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Fine Feathers And Other Stories
Jack Adrian's first collection of E.F. Benson stories, Desirable Residences , marked the return of what Kirkus Reviews hailed as "the acid-tongued author of the peerless Lucia novels." After slipping into obscurity upon his death in 1940, Benson has undergone a tremendous revival, thanks to
the work of Adrian and popular television adaptations of his Mapp and Lucia stories. Now comes a second collection of Benson's delightful short stories, some of which are newly discovered, and most of which have never been published in book form.
Fine Feathers captures the full expanse of Benson's long career, with stories ranging from 1894 to 1931. Here we find all of Benson's remarkably satirical wit, expressed in a delightful variety of stories. There are frothy comedies, tales of the supernatural, and biting stories of calamitous
social gaffes, devastated pretensions, and clever swindles. These rare stories capture his skillful characterizations as one sequence of tales feature Amy Bondham, a figure very close to the celebrated Lucia of his popular Mapp and Lucia novels. Another story features the final appearance of
the heroine Dodo, the character who first made the author famous; the woman who supposedly provided the model for Dodo once described her as a society girl, "a pretentious donkey with the heart and brains of a linnet." In "Dodo and the Brick," she sees off a social climber in fine style, as does the
redoubtable Miss Ames in the title story. The collection also includes a little-known story with the ever-popular Miss Mapp, entitled "The Male Impersonator," in which she suffers a devastating retribution. And one of the stranger tales stars Benson himself, in "Atmospherics," as the author
undergoes a mysterious and unsettling experience in his home town of Rye.
When Desirable Residences brought E.F. Benson back into the bookstore, Mapp and Lucia lovers were delighted at the chance to have their favorite author in hardcover. Now comes another outstanding anthology showing the master at his best--from society spoof to chilling supernatural
tale.
the work of Adrian and popular television adaptations of his Mapp and Lucia stories. Now comes a second collection of Benson's delightful short stories, some of which are newly discovered, and most of which have never been published in book form.
Fine Feathers captures the full expanse of Benson's long career, with stories ranging from 1894 to 1931. Here we find all of Benson's remarkably satirical wit, expressed in a delightful variety of stories. There are frothy comedies, tales of the supernatural, and biting stories of calamitous
social gaffes, devastated pretensions, and clever swindles. These rare stories capture his skillful characterizations as one sequence of tales feature Amy Bondham, a figure very close to the celebrated Lucia of his popular Mapp and Lucia novels. Another story features the final appearance of
the heroine Dodo, the character who first made the author famous; the woman who supposedly provided the model for Dodo once described her as a society girl, "a pretentious donkey with the heart and brains of a linnet." In "Dodo and the Brick," she sees off a social climber in fine style, as does the
redoubtable Miss Ames in the title story. The collection also includes a little-known story with the ever-popular Miss Mapp, entitled "The Male Impersonator," in which she suffers a devastating retribution. And one of the stranger tales stars Benson himself, in "Atmospherics," as the author
undergoes a mysterious and unsettling experience in his home town of Rye.
When Desirable Residences brought E.F. Benson back into the bookstore, Mapp and Lucia lovers were delighted at the chance to have their favorite author in hardcover. Now comes another outstanding anthology showing the master at his best--from society spoof to chilling supernatural
tale.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1994
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About the author
E.F. Benson
1,030 books358 followersEdward Frederic "E. F." Benson was an English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer.
E. F. Benson was the younger brother of A.C. Benson, who wrote the words to "Land of Hope and Glory", Robert Hugh Benson, author of several novels and Roman Catholic apologetic works, and Margaret Benson, an author and amateur Egyptologist.
Benson died during 1940 of throat cancer at the University College Hospital, London. He is buried in the cemetery at Rye, East Sussex.
Last paragraph from Wikipedia
E. F. Benson was the younger brother of A.C. Benson, who wrote the words to "Land of Hope and Glory", Robert Hugh Benson, author of several novels and Roman Catholic apologetic works, and Margaret Benson, an author and amateur Egyptologist.
Benson died during 1940 of throat cancer at the University College Hospital, London. He is buried in the cemetery at Rye, East Sussex.
Last paragraph from Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 6, 2024
[Oxford University Press] (1994). HB/DJ. 1/1. Twice signed, dated (“13 APR 94”) and lengthily inscribed - in Machen green ink - to Jack Adrian’s collaborator and fellow anthologist, Richard Dalby*. 301 Pages. Purchased from Richard Dalby’s Library.
31 stories (1894-1931), of varying quality, grouped into six categories.
The OUP, perhaps carelessly, claims in the DJ blurb that only two works had previously been published “in book form.”
JA corrects this, in his excellent “Introduction”, as follows: “…mainstream hardback…”
He goes on to cite four such instances under “Sources”, reprinted from, for example, “The Tatler” and “Windsor Magazine”.
The narratives are, on the whole, rather thin. No doubt, given the evolution of societal etiquette and sensibilities over the past century, certain previously impactful points are now much diminished or even invisible.
The players are cartoonish, in some cases Wodehousian, expertly drawn and often unpleasant.
Some ace dialogue.
The subject matter’s diverse but, where Benson’s at the very peak of his powers, is in the razor sharp lampooning of arrogance, snobbery, jealously, bitchiness, vanity, narcissism, egotism, social climbing and the like. Hilarious.
* I have a long letter from JA to RD, dated “3 Jun 94”, which was clearly sent with “Fine Feathers”. I obtained it with “Intruders - New Weird Tales”, A. M. Burrage (ed. JA) (1995). It mentions various literary projects and states that: “The inscription’s a mite grumpy, but that was how I felt six or so weeks ago!”
31 stories (1894-1931), of varying quality, grouped into six categories.
The OUP, perhaps carelessly, claims in the DJ blurb that only two works had previously been published “in book form.”
JA corrects this, in his excellent “Introduction”, as follows: “…mainstream hardback…”
He goes on to cite four such instances under “Sources”, reprinted from, for example, “The Tatler” and “Windsor Magazine”.
The narratives are, on the whole, rather thin. No doubt, given the evolution of societal etiquette and sensibilities over the past century, certain previously impactful points are now much diminished or even invisible.
The players are cartoonish, in some cases Wodehousian, expertly drawn and often unpleasant.
Some ace dialogue.
The subject matter’s diverse but, where Benson’s at the very peak of his powers, is in the razor sharp lampooning of arrogance, snobbery, jealously, bitchiness, vanity, narcissism, egotism, social climbing and the like. Hilarious.
* I have a long letter from JA to RD, dated “3 Jun 94”, which was clearly sent with “Fine Feathers”. I obtained it with “Intruders - New Weird Tales”, A. M. Burrage (ed. JA) (1995). It mentions various literary projects and states that: “The inscription’s a mite grumpy, but that was how I felt six or so weeks ago!”
April 23, 2018
A wide representative selection of E.F. Benson stories: the literary, the society, the horror; early so-so and later bon-bons (Benson wrote dialogue for women and the snobbish with wicked panache). Happy to see a broad range of works although their quality is uneven.
February 19, 2015
This was a delightful collection of 31 of Benson's short stories.only two of which have appeared in book form before. They were written from 1894 to 1931. I liked this collection more than the collection that was in Desirable Residences. We see a bit of some of his favorite characters—Elizabeth Mapp, Dodo, and Mrs Ames. Social climbing is almost an olympic sport for this trio. We witness social gaffes, swindles, and devastated pretentions. At the end the reader is treated to several of Benson's ghost stories.
December 18, 2014
Another collection of short stories. Quality varies tremendously. The best stories are the society ones: I especially enjoyed the Miss Mapp story, "The Male Impersonator.". Poor and tedious ghost stories.
December 25, 2013
A pleasant collection of Benson's shorts which doesn't include much of his best work.
August 26, 2011
I very much like this style and subject matter.
January 24, 2017
Nice selection of short stories showing the range of Benson's work.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews