Trouble for Lucia

By: E. F. Benson

Narrated by: Miriam Margolyes

Taking the position of mayor in the town of Tilling brings much delight to Lucia. However, with her local rival Miss Mapp around, trouble is never far away. Lucia is elevated to her new position with Georgie Pilson as her sidekick, confidant, and escort. Lucia and Georgie renew their acquaintance with the opera diva Olga Braceley and the composer Cortese, but nobody in Tilling believes Lucia when she claims to have entertained a duchess.

©1939 E. F. Benson (P)2010 Hachette Digital

Classic British Humor

For fans of P. G. Wodehouse. But why only the abridged version of this “Lucia” classic? All six volumes should be available unabridged. They are brilliantly funny as written and do not deserve to be cut. I feel ripped off settling for an abridged version. I paid a whole credit, and I want the whole book. I would have scored all fives if this was a complete book.

Fantastic narration

It was a treat to listen to a perfect narration of Trouble for Lucia. Miriam Margoyles is just terrific. And Ofcourse the story is impeccable. ❤️

Inexplicable abridgment

Ok, let’s be honest. Any true Luciaphil lives for those moments in the Lucia novels when the hackles rise and the claws come out. In Trouble for Lucia, this climactic moment occurs when Lucia insults each of her friends in front of all the others for not believing that Duchess Poppy came to visit her. And guess what? The abridgment of this book inexplicably removes almost all of that scene. It’s so “tarsome,” as Georgie would say, and ruins an otherwise excellent audiobook. It’s still worth the listen, but be warned if you are waiting for that scene, as I was.

Not a bad abridged version, but where's the unabridged?

It's fine, but nowhere near the unabridged readings available for Miss Mapp and Queen Lucia. Oh, well. It gave me a dose of Tilling and that's better than nothing. We need a complete set of Mapp and Lucia unabridged, preferably read by Nadia May!

Unsatisfying not to hear the whole thing

I admire Miriam Margolyes. She knows what's funny, and she lands the laughs, but she never seems like she's trying too hard and she never makes the production be all about her.

The book, of course, is a treasure, with wonderful episodes (Major Benjy's riding whip, Quaint Irene's satirical painting, Duchess Poppy). I do find that the Blue Birdie plot makes Susan too sadly pathetic for what is otherwise a romp.

The abridging here is not as egregious as in the other Lucia titles; even so, why abridge them at all? Such delightful material hasn't worn out its welcome after 3 hours, 49 minutes. This edition was a nice one-time manifestation of the book, but I would not return to it and I would not recommend it for anyone who hasn't read the full version.