Lucia in Wartime

Mapp & Lucia #7

by Tom Holt

Across the Channel, the battle rages ... On the Tilling front, another battle is being fought-the constant war of wits and social ascendancy between Lucia Pillson and Elizabeth Mapp-Flint. Lucia, with her superior style, timeless elegance, occasional low cunning and husband Georgie-whose talent for transforming powdered eggs and canned meat into gourmet fare has turned him into a minor celebrity-invariably wins the day. Although Elizabeth may have lost a battle or two, she definitely hasn't lost the war-until she carelessly gives Lucia the ultimate weapon against her, upsetting the balance of power in Lucia's favor. But how long will Lucia be able to retain the admiration of all Tilling if her power remains unchecked? After all, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Originally published in 1985, Lucia in Wartime is the first of Tom Holt's officially sanctioned sequels to the hilarious "Lucia" novels of E.F. Benson.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, British Literature, World War II, Classics, Comedy

208 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 1985

About the author

Tom Holt (Thomas Charles Louis Holt) is a British novelist.
He was born in London, the son of novelist Hazel Holt, and was educated at Westminster School, Wadham College, Oxford, and The College of Law, London.
Holt's works include mythopoeic novels which parody or take as their theme various aspects of mythology, history or literature and develop them in new and often humorous ways. He has also produced a number of "straight" historical novels writing as Thomas Holt and fantasy novels writing as K.J. Parker.

Reviews

[Nicolas Chinardet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one for fans of the Mapp and Lucia series to enjoy safely as it seems to have received some sort of imprimatur, branded as it is as part of the series.

The sarcasm has been dialed up from the original books but there are many references to events from those same books. The old rivalries are in full force and Mapp's disconfitures pile up until what looks like her final victory. Or is it?!

A most amusing diversion for those who just can't say "au reservoir" to the inhabitants of Tilling.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not Benson, alas, but it's a darn good attempt. We luciaphiles will take what we can get! Actually, Holt does a very good job of capturing the essence of the Benson characters, even though I don't think he quite nails that wonderful style.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though written 45 years after the last of E.F. Benson's Mapp and Lucia novels, Tom Holt's revival is very faithful in style, character, and history. The last of the Benson books left us in 1935. Holt places us with the same characters in the early 1940s with Tillingites dealing with a wartime economy. We see the shortages, the black market intrigues, and a citizenry trying to eat elegantly when no one in Tilling knows how to cook, as all servants have been mobilized for the war effort. Fortunately Georgie rises to the occasion and his rise drives much of the action. Competition between Elizabeth and Lucia is front and center though. Entertaining British officers, a trip to Windsor Castle, and supporting the war effort provides many hilarious moments. Holt has done a good job on this revival and I look forward to reading his other creation, Lucia Triumphant.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this! I’ll never turn my nose up at follow on fiction (is that the term?) again.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to once again beg my friends and family to read this series of books. I find the series hilarious. I was laughing outloud last night as my hubby was watching the history channel (something about Hitler's teeth). I find the women of Tilling so entertaining. Start with Queen Lucia first. I think you'll want to continue to get to know Lucia and "Miss Mapp" and the villagers of Tilling, England.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quite enjoyable. Holt, at the time very young, admirably captures Benson's style (the books were commissioned when the old TV adaptation with Geraldine McEwan and Prunella Scales came out) although there is in his approach to the characters and situations something of a modern twist. I prefer Holt's second, Lucia Triumphant, but I was pleasantly surprised to see how strong this was.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviving Benson's characters was a nice idea, but unfortunately, Tom Holt is no E. F. Benson. He gets many details that were established in the original series wrong, and sadly, his books are just not as cleverly written. Still, if you've read Benson's 6 original novels, and can locate the 2 Holt wrote, give them a read just to satisfy your curiosity.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing pastiche wherein Holt well captures the flavor of EF Benson's wonderfully horrible characters. It's the second world war and, for Lucia and Mapp, the most important thing in Tilling is to be the most important thing in Tilling. If you've read Benson's books and are hungry for more, this is a satisfying supplement.

[Stig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This exceeded my expectations. Very funny and faithful to the original series.

[M-N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very impressed its as if Ef Benson did write a last book in wartime.
Well done Tom Holt Luciaphiles rejoice..

[Michael Conlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was weary of this book when I started reading it because it wasn't written by E.F. Benson, the author of the original series. But Holt does a great job of capturing the spirit of the original books and it's characters.

[Sarah Morenon · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books (this is the second one by Tom Holt) are full of satirical class humor. Amazing really that although there are few to no references of the characters' appearance, their tone is so wholly consistent it's easy to imagine them. Beautifully written. Very humorous.
One side effect is that I dislike the idle rich even more than I had. One main character, Elizabeth, is just hideous - malevolent, scheming, a liar (s0mething that used to be a really damning word!), and a fraud. I wish I could be on scene to throw in my 2 cents to that woman!
I'll try some Lucia books by the first author of Lucia books - it'll be interesting to compare them.

[Usfromdk · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never read Benson's series, but reading this book certainly did not make me contemplate ever doing so in the future either. Reading this book felt a bit like reading a collection of transcripts from the TV series Keeping Up Appearances, set in rural Britain during World War 2. This book is about petty and manipulative, thoroughly unsympathetic, characters and their actions. If the book had been much longer than it is, I certainly would not have finished it.

[Elin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Holt does a flawless job of capturing the character and style of EF Benson.

For me this is essentially in the Mapp and Lucia canon and I enjoyed it greatly. Very easy to read. My favourite character, Georgie, gets some time to shine too which is always a bonus. Leaving him in the sidelines would have been ever so tar'some.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think if I didn't know this was a real mapp and Lucia I probably wouldn't have realised, perhaps the only giveaway was an over-eagerness to reference episodes from the previous books. The one negative is that it's a bit uneven with Lucia having it nearly all her own way, which made her victories less sweet and I was even verging on sympathy to mapp at times, heaven forbid!

[Daniel Mitterdorfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holt continues so perfectly where Benson left off; his descriptive powers of place and person are equal to that of his predecessor. This in itself is difficult work to do, and there is no trace of triteness or the awkward in his effort.

[Diana Schuetz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucia and Mapp live on!

Captured the essence of high drama in Tilling with terrific expansion of Georgie's character. Gripping power plays all around. Can't wait to read Holt's next installment!

[José Rafael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost as good as Benson's original novels. A true delight. It's time to begin Lucia Triumphant now. Hope it's as well-written as this one.

[Olly Colluphid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captures the spirit of the EF Benson books surprisingly well. Very enjoyable if short.

[Henry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me be succinct. This sort of thing just should not be done.
Sacrilege in extremis!

Couldn’t finish it.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

mp3. This is an unabridged version, 92MB, running for 6.5 hours. Read by Norma West. The first of two sequels written by Tom Holt and dedicated to E F Benson.

Publisher's Summary: It is 1939. War threatens Europe. Troops are stationed near Tilling and rationing leads to queues in the High Street and a distinct shortage of goods at Twemlow's. But it has to be admitted that the hostilities that occupy the attention of Lucia and Georgie are with Elizabeth Mapp-Flint, rather than with the enemy across the Channel.

Faced with Elizabeth's elevation to the head of Tilling Red Cross (complete with uniform) and Major Benjy's leadership of the Home Guard, it seems that Lucia's domination of the little Sussex town is under serious threat. When Georgie's war work threatens to take him to London for the duration of the war, it might be assumed that her star really has fallen from its customary prominence in the heavens.

But setbacks are only temporary inconveniences for our dauntless heroine, who pulls off a coup that leaves the whole town gasping with amazement.

[Brett]

I have only just started the book and I am a newcomer to the chronicles of Tilling but I am very intrigued so far. I just wonder whether I've jumped into the middle of something and should go back and read some of the original E.F. Benson stories first. I arrived here because I've enjoyed a couple of Tom Holt's books featuring his own characters, but this is something quite different.

I can only suggest that if you like Wodehouse and Pym then you would probably like this. There are women who feel that nothing less than the fate of a nation rests on the success of the next tea party and husbands who rather suspect they can serve their country best from the end of a golf club or a comfy chair at the local public house. Either way, Hitler is surely on a hiding to nothing with Elgar and bibelots on their side.

[Doug Lewars · Rating 4 out of 5]

In many of his books, Tom Holt cuts a wide swath with his satire. In this one, he demonstrates that he can use a scalpel just as effectively. The story deals with small town life in England during WW2 and, in particular, the ongoing struggle for social superiority between two women who are arch rivals. To some extent, it reminded me of the old British TV comedy 'Keeping Up Appearances'.

This book is not for everyone but I thoroughly enjoyed it. For someone who is engaged in contemporary social p0litics and takes life very seriously, I don't think this is an appropriate book. Likewise, younger readers will probably find it tough sledding to understand the society of the nineteen forties. Still, I found it highly amusing and an excellent book to while away the evening hours.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, of course it's not Benson - but then what is? It lacks a bit of the subtlety of the originals but is still highly entertaining and very funny, though I think I marginally prefer Guy Fraser-Sampson's Lucia books. It's great to have these available again - but why has it taken an American publisher to release such English books? The British publishing industry is probably too concerned with the latest pseudo-celebrity memoir.

[R.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Holt's tongue is a bit more acidic than E.F. Benson, the creator of the Lucia books, but he does write some worthy exploits for the Tilling crowd during the War, particularly Georgie's accession to culinary greatness which in the end works out very well for Lucia to triumph completely over her friend and adversary, Elizabeth Mapp-Flint.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Holt does a good job of recreating Bensons's characters, but these kind of efforts are never as good as the original. If you're a Lucia fan, this can be a interesting read, but don't come to it with high expectations. What bothered me most was the pacing: this is a modern page-turner as opposed to Benson's more leisurely pace.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the Mapp and Lucia books from EF Benson and when I read the preview of this follow up from Mr. Holt I was delighted to hear from my beloved characters again. However as I read the full version I was more and more disappointed. The residents of Tllling seemed to be mean-spirited in a way I did not see in the Benson books. They did not make me smile in this version of their story.

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audio book. tripped on some meds for the last few chapters made this a rather interesting read that's all I'm saying... I reckon though i do prefer his other series... but that may be because I've never really been into the war series personally so that may be bias. This was one I didn't mind too much..

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very excellent! He captures the tone quite well and I could enjoy this without being jarred by style different from the original. I think it must be quite difficult to capture the voice of a past author with such skill that the reader forgets she is reading a modern mimic. Kudos Mr. Holt!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book made me appreciate anew the genius of E. F. Benson. Here, his much-loved characters are more like caricatures of their former selves. The last incident described in the book goes a long way towards redeeming Lucia, but it may be a case of too little, too late.