E. F. Benson

E. F. Bensons novella, "The Man Who Went Too Far," is an incisive exploration of ambition, the supernatural, and the existential plight of man. Set against the backdrop of the early 20th century, Benson intertwines a subtle narrative with gothic elements, deftly employing a fluid prose style that oscillates between the macabre and the philosophical. At its core, the story revolves around a protagonist whose insatiable desire for transcending the human condition leads him into the realms of otherworldly experiences, ultimately confronting the ethical limits of inquiry and aspiration. E. F. Benson, a prolific English writer and member of the influential Benson literary family, has crafted his stories steeped in the psychological and social themes of his time. His background in literature, as well as his experiences as a socialite and a keen observer of the human condition, informs his work. Bensons nuanced understanding of both the mundane and the mystical aspects of life uniquely positions him to engage with themes of ambition and consequence, making his narratives resonate deeply with readers. For those intrigued by the interplay between ambition and the supernatural, "The Man Who Went Too Far" is a compelling read that challenges the reader to contemplate the boundaries of human experience and the potential repercussions of reaching beyond them. Bensons masterful storytelling invites readers into a thought-provoking meditation on mans eternal quest for meaning.In this enriched edition, we have carefully created added value for your reading experience:- A succinct Introduction situates the works 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 eras events and influences that shaped the writing.- An Author Biography reveals milestones in the authors life, illuminating the personal insights behind the text.- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the works messages, connecting them to modern life.- Handpicked 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.

Contains: Mapp and Lucia; Lucia's Progress; Trouble for Lucia These three wonderful comic novels drolly record the battle between Lucia and Elisabeth Mapp for social and cultural supremacy in the village of Tilling (based on Rye). Their constant skirmishes ensure that every game of bridge, tea or dinner-party, church service, council meeting or art-exhibition are thrilling encounters that ensure Tilling is always on 'a very agreeable rack of suspense'. Both Elisabeth and Lucia are gross hypocrites, snobs and bullies, the huge differences in temperament and style ensure the battle is usually unequal. Elisabeth is incurably mean-spirited and Lucia suffers from splendid delusions of grandeur and personal prestige. Driven by demons of revenge, Elisabeth always acts impulsively, and therefore every revelation of her meanness allows Lucia, the consummate actress, to kill her ally with a sickening kindness. In his insightful Introduction Keith Carabine shows that these books are excruciatingly funny because Benson, like Jane Austen, invites the reader to view the world through the self-deluded chronic anger and jaundiced suspicions of Elisabeth and through the self-deluded fabrications and day-dreams of Lucia. Carabine also concentrates on the novels' disturbing, bitchy 'camp' humour whenever 'that horrid thing which Freud calls sex is raised'.

Contains: Queen Lucia; Miss Mapp; Lucia in London Lucia is one of the great comic characters in English literature. Outrageously pretentious, hypocritical and snobbish, Queen Luci 'by right divine' rules over the toy kingdom of 'Riseholme' based on the Cotswold village of Broadway. Her long-suffering husband Pepino is 'her prince-consort', the outrageously camp Georgie is her 'gentleman-in-waiting', the village green is her 'parliament', and her subjects, such as Daisy Quantock, are hapless would-be 'Bolsheviks'. In Lucia in London, the prudish, manically ambitious Lucia launches herself into the louche world of London society. Her earnest determination to learn all about 'modern movements' makes her the perfect comic vehicle for Benson's free-wheeling satire of salon society, and of the dominant fads and movements of the 1920s, including vegetarianism, yoga, palmistry, Freudianism, seances, Post-Impressionist art and Christian Science. Meanwhile in Tilling, clearly modelled on Benson's home town of Rye, Miss Mapp consume 'chronic rage and curiosity' sits at her window, armed with her light-opera glasses keeping baleful watch on her neighbours. 'Anger and the gravest suspicions about everybody had kept her young and on the boil': and Benson transmutes her boiling into a series of small humiliations in his witty, malicious comedy. In his insightful Introduction Keith Carabine shows that these books are excruciatingly funny because Benson, like Jane Austen, invites the reader to view the world through the self-deluded fabrications and day-dreams of Lucia and the self-deluded chronic anger and jaundiced suspicions of Elisabeth. Carabine also concentrates on the novels' disturbing, bitchy, 'camp' humour whenever 'that horrid thing which Freud calls sex' is raised.

In E. F. Bensons novel Lucias Progress, readers are transported to the quaint English town of Tilling, where social climbing, gossip, and personal ambition collide in a comedic yet insightful manner. Written in a light-hearted and satirical style, the book delves into the complexities of human relationships and the pursuit of societal status. Set in the early 20th century, the novel provides a vivid portrayal of the manners and norms of the time, making it a valuable piece of social commentary wrapped in humor and wit. Bensons sharp characterizations and clever dialogue add depth to the narrative, creating a compelling and entertaining read for fans of classic British literature. As a prolific author with a keen eye for human nature, Bensons insights into the intricacies of small-town life shine through in Lucias Progress, making it a timeless exploration of human foibles and aspirations. I highly recommend this novel to readers interested in light-hearted yet thought-provoking literature that offers a glimpse into the past while remaining relevant today.

This carefully crafted ebook: "The Collected Works of E. F. Benson (Illustrated)" is formatted for your eReader with a functional and detailed table of contents.Edward Frederic Benson (1867-1940) was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer, known professionally as E.F. Benson. He started his novel writing career in 1893 with the fashionably controversial Dodo, which was an instant success, and followed it with a variety of satire and romantic and supernatural melodrama. He repeated the success of Dodo, with sequels to this novel, but the greatest success came relatively late in his career with The Mapp and Lucia series consisting of six novels and two short stories. The novels feature humorous incidents in the lives of (mainly) upper-middle-class British people in the 1920s and 1930s, vying for social prestige and one-upmanship in an atmosphere of extreme cultural snobbery. Benson was also known as a writer of atmospheric, oblique, and at times humorous or satirical ghost stories.Table of contents:Make Way For Lucia:Queen LuciaMiss MappDodo Trilogy:Dodo: A Detail of the DayDodos Daughter or Dodo the SecondDodo WondersDavid Blaize Series:David BlaizeDavid Blaize and the Blue DoorOther Novels:The RubiconThe Judgement BooksThe VintageMammon and Co.Scarlet and HyssopThe Relentless CityThe ValkyriesThe Angel of PainThe House of DefenceThe Blotting BookDaisys AuntMrs. AmesThorley WeirArundelMichaelUp and DownAcross the StreamShort Story Collections:The Room in the Tower, and Other StoriesThe Countess of Lowndes Square, and Other StoriesHistorical Work:Crescent and Iron Cross

In "E. F. Benson: 25 Supernatural, Mystery, Ghost and Haunting Tales," the author masterfully weaves together a collection of chilling narratives that explore the eerie intersections of the supernatural and the mundane. Bensons literary style is characterized by its rich, atmospheric prose and an acute psychological insight into both the characters and their spectral experiences. Set against a backdrop of Edwardian society, these tales reflect the cultural fascination with the supernatural that emerged during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a period that witnessed a surge in spiritualism and ghostly literature. Each story serves as a vivid examination of human fears and the unknown, crafted with meticulous attention to detail and a deep understanding of human emotions, enabling readers to traverse through unsettling landscapes of the mind and spirit. E. F. Benson, an esteemed English author and prominent member of the literary society of his time, was known for his keen sense of observation and ability to evoke anxiety and suspense. His upbringing in a family that embraced both art and spiritual inquiry undoubtedly influenced his penchant for supernatural themes. His experiences as a writer, as well as his extensive travels and social interactions, helped shape his fascination with the fantastical elements that pervade this collection. I highly recommend this anthology to readers who appreciate the intricate layers of psychological horror and the timeless allure of ghost stories. Bensons talented storytelling will both terrify and enchant you, making this collection an essential addition to the library of anyone enthralled by tales that linger long after reading.

This is a vintage murder mystery. WH Auden, Nancy Mitford and Noel Coward were among his fans...But have you discovered E. F. Benson yet? Morris Assheton is in love and means to be married. But his happiness is spoilt when he discovers that someone has been whispering poisonous rumours about him to the girl's father. The culprit is Mills, dastardly partner to the Assheton family's trusted lawyer. Morris vows revenge. When Mills' body is discovered, brutally beaten, the ugly quarrel comes to light and suspicion naturally falls on Morris. His innocence is debated in a tense courtroom, as an eager public and press look on. Murder mystery...Courtroom drama. This is a classic whodunnit from the author of Mapp and Lucia. Crime fiction at its best.

Soon to be revived in a new BBC series, Mapp and Lucia is a poisonously witty, comic tale of two upper-class women battling for social supremacy in the most underhand ways possible

His body was pressed against the wall at the head of the bed, and the face was a mask of agonised horror and fruitless entreaty. But the eyes were already glazed in death, and before Francis could reach the bed the body had toppled over and lay inert and lifeless. Even as he looked, he heard a limping step go down the passage outside.' E. F. Benson was a master of the ghost story and now all his rich, imaginative, spine-tingling and beautifully written tales are presented together in this bumper collection. The range and variety of these spooky narratives is far broader and more adventurous than those of any other writer of supernatural fiction. Within the covers of this volume you will encounter revengeful spectres, vampires, homicidal spirits, monstrous spectral worms and slugs and other entities of nameless dread. This is a classic collection that cannot fail to charm and chill.

Cynthia, Countess of Hampshire, was sitting in an extraordinarily elaborate dressing-gown one innocent morning in June, alternately opening letters and eating spoonfuls of sour milk prepared according to the prescription of Professor Metchnikoff. Every day it made her feel younger and stronger and more irresponsible (which is the root of all joy to natures of a serious disposition), and since (when a fortnight before she began this abominable treatment) she felt very young already, she was now almost afraid that she would start again on measles, croup, hoops, whooping-cough, peppermints, and other childish ailments and passions. But since this treatment not only induced youth, but was discouraging to all microbes but its own, she hoped as regards ailments that she would continue to feel younger and younger without suffering the penalties of childhood.

Una comedia chispeante y antológica que nos recuerda al mejor Wodehouse. Un clásico que constituye una de las cumbres de su autor. La señorita Mapp (a la que ya conocimos en la soberbia Mapp y Lucía) es una de las mas excentricas damas villanas de la comedia British. Reina y señora del pueblecito costero de Tilling, a cuyos habitantes maneja con mano de hierro en guante de terciopelo, la señorita Mapp es avara, intrigante y rencorosa, ademas de una cotilla de cuidado. Una mujer, en suma, tan fascinante y letal como una cobra. En Tilling sometera a padecimientos sin cuento a su circulo social: el mayor Benjamin Flint, obsesionado con el whisky y el golf, y con quien la señorita Mapp lleva años intentando casarse sin exito; su secuaz, el capitan Puffin, un don nadie que se ahoga en un vaso de agua; el discreto señor Wyse, que mantendra una relacion no tan discreta con la pretenciosa Susan Poppit, miembro de la Orden del Imperio Britanico y as del bridge; la desgraciada Godiva Plaistow o el Padre, un sacerdote que esta convencido de que habla en escoces.

Mary Shelleys "The Last Man" is a groundbreaking work of speculative fiction that delves into themes of isolation, existentialism, and the fragility of human civilization. Set in a dystopian future during the late twenty-second century, the novel explores the life of Lionel Verney, the purported last living man amidst a devastating plague that annihilates humanity. Shelleys rich, descriptive prose weaves a somber narrative, blending romanticism with precursory science fiction elements, echoing the anxieties of the Romantic era as well as the early stirrings of modernity. This innovative structure, combining personal and political narrative, positions the novel within the broader context of post-apocalyptic literature, challenging readers to confront the implications of societal collapse. Mary Shelley, often heralded as the mother of science fiction due to her seminal work "Frankenstein," drew on her own experiences of loss and social upheaval to craft "The Last Man." Written during a time of personal and political turmoil in the early 19th century, the text reflects her contemplations on mortality, legacy, and the shared human experience, as well as her preoccupations with the consequences of technology and progress. Readers of speculative fiction and those intrigued by themes of loneliness and the human condition will find "The Last Man" a compelling and profound exploration of both personal and collective despair. This novel invites contemplation on the nature of existence and the fate of humanity, making it an essential read for anyone interested in the intersections of literature and philosophy.

'His body was pressed against the wall at the head of the bed, and the face was a mask of agonised horror and fruitless entreaty. But the eyes were already glazed in death, and before Francis could reach the bed the body had toppled over and lay inert and lifeless. Even as he looked, he heard a limping step go down the passage outside.' E. F. Benson was a master of the ghost story and now all his rich, imaginative, spine-tingling and beautifully written tales are presented together in this bumper collection. The range and variety of these spooky narratives is far broader and more adventurous than those of any other writer of supernatural fiction. Within the covers of this volume you will encounter revengeful spectres, vampires, homicidal spirits, monstrous spectral worms and slugs and other entities of nameless dread. This is a classic collection that cannot fail to charm and chill.

"Mapp & Lucia" first published in 1935. "Lucias progress" first published 1935. "Trouble for Lucia" first published in 1939.