Lucia Triumphant

Mapp & Lucia #8

by Tom Holt, E.F. Benson

In postwar Britain, the quaint town of Tilling is feeling the pull of both the modern world and its Norman past. Elizabeth Mapp-Flint, in yet another bid to wrest power back from her social rival Lucia Pillson-now the town's mayor-purchases a motor-car. Hoping to improve her shaky motoring skills in private, she makes a significant tactical error by leaving town. Lucia profits from Elizabeth's absence by putting one of her "ideas" into action: the embroidery of a tapestry depicting the history of Tilling, one that will surely surpass Bayeux's.

All Lucia's subjects are called upon to labour long and hard in its execution. Meanwhile Elizabeth, stranded in Southampton, happens upon a game of Monopoly in her hotel room, and-minus her broken-winged chariot-hurries home to rescue her fellow Tillingites from the tedium of Lucia's latest worthy endeavor. Who will prove the greater master of Monopoly? What will become of the abandoned tapestry? Is Elizabeth really descended from Norman nobility? Is Mallards haunted, and if so, who saw the ghost first-Lucia, its current resident, or Elizabeth, its former owner? It is not in the best interests of the Tillingites to allow either woman to prevail for long. For in the end, Lucia and Elizabeth's tactical maneuvering and petty victories and defeats offer the best entertainment in town.

Originally published in 1986, Lucia Triumphant is the second of Tom Holt's officially sanctioned sequels to the hilarious "Lucia" novels of E.F. Benson.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Historical Fiction, Comedy, Classics, British Literature

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 21, 1986

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

[Cat Treadgold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucia in Wartime and Lucia Triumphant are Tom Holt's sequels to E.F. Benson's Lucia and Mapp series. This book takes place in Postwar Britain and cleverly parodies the craze for monopoly, the importance of ancestry in small-town England, and the power struggles among gentile society with too much time on its hands. My small press brought these two books back into print, and for me, it was a labor of love. I hope a whole new generation discovers the E.F. Benson books and Tom's ingenious sequels.

[Stuart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like "Lucia In Wartime" this is very enjoyable but doesn't reach the heights of the originals - but then who else has? There is a level of subtlety missing, the plots are just a little too obvious and the characters are ever so slightly less three-dimensional. But I don't want to seem too negative - this is still essential reading for any "Mapp and Lucia" fans - it's just that it's rather like feeding a drug habit with slightly lower grade drugs!

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this last book in the Mapp and Lucia series. Holt is true to Benson's style and maintains the characters of the players very well. The world of Mapp and Lucia is "Never Never Land" where no-one ever ages, and some even grow younger, even though we move through time. All the books are wickedly funny, with one surprising twist after another.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not exactly a seamless segue from the original Benson novels, but it's a fun enough addition

[Sarah Morenon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am horrified to discover that this, my first Lucia book, is actually #8! HORRORS! Not my fault exactly, as I looked up Tom Holt on my local library e-book portal and there are only two books - this one and Lucia in Wartime, and that's because books 1 through 7 were written by E.F. Benson. Whew!
I am in total awe of anyone who can write like Tom Holt. I've read some of his other books, The Portable Door being the first one. That book is full of fantasy and humor, while this one is full of arch humor, British class structure style. How he manages to carry off the devilish machinations of the characters is truly magnificent. I will persevere and read more!
Highly recommend this, but I suppose you have to be in the right frame of mind for it, but that's true for all book selections.

[Elin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good although a little bit like a series of unconnected stories rather than one big story. And not as good as the previous one, but still absolutely worth reading for the Mapp and Lucia fan. Very enjoyable read.

[Monsieur Croissant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Holt, you are the next best thing to Mr Benson! A joyous read though the book felt a little laboured in the last couple of chapters, otherwise it would be *****

[Olly Colluphid · Rating 4 out of 5]

More fun than Lucia in wartime, but to me it felt less Benson-like.

Still nice to see the characters again

[ND · Rating 3 out of 5]

competent, but still pales compared to the real Lucia books!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I was very confused as to where this book fit into the series chronologically. I finally figured out that although it was written after Lucia in Wartime it occurred before the events described in that book. I'm sure I'm right. That being said, I liked it a bit better than the previous book, but it was rather like watching a tennis match. "We're all mad at Lucia. No, that's over with and we're all mad at Mapp now." Then back again. Exhausting. So I bid a fond farewell to the lovely residents of Tilling. It is time.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seamlessly continued the Benson canon as far as I'm concerned. Holt got the idiom for both the characters' speech and the commentary down perfectly.

If I had an issue, it'd be the timing. Specifically, it's supposed to take place in the late 1940's, yet there's no mention of the War itself at all, nor rationing; life goes on as though it were right where Benson's final book left off. Mention is made that in this book George is 39 years old, which shocked me, as I would've added at least a decade!

[Isabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

another author who has captured the style and language of e.f. benson almost exactly. this is a 'must read' for those of readers who feel they can never get enough of mapp, lucia and all the other residents of tilling.
once again, though, an author with too many references to incidents in the e.f. benson books....although, i suppose if you haven't read the originals, that wouldn't matter. loved the book.

[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.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A contintuation of E.F. Benson's Lucia novels, (the funny series about 2 women battling for top social status in their small British town), I was happy to see that Tom Holt was able to capture the tone and ridiculousness of E.F Benson's characters.

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic. Really captures E.F. Benson's style, although there is something a little modern about the way it is done - but in a good way. It's a shame Holt didn't write more, because the next attempt to revive the characters, at the start of the 21st century, would be a grim failure.

[E.S. Curtis · Rating 1 out of 5]

People write more Mapp & Lucia novels because they love E.F. Benson’s characters so much they cannot say goodbye to them. But why not write their own stories instead of pretending to be another author? I really couldn’t stand this book.

[Katharine Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable. But the plot twist at the end depends upon an action by Mr. Wyse that is very out of character
and jarring.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series of books. VERY funny!

[Tatiana Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love everything Lucia & Mapp