E.F. Benson Books In Order
Book links take you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.Publication Order of David Blaize Books
David Blaize | (1916) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
David of King's | (1924) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
David Blaize and the Blue Door | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Dodo Trilogy Books
Dodo | (1893) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dodo's Daughter | (1913) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dodo the Second | (1914) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Dodo Wonders | (1921) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of The Mapp & Lucia Novels Books
Queen Lucia | (1920) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Miss Mapp | (1922) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lucia in London | (1927) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lucia Rising | (1927) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Mapp and Lucia | (1931) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Worshipful Lucia | (1935) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Make Way for Lucia | (1939) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lucia Victrix | (1939) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Trouble for Lucia | (1939) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lucia in Wartime | (1985) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lucia Triumphant | (1986) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Major Benjy | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lucia on Holiday | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Lucia and the Diplomatic Incident | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Au Reservoir | (2014) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Standalone Novels
Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas
Outside the Door | (1912) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Mrs. Amworth | (1923) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
And No Bird Sings | (1926) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Man Who Went Too Far | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Terror by Night | (1998) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Confession of Charles Linkworth | (2004) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Sanctuary | (2011) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Collections
Six Common Things | (1893) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Room in the Tower | (1912) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Countess of Lowndes Square, and Other Stories | (1921) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Visible and Invisible | (1924) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Horror Horn And Other Stories | (1974) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Tale of an Empty House and Other Ghost Stories | (1986) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Flint Knife | (1988) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Desirable Residences and Other Stories | (1991) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Collected Ghost Stories of E.F. Benson | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Night Terrors | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Complete Short Stories of E. F. Benson | (1992) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Fine Feathers and Other Stories | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Face | (2003) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Room in the Tower and Other Stories | (2006) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
More Spook Stories | (2014) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Step | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Ghost Stories | (2016) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Tales from the Dark Forrest 1 - 4 | (2018) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Spook Stories | (2018) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Skating Stories | (2020) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Outcast: And Other Dark Tales | (2020) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books
The Life of Alcibiades | (1928) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
As We Were | (1930) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Final Edition | (1973) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Queen Victoria | (1987) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
As We Are | (1987) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Sir Francis Drake | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Daughters of Queen Victoria | (2014) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Report on Prospects of Research in Alexandria | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Our Family Affairs | (2019) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Publication Order of Anthologies
Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror | (1931) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Selections from the Pan Book of Horror Stories #5 | (1964) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Third Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories | (1967) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Mind At Bay | (1969) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
A Wave of Fear: A Classic Horror Anthology | (1974) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Star Book of Horror No. 1 | (1975) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The 10th Fontana Book of Great Horror Stories | (1977) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
65 Great Spine Chillers | (1982) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories | (1984) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
H.P. Lovecraft's Book of Horror | (1993) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
100 Hair-Raising Little Horror Stories | (1993) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
100 Creepy Little Creature Stories | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Thrillers | (1994) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Tainted: Tales of Terror and the Supernatural | (2008) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Short Stories: After Dark Classics | (2012) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
The Time Traveler's Almanac | (2013) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
14 Victorian Stories: Anthology | (2014) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Chilling Ghost Stories | (2015) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Spirits of the Season: Christmas Hauntings | (2019) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Soot and Steel | (2019) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Weird Woods | (2020) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Classic Cat Stories | (2020) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Ghosts of the Chit-Chat | (2021) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
Terrifying Ghosts Short Stories | (2021) | Hardcover Paperback Kindle |
E. F. Benson was a wonderful English writer, archaeologist, short story writer, biographer, and memoirist. He was born as Edward Frederic Benson and was particularly famous for writing the Mapp and Lucia book series. Additionally, he has penned numerous standalone, several short story collections, a few nonfiction books, as well as some biographies, articles, and plays. Author Benson was born on July 24, 1940, at Wellington College, Berkshire. He was the 5th child of Edward White Benson, the headmaster of Wellington College, who later became a chancellor, Bishop, and finally Archbishop. His mother was Mary Sidgwick. Benson’s elder siblings included Arthur Christopher Benson, who was a popular writer himself; Margaret Benson, an amateur Egyptologist and author; and Robert Hugh Benson, a renowned writer of several Roman Catholic Apologetics and novels.
Two of his siblings died when they were young. The parents of author Benson had 6 children, but no grandchildren. Neither he nor any of his siblings produced any children. Benson completed his early education at Temple Grove School. Later, he joined Marlborough College for further studies. It was here that Benson became serious about writing and it is also the basis of one of his novels called David Blaize. Benson continued his studies by joining King’s College in Cambridge, where he became a Pitt Club member. Later in his life, he obtained an honorary fellowship at Magdalene College. During his time at Cambridge, Benson had come in contact with Vicent Yorke and fallen in love with him. He even wrote about him in his dairy and speculated that Vincent knew about his feelings for him.
The first published novel written by Benson is Sketches From Marlborough. However, he began his career with the controversial 1893 novel, Dodo. After its immense success, Benson came up with a few more romantic, satire, and supernatural stories. The Mapp and Lucia books were written by him quite late in his career. They comprise a total of six books and a couple of short stories. In 1983, BBC Radio 4 adapted the first four books of this series into a 12-part series called Trouble for Lucia and broadcast it across the country. In 2007, the company came up with another 10-part adaptation and broadcast. These two adaptations were carried out by Aubrey Woods and Ned Sherrin respectively. A 10-episode TV series was also made based on the last 3 books by Gerald Savory. Likewise, a few other TV and radio adaptations followed in the 1980s and early 2000s.
H.P. Lovecraft is a big fan of author Benson and has spoken highly of his works. Following the death of Benson, his Mapp and Lucia novels were continued by Guy Fraser-Sampson, Ian Shephard, and Tom Holt. Author Benson was believed to be a homosexual, but kept it intensely discreet. He had several romantic adventures with his fellow students at Cambridge, the most prominent one among them being with Vincent Yorke, father of Henry Yorke, the novelist. He had maintained friendships with many gay men in the later years of his life. Benson and John Ellingham Brooks lived in a villa for some time at Capri. Besides being an amazing novelist, Benson was also a good athlete. He represented his country in figure skating. The death of author Benson occurred on 29th February 1940 in London. He was suffering from throat cancer and took his last breath at London’s University College Hospital. Benson’s body now rests in the cemetery located at Rye, East Essex.
A successful novel series written by author E.F. Benson is known as the Mapp and Lucia series. It is comprised of seven books, released between 1920 and 1939. Every book of this series features the lead character in the form of Emmeline ‘Lucia’ Lucas. She lives in a small village called Riseholme in the United Kingdom. Other important characters mentioned in the novels by author Benson include Daisy Quantock, Georgie Pillson, Elizabeth Mapp, Captain Puffin, Major Benjy Flint, Diva Plaistow, etc. Author Benson has set the stories in the villages of Tilling and Riseholme and London, England. The debut book of this series is entitled ‘Queen Lucia’. It was first released in 1920 and then re-released by the Wildside Press in 2003.
This book opens by showing that Mrs. Lucas is a woman of class and taste. She commands Riseholme in almost all matters of importance. Georgie Pilson acts her right-hand man. He is a bachelor and is always seen giving company to Lucia. Georgie’s presence in Lucia’s house for long hours doesn’t bother her husband. With the help of Georgie, Lucia pretty much rules the village as its ‘Queen’. Later, Daisy Quantack’s Indian guru arrives in the village. This prompts Lucia to make sure that she utilizes the social currency of the guru in the village’s competitive world. She is quite particular about maintaining her status as the Riseholme’s Queen. Some of her subjects make occasional attempts to overthrow her. But, she always manages to not let them succeed in their plans. This humorous novel mocks class and status in many different ways. Benson has described his humor in an understated and subtle manner. The book surgically, lovingly captures the village life of England.
The second volume of this funny, humorous series is known as ‘Lucia in London’. It was originally published in 197 and re-published in 1999 by the Moyer Bell publication. This novel shows Emmeline Lucas aka Lucia taking up an extraordinary adventure in London. She looks to conquer her London-based new home and at the same time tries to keep her hold on Riseholme’s country mansions. When other villagers come to know about the desertation of Lucia for the city life, they become maddened and hurt. A few of them think of plotting revenge against her, but none of them seem to have the courage to stand against her. After inheriting the fashionable house in London’s Brompton Square, which belonged to her husband Peter’s deceased aunt, Lucia begins her mission to climb the ladder of status in the high profile society of London. To succeed in the mission, she incorporates a combination of smartness and intelligence. Lucia’s rising advances in London’s social circles causes the society to get divided into those who follow her and the ones who envy her.
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