)$12 · $0.00
Crime and PunishmentFyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky22h 22m4.4 (1.3M)$0.60 · $0.00
You may also like
Careful What You Wish ForHallie Ephron7h 46m3.6 (3.9K)$26 · $0.00
The Hound of the BaskervillesA. Conan Doyle6h 26m4.2 (427.2K)$1.20 · $0.00
They Do It with MirrorsAgatha Christie5h 19m3.9 (57.5K)$24 · $0.00
An Evil PremiseT. Marie Vandelly11h 9m3.7 (1.9K)$25
Never Come BackDavid Bell10h 56m3.9 (3K)$23
The Manor HouseGilly Macmillan11h 45m3.8 (24.8K)$8 · $0.00
The Speckled BandArthur Conan Doyle2h 37m4.1 (633.8K)$7 · $0.00
The Bat & The Circular StaircaseMary Roberts Rinehart15h 17m4.0 (2K)$0.99 · $0.00
The Tragedy of YEllery Queen12h 1m4.0 (521)$20
The Hound of the BaskervillesArthur Conan Doyle5h 24m4.2 (467.2K)$6 · $0.00
The Siamese Twin MysteryEllery Queen8h 25m3.8 (2.2K)$20
The Hound of the BaskervillesArthur Conan Doyle6h 26m4.2 (462.9K)$2.30
The MoonstoneWilkie Collins21h 12m4.0 (125.5K)$21 · $0.00
Poirot InvestigatesAgatha Christie26h 53m4.1 (96.6K)$2 · $0.00
They Do It with MirrorsAgatha Christie6h 36m3.9 (57.6K)$24 · $0.00
The Night SearchersMarcia Muller6h 56m3.8 (2K)$20
The Hound of the BaskervillesArthur Conan Doyle6h 26m4.2 (486.9K)$7 · $0.00
The Hound of the Baskervilles (Annotated)Arthur Conan Doyle8h 15m4.2 (356.8K)$2 · $0.00
The Luck of the VailsE. F. Benson12h 41m3.5 (149)$2 · $0.00
The Mystery of the RavenspursFred M. White10h 15m3.7 (25)$1 · $0.00