Book Description
Through La Cucaracha, creator Lalo Alcaraz makes blunt social comment both hard-hitting and hilarious. The result-La Cucaracha is not just a pleasure, but also a craving for thousands of readers in more than 60 newspapers.The strong undercurrent of modern Latino themes and issues adds a sharp layer of meaning to the humor. In one strip, an immigrant bartender has listened to two customers rant, "I'm telling ya, there's too many immigrants pouring into this country." When one of the customers asks for another drink the bartender declares, "I'm an immigrant, and guess what? I'm not pouring!"This first of perceptive La Cucaracha humor will delight and gratify all audiences that appreciate intelligent, progressive, deeply amusing comics.
Book Description
La Cucaracha Martina doesn't like life in the big city. The loud city sounds hurt her tiny ears and keep her awake at night. Determined to find the source of the one beautiful noise she has heard only a few times, Martina takes to the town and creates a big stir. Splendidly shaped and colorful creatures come, one by one, to catch a glimpse of this ravishing roach. Soon, marriage proposals fly and love is in the air. Who will win the heart of this extraordinary cucarachita?
Customer Reviews:
A fun story to read over and over.......2003-10-21
I am becoming a big fan of this storywriter/illustrator. His illustrations are always fun, colorful and almost jump off the page. My 2 year old loves seeing all the different animals and making their sounds/noises throughout this book while waiting for Martina to find the grand finale "beautiful noise". With it's big pages and easy to read large print, this book is still at the top of the pile for our daily reading and enjoyment.
This cucaracha is simply magnifica!.......2002-07-04
This is a classic book. My daughter is 3 and she just loves la cucharacha Martina's quest for the "beautiful noise." It helps that my husband is an entomologist - the two of them get a big kick out of this book. Spanish is woven into the book, in the signs and in names, but you don't need to speak Spanish to read and enjoy the book. The pictures are beautiful, fascinating to children. All around, a family favorite for us!
La Cucaracha Martina is a wonderfully funny book for kids!.......1998-10-03
This book was wonderful! Although written for younger children older children and adults will enjoy it too. The illustrations are crisp, bright and whimsical. The story of a beautiful cockroach is based on a Caribbean Folktale. It is a fun read and a great book to share with others. The book has lots of secrets in the language. Look for the meaning to the many spanish signs and symbols located throughout the book. I shared this with my college classmates, my adolescent children and younger children as well. They all enjoyed the story and were equally intrigued by the illustrations.
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LA Cucaracha (Los Insectos)
Karen Hartley ,
Chris MacRo , and
Philip Taylor
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ASIN: 1403430322 |
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Hilario y la cucaracha maravillosa (El Barco De Vapor)
Oscar Martinez Velez
Manufacturer: Ediciones Sm
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 9706883525 |
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- Back in the Day
- Reverse Gentrification
- LAS CUCARACHAS - A STORY ABOUT A CITY SWIFTLY FADING
- Two thumbs up
- Yongsoo Park's Warriors
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Las Cucarachas
Yongsoo Park
Manufacturer: Akashic Books
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Boy Genius (Akashic Urban Surreal)
ASIN: 1888451564 |
Book Description
Life hits rock bottom for 12-year-old Peter Kim when his family's apartment gets burglarized and he loses his most-prized possession, an Apple computer. Las Cucarachas documents the most important 48 hours of a young urban boy's life.
"Park has created an Asian Candide, satirizing political and national fanaticism." -from Ten Magazine review of Boy Genius
Yongsoo Park is a novelist, filmmaker and playwright. His debut novel Boy Genius was recognized as a Notable Title for the 2002 Kiriyama Book Prize and as a finalist for the 2003 Asian American Literary Awards. A former Van Lier Fellowship winner at the Asian American Writers' Workshop, Park was born in South Korea and now lives in Harlem with his wife.
Customer Reviews:
Back in the Day.......2007-02-20
Early '80s new York (specifically Queens) is the setting for this loose novel following a 12-year-old Korean-American over the course of two days as he roams the 'hood with his little brother, and two friends. It seems someone broke into his apartment and stole his Atari 2600 and 40+ cartridges, and he aims to find out who. Well, sort of... he actually seems rather resigned to his loss until his friend's continual irritating prodding provokes him into finding someone to blame. All of which makes the book sound a lot more plotted than it is.
The framework is basically picaresque, as Peter, his introverted little brother Steven, the incredibly obnoxious Fatty, and quiet Africa, rove the neighborhood getting in fights, shoplifting, pranking their super, and generally being kids. Along the way, their home lives flicker into view -- and the general sense is of outsiders trying to find their own identity. Steeped in the New York streets, these kids are all about stickball, b-boying, and proving how tough they are. But as busy as they are assimilating the culture of others (for example their little clique is called "The Warriors", after the seminal film), they are perfectly happy to spew racial slurs about blacks, Hispanics, and other Asians. Paradoxically, Peter is utterly contemptuous of his own Korean community, and this self-loathing is reminiscent of much immigrant fiction.
Over the course of the book Peter's anger at himself, his parents, and the world grows less and less interesting, even as it escalates. Peter and Fatty rat-a-tat insults in authentic early-'80s lingo for 180 pages, and yes, it can get pretty funny, but the shtick also gets repetitive. The book does a good job of capturing the foolishness of youth and the heightened sense of frustration adolescence can generate, but it never leads anywhere interesting or unexpected.
Reverse Gentrification.......2005-05-23
Park has done it again. Las Cucarachas is a modern urban masterpiece. From the very first line, his reader is blown away by highly stylized writing and is transported into the mind and world of a 12-year-old boy from Queens. It is amazing that in a book where almost nothing happens it seems that everything happens. Park's voice is incredible and uncomparable to any other writer. This is a wonderful read that has the ablility to pull you in and make you remember what it felt like to be a kid.
LAS CUCARACHAS - A STORY ABOUT A CITY SWIFTLY FADING.......2004-09-28
LAS CUCARACHAS BROUGHT BACK WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF BEING A KID IN NEW YORK CITY. I REMEMBER BEING YOUNG AND HAVING A SUMMER HOUSE ON LONG ISLAND. THE KID'S IN THAT AREA WOULD WHISPER ABOUT HOW MY FAMILY AND MYSELF WERE FROM "THE CITY." THEY'D ASK QUESTIONS LIKE, "DO YOU RIDE THE SUBWAY?" "DO YOU GET MUGGED FOR YOUR JEWELRY?" "ARE YOUR FRIENDS BLACK PEOPLE? LAS CUCARACHAS TOUCHES ON WONDERFUL IDEAS ABOUT A PLACE THAT USED TO BE HOME. ALSO IT RECALLS THOSE ADOLESCENT ISSUES THAT MADE US WHO WE ARE TODAY. THAT FIRST BEST FRIEND WHO BECAME YOUR FIRST ENEMY JUST SIX MONTHS LATER. OR WHEN THE STREET GETS HOLD OF YOUR FAMILY PROBLEMS AND COLDLY AND INSENSITIVELY THROWS THE CONVERSATION AROUND LIKE YOU'RE NOT IN THE ROOM.
CHARACTERS LIKE FATTY ARE TO NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AND PETER WHO WE HAVE ALL BEEN AND STILL ARE INSIDE. IT IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LAUGH, RELATE AND REMEMBER.
Two thumbs up.......2004-09-27
Although I probably read more than the average person, I've never written a review before and in fact I avoid reading them in general, particularly before picking up the book or seeing the movie upon which a review is based. I just finished 2 of this author's books, "Las Cucarachas" and "Boy Genius," and out of curiosity I decided to read what others had to say. Interestingly, many of the reviewers take time comparing this book to other books. I'm going to frankly describe what I myself thought rather than make these comparisons.
First of all, both of this author's books are worth reading, and they should be read as a pair. I would recommend reading "Las Cucarachas" and then "Boy Genius," in that order. I was born and raised in New York City, and I'm from approximately the same generation as the main character in "Las Cucarachas;" to me it's incredible how well the author brings to life what my own childhood was like, growing up and hanging out in the streets of New York- not desperately poor, but poor enough so that the kids from what was called the "middle class" seemed rich by comparison, and were luckier than any of them ever seemed able to see. It's as though the author lived this NYC childhood, with all its obstacles, frustrations and pains, freeze dried it, moved on in his own life, and then went back to it and set it down exactly, precisely, missing nothing, not a single thought, feeling, experience or idea. You read "Las Cucarachas" and you experience the raw, real life of a tough, smart street kid in a big city where money is everything- absolutely, totally everything- and where the kid knows that it's not that society wants him to fail; rather, society is so completely and profoundly indifferent that it can't even be bothered to have an interest in his success or failure either way. Nobody from any middle or upper class background can ever truly know the alienation this situation creates, but by reading "Las Cucarachas" they can sure get a good goddamn taste of it. "Las Cucarachas" is the story of a boy that's forced to gear everything around slickness and toughness, and who's trying to make something happen against impossible odds and what seems like an endless stream of jerks and idiots holding him back and getting in his way. When I finished reading "Las Cucarachas" I felt a strange urge to contact the author, congratulate him for making it through, and thank him for creating such an honest, vivid, and truly touching testimonial to youth.
"Boy Genius" should be read after "Las Cucarachas;" in fact it's remarkable to me that "Boy Genius" was actually written by the same author. "Boy Genius" is so completely different, and not just the subject matter, but the whole style of the book as well. "Las Cucarachas" is raw and gritty; "Boy Genius" begins right off the bat with fantastic events that continue unfolding throughout. The narrator in "Boy Genius" gets you to suspend your disbelief so completely that I myself often looked up from the book while reading and felt an embarrassed smile on my face, as though realizing once again that I was the victim of this author's ongoing, intelligent, playful mischief. Bringing this together- the surreal storyline, the narrator's ever present, eccentric, hilarious and intelligent take on things- and you've got a book, "Boy Genius," that once again is not only wonderful, honest and real, but that's also simply enjoyable to read... and that's something that's important to me for any book that I pick up! I'm still a New Yorker, and I know I've got a book I love when I can take that book onto a crowded train during rush hour on my way to work- and lose myself in it totally and completely, in spite of the fact that I'm being jostled and crushed by stressed and impatient New Yorkers who'd prefer I put the book away, hold onto the handrail and stair at the ceilings and walls like everyone else. Both of the books written by this author passed my test, and I enjoyed both of them enough to not only recommend them and pass them on (I've lent out both of my copies) but also, to look forward to reading the author's next book too.
Yongsoo Park's Warriors.......2004-09-25
Very rarely can an author capture the range of emotions and epiphanies a normal human being can go through, let alone a child, without becoming verbose and oversentimental. Peter Kim and his gang, the Warriors, live in a tough part of Queens and are bound to each other not by some heart-warming tie of friendship but simply as a means of survival. Does Peter like Fatty, the crass and selfish pathological liar of the bunch? Does he even like his own weakling of a brother Steven?
Ask yourself the same questions about your gang, your family, and your identity and you'll start to scratch the surface of what Mr. Park is able to accomplish in his delightfully brief but infinitely insightful second novel. Especially for those of us who grew up in America as sons and daughters of the lesser represented immigrant community (i.e. Asian, South-Asians, or Arab), the author is able to take the cliche, 'on the outside looking in' and chapter by chapter, peel off the coexisting, but conflicting emotions of community pride versus the self-loathing one feels for being identified with that community; the emotional attachment of family that is continually tested by the faults and shortcomings of those providing for it. Peter's Dad is useless, he lost his store and he is increasingly slothful in Peter's eyes. Yet amidst this pathos, Peter and his buddies accept their respective harsh realites, even embrace them at times, ultimately giving all those who stand responsible for their plight the proverbial finger. Is it fair? No. But does it feel good? Yes. And who doesn't like feeling good? Las Cucarachas reminds us that no matter who's responsible for our misfortunes, whoever stole Peter Kim's Atari, whoever smashed up my bumper in that parking lot and didn't leave thier info, whoever..well you get the point. Yongsoo, thank you for telling it like it is. People, hear this man. Long live the Warriors.
Kesav
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- Fun, Bright & Good Message
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Candy la cucaracha generosa * Candy the generous cockroach
Pat Alvarado
Manufacturer: Piggy Press
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ASIN: 9962629373
Release Date: 2007-03-30 |
Book Description
Candy y sus amigos viven la buena vida en la despensa, llena de comida, diversión y risas, hasta que un día aparecen los gigantes y uno de los amiguos de Candy desaparece. Candy and her friends live in the cupboard. Life is good, full of food, fun and laughter, until one day the giants show up and one of Candy's friends disappears. Candy and her friends live in the cupboard. Life is good, full of food, fun and laughter, until one day the giants show up and one of Candy's friends disappears.
Customer Reviews:
Fun, Bright & Good Message.......2006-08-24
It adapts a traditional latin american folk tale about a a roach who in the original Panamanian version the roach (female) goes out to find a husband and marries a rat who then dies by falling in a soup...tragic and what do we learn by that?...don't get married? or make sure your husband has life insurance?... anway, this version is adapted not only to modern times, by the way the characters are dressed, but a has a valid message which can always be a good reminder for us adults and a good learning skill for the younger generations....sharing and friendship, selflessness instead of selfishness...you get the picture...Enjoy!
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Cucaracha.
Unknown
Manufacturer: UNKNOWN
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Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 8496614131 |
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El Sistema de Huida de La Cucaracha (La Movida)
Gonzalo Carranza
Manufacturer: Ediciones Colihue
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ASIN: 9505812124 |
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La Cucaracha
Lalo Alcaraz
Manufacturer: ANDREWS MCMEEL + PUBLISHING
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ASIN: B000SHS2X2 |
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La Cucaracha 2006 Calendar
Lalo Alcaraz
Manufacturer: Meadwestvaco
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ASIN: 0768870437 |
Book Description
This is the fourth installment in the delicious "Mapp & Lucia" series, and a hilarious study of 1930's manners and the pecking order in the fictional English village of Tilling. Having long ago conquered the timid town of Riseholme, Emmeline "Lucia" Lucas finds herself rather bored and so rents a summer place in Tilling. To be specific, she rents the home of Miss Elizabeth Mapp, queen of all she surveys from her garden window. Immediately the gauntlet is thrown down as the two would-be arbiters of good taste battle it out over excruciatingly endless musicales, phony Italian conversation and bad homemade art. Assisted by her aide-de-camp Georgie, a supremely fussy and utterly cowed sidekick, Lucia marches in...but Mapp is not without her supporters, or her binoculars.
Customer Reviews:
Gentile warfare!.......2005-08-16
E F Benson's characters are just sublimely and achingly funny, it seems with Mapp and Lucia he was aiming to scrutinise and satarise the nosensical heirarchy and rivalry of bored and over privelaged upper middle class folk.
This aspect of the British Class system was one he knew well and which was breathing it's last in the times in which Mapp and Lucia live, witness the somewaht irritating coldness with which the Ladies treat their Maids, Drivers and Shop staff.
Lucia is the dominant character, lithe, fashionable and razor sharp while Mapp is clumsy, mumsy and opts for bulldog tactics.
The two appear in many novels, Lucia more often and one cannot help wonder if she was based on a Lady whom Benson was ever so slightly in love with, but here they meet for the first time, as Lucia moves to "Tilling" for the summer in Mapps rented out home "Mallards". The array of colurful charcters they surround themselves with and draw into their delighfully bitchy and cunning war agaisnt each other, are of equal delight, of particualr note are Quaint Irene and Georgie. Perhaps seen as little more than bohemian in their day but doubtless these characters would now be seen as obviously Lesbain and Gay; with the former being in love with Lucia. A daring inclusion in Benson's time but subtle and beautifully inclusive one.
Fans of these deliciously naughty pair should see the 1986 TV series which is available on DVD. Geraldine McKewan (of current Miss Marple fame)is petite, pretty, acid and simply perfect as Lucia while Prunella Scales (Cybil of Fawlty Towers) brings Miss Mapp to dusty, dowdy and bullish life! Excellent stuff!
The series was filmed in Rye in Sussex, home town of Benson, it used many locations close to his home (Lamb House), such as the lovley houses of Watchbell Street (My favourite being No 11 which was used as Godiva's house) and "Twistevens" shop on Mermaid Street, actually a Tea Room in reality.
WELL WORTH A VISIT! Literature fans may also wish to know that Lamb House was once home to American novelist, Henry James before Benson's time. One can also visit Benson's Grave in the town. Benson was Lord Mayor of Rye for a while and the river "Tilling"-ton flows through the town.
Only five stars?!.......2005-05-08
Read these books and discover the truth. It's all there -- the vanity, greed, passion, jealousy, and exultation. Don't let the objects of all these towering emotions fool you (lobster recipes, psychic bridge, red currant fool, babytalk Italian, dead budgies, suspect gurus, the Moonlight Sonata), it is the stuff of life!
Heaven help my credit card..........2003-05-04
Oover the last fifteen years I have been meaning to read certain authors. H.E. Bates, Anthony Trollope, P.G. Wodehouse, E.F. Benson and the like.
Last week I succumbed to a nasty bout of influenza and E.F. Benson. I had grabbed the slender volume of "Mapp & Lucia" from the library shelf and it had rested in my bookcase for almost a week. Not wanting to dull my brain with endless hours of television, I cracked open "Mapp & Lucia".
Ten pages into the book and I was hooked. Lucia, her period of mourning almost over is looking to regain her iron control on her hometown. First action, regain her star role as Queen Elizabeth in the village fete.
As I read Lucia's plots and plans, a strange thought hit me. Lucia is the creature Hyacinth Bucket (the main character of the BBC's Keeping Up Appearances) secretly dreams of being. Having taken over the fete from her dazed and confused friend, Lucia goes onto greater pastures, the hometown of Miss Elizabeth Mapp, reigning social goddesss.
Miss Elizabeth Mapp (known as Mapp) plots with her friends to rent out their respective homes a profit. Lucia and her best friend (a gentleman who brings to mind a cross between KUA's Richard and AYBS Mr Humphries) move and slowly begin to take over the town. Mapp is not pleased and a genteel war of one-upsmanship begins between the two ladies.
Drawings are rejected from the art exhibit, parties given, ownership of produce and fruit desputed with the poor town in the middle. Matters come to a head on Boxing Day (December 26) when Mapp decides to steal a longed for recipe that Lucia refuses to give to her.
Lucia stumbles on her rival in the kitchen and both women are swept out to sea on Lucia's kitchen table (yes, Lucia's kitchen table, this is a not a mis-type). The town mourns the two ladies as lost and the Great War of Mapp-Lucia as over.
Okay, enough said. You'll have to succumb to the collective charms of the ladies Mapp and Lucia yourself and find out all the bits I've left out. Now, I'm off hunt down and read the rest of E.F. Benson's wonderful books.
Cheerful Malice.......2003-03-02
"Mapp & Lucia" is like reading Trollope's "Barchester Towers" with the gloves off. The teacup may be small, but the battles rumble like thunder on the bay. Lucia is incredible. She combines absolute self-absorption with ironclad charming resolve to succeed in her every endeavor. She really is wasted being queen of Society in a small English village when fulfilling the duties of Lord High Admiral would not cause her so much as a tiny frown.
Lucia is a newly minted widow in this hilarious outing. Her fires have been banked, and she is anxious to get back in the swing and show her mettle. She rents a house for the summer from the formidable Miss Elizabeth Mapp of Tilling. Miss Mapp is clearly the leader of society in Tilling and revels in her role. Lucia eyes the situation, and the lines are drawn in the most charming but resolute way possible Lucia is the richer of the two and possibly more clever, but Miss Mapp has some powerful advantages of her own. She has pride of place, a town full of quaking allies, and indomnable perseverance. When these two square off, the fun begins and doesn't let up.
This is a delightful read, a mood lifter of the first magnitude. "Mapp & Lucia" is my introduction to Lucia, and I cannot wait to further my acquaintance with this fascinating lady.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer
Mapp and Lucia: Napoleons of the Tea Room.......2002-10-23
This is the first book I've read in E.F. Benson's "Lucia" series, and it is fun-filled ride indeed. For Benson novices, Lucia Lucas is a middle aged, recently widowed (in this novel), perfectly nice upper middle class woman who just happens to have the mind of Machavelli. Missing her obvious calling for World Domination, she is instead content to rule the social life of her small English village with an iron fist. As "Mapp and Lucia" begins however, Lucia has long since deposed any serious threat to her social dominance in her immediate vicinity, and decides fresher pastures are in order. She packs up her things (including , of course, best friend and right-hand-man Georgie) and moves to Tilling, where she expects she will be made society Queen in no time flat. Unfortunately for Lucia, Tilling already has a Queen, one Elizabeth Mapp, and she has no intention of relinquishing her crown.
The scene is thus set for a true Battle Royal, only in Tilling the battelfields are luncheons and dinner parties, and the weapons fruit gardens and lobster recipes. The results are very very funny, as the genteel of Tilling spend a breathless year thoroughly enjoying each swipe, snub and put down. The hilarious climax has our heroines floating out to sea on an overturned kitchen table, with Lucia's last audible words promising delicious gossip just as soon as she gets out of her current mess.
Benson draws his characters exquisitely well, I found myself flat out liking her. She is an Englishwomen of the 1930's, past her prime but still youthful, who just happens to be blessed (cursed?) with the personality of an Alpha Male. The resulting battle of wits with the formidable Mapp is fascinating; Mapp is clearly not her intellectual equal but through a mixture of deviousness and and cunning manages to pull the carpet from underneath Lucia's carefully laid plans time and again. The supporting characters are equally well written, with best friend Georgie and Mapp's crony Diva especially amusing.
All in all, a funny, entertaining and biting satire that is well worth reading whether you are already a Lucia fan or are picking up a Benson novel for the first time. Highly recommended!
Book Description
E. F. Benson's strikingly original comic creation Miss Mapp is an arch-schemer and social climber from the British town of Tilling who spends her days using opera glasses and a notebook to chart her neighbors' affairs. Among her interests are Major Benjamin Flint, whom she has been trying to marry for years, and the underhanded Miss Susan Poppit.
Customer Reviews:
The saga of the Mapp Duel..a delight!.......2007-01-02
This book from the hilarious pen of Benson, is odd in a certain way. After all, Miss Mapp is the queen of Tilling in the book, and undisputed depot who rules with an iron tongue! Where is our dear Lucia, Mapp's sworn enemy, and the pretender to the throne? Well, she is back in her original home of Riseholme, with her dear husband Peppino. Those who know the Mapp and Lucia Saga from the wonderful television series, might find it strange to have Mapp ruling the roost without interference, however it makes for a delightful read (with one oblique allusion to Lucia), and shows that Miss Mapp is a strong enough character to carry her own book. The most significant event (though hardly significant at all really) is the rumored duel between Puffin and Flint over the affections of Miss Mapp. What really occured on that misty morning? Read this brilliant piece of humor to find out. I love it!
Such fun.......2002-06-17
Miss Elizabeth Mapp lives in the English village of Tilling and there she attempts to be part of the cream of Tilling's society. With a steady diet of gossip, Miss Mapp and her circle of fellow residents flavor their lives with eyes on the goal of status. Benson's sharply observed and satirical tale is part of the Mapp & Lucia series, which pokes fun at English society of the times. Like an early ancestor of "Dynasty" or anything else produced by Aaron Spelling, the Mapp and Lucia stories are big fun for any Anglophile or fan of camp literature.
Hilarious fun in a small English village.......2001-06-21
Miss Mapp rules the tiny English village of Tilling- that is she rules those who matter. It is a tiny circle of people who have enough class to rate her attention - but she manipulates and lauds over them with machiavellian schemes, and intelligent surmises - and she is intelligent.
Benson has written a village with a range of gorgeous characters - from Diva who is Miss Mapp's great rival, to Irene the local artist who keeps embarrassing Miss Mapp with her prosaic pronouncements. Then there is the local Vicar who talks in a combination of Shakespearian English and Burnsian dialect. There is also Mrs Poppit who is an up and coming social climber (hardly worthy of Miss Mapp's notice) and the novel begins with Miss Mapps machinations to the Poppitt Bridge party.
Village life you see seems to run around Bridge parties. In this petty world of card games there is a great deal of opportunity to expose one another's weaknesses and Miss Mapp, in order to be the center of village life in Tilling finds no object too petty to exploit. This is a novel of small things made into huge issues because of the smallness of the village. There is Miss Mapps constant running battle to dress better than Diva, the competition over Mr Wyse's attentions (with his supposed comtessa sister), and the ever pressing desire to be the First To Know all the gossip in town.
The physical descriptions both through the characters minds and from Benson's pen are wonderful for instance Diva is always depicted as whirling around the place - her legs circling. Mrs Poppit is ever present in a huge and weighty sable coat.
This is a wonderful book, and beautifully written. Benson seems to me to be very influenced by Austen - there is the small and claustrophobic atmosphere of village life - the characters (Miss Mapp seems so like Mrs Norris of Austen's 'Mansfield Park') to me - and then there are the odd Austen Names (in this case the Coles feature strongly as a family that is not quite up to snuff - just as the Coles are in 'Emma'). If nothing else Benson writes of English village life in the 1920's with the same Ironic pen as Austen did of village life in the early nineteenth century.
Highly recommended if you want a couple of days of laughter.
she's worse than you mother-in-law, but more fun to read.......2001-03-01
Well, after meeting Queen Lucia, I quite enjoyed learning all about Tilling and its dear Miss Mapp. You will wonder who she visited in Riseholm, and you will die from the anticipation of the two ladies meeting up in subsequent books (you won't be disappointed!). The characters are fantastic, the situations are comic, and I absolutely loved this book! I am officially hooked on the entire series! I hope you will try it and love it just as much as I.
Wicked Fun!.......2000-07-08
Not only will the Reader of today recognize Miss Mapp amongst her acquaintances, dear Reader is only too likely to see *herself* in caricature. (I, for one, am Diva Plaistow; no getting round it.) A delight from the first paragraph, "Miss Mapp" is even more enjoyable if you've read the first two in the Lucia chronicles. Librarina@netscape.net
Book Description
In·Tom Holt's second continuation of E. F. Benson's classic Mapp and Lucia novels, Tilling is hurled into fierce social warfare as Lucia contends with Elizabeth's latest ruse — a game of Monopoly — to win over the hearts and minds of the town's populace. Is Lucia haunted by ghosts? Will she triumph in the face of a royal visit? Is Mapp of noble blood — or of criminal heritage? “The period is caught with remarkable skill. Equally well captured is the spirit of Benson's six Lucia novels.” — Oxford Mail
Customer Reviews:
A good Attempt.......2007-03-14
Mr Holt did a fair job at crafting this book. At least he got the basics right, but He didn't quite capture the whole spirit of the lucia series. With the original series, Benson managed to tell the story that was going on "on stage" but there was a great deal more that was going on behind the scenes that you would only pick up on by reading between the lines. There were lots of little things that didn't quite ring true, and it felt a little hollow. It was just a little too over the top at times. One of the things I noticed right away was the fact that Mr Wyse never seemed to take any of his usually to frequent bows.
Still, it was a pleasant enough read, and I doubt anyone could ever really hold a candle to benson
Lucia Redux.......2000-07-08
Those of us who are Lucia fans (of the origianl E.F. Benson six books) can never get enough of her upper middle class, early 20th century English scheming. The original novels are some of the funniest ever written--perhaps more-so because we cannot help but see a little bit of ourselves and our friends through our laughter.
Holt's Lucia Triumphant is not a send up, but one of two lovingly crafted continuations of the series. In the originals nothing ever happens of much import except in that it sets up comedic bits that one can read and read over again a laugh everytime. In Holt's novels, the situations are just a little more ridiculous, and the characters drawn with just a little more characature. That is my only complaint, this is not quite up to E.F. Benson's writing in the--one might say--subtlety of the broadness. Otherwise, this is a fine comedic novel, indeed. If you are a Luciafile, or you like Evelyn Waugh and that ilk, you will enjoy this book immensely.
It is an enjoyable homage to Benson's characters well worth your time.
Customer Reviews:
The Jane Austen of the 1920's.......2003-11-18
For me, there is nothing quite like E.F. Benson's 'Lucia' series, except perhaps for the novels of the great Jane Austen herself. Benson is truly a social satirist of Austen's calibre (and I give this praise as an absolute Worshipper of Austen, so it's not lightly given). Benson's characters, living, as they do, lives of comfort & ease in quiet, picturesque English villages, during a historical period of relative peace, manage to get up to the most exciting and riveting, but at the same time, completely polite and respectable social adventures, and display to the reader their own little vanities and self-deceits in the most wonderful ways. I think I'm on my third reading of the books now (having acquired them about 5 years ago) and I still enjoy them immensely. I can't imagine any fan of Jane Austen not also totally 'getting' Benson's Lucia & Miss Mapp books. Benson rocks!!
Product Description
Completed shortly before his death, memoir of English and Continental society, including such persons as Kipling, Corelli, George Eliot and many others.
Average customer rating:
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Mapp and Lucia
Manufacturer: The New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000HTB8YG |
Average customer rating:
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Mapp and Lucia
E F Benson
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GM8CKC |
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