Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson 10 plus out of 10

 Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson

10 plus out of 10

What a divine, amusing, fabulous, clever, stupendous novel, which you can read or download for free – most works that are older than seventy years have their copyrights expired – from http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6840 or you have the alternative to listen to the audiobook format, also available at no cost at https://librivox.org/, read by the marvelous volunteer – indeed, he is so good and this gift is so astounding that it makes one think of offering to read for the site…volunteering has been proved by positive psychology studies to be one of the most satisfying, rewarding activities - Martin Clifton…all my gratitude to you!

This absolutely glorious comedy is included on The Guardian’s 1,000 Novels Everyone Must Read list - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jan/23/bestbooks-fiction and it is without a doubt a spectacular ode to simplicity – if we look at one level – an accurate, if pleasant and mirthful observation of human flaws and the teasing of the aspiration that so many of us have to be seen as more refined, cultivated, intelligent, knowledgeable – think of Fat Donnie in the White House – than we really are, just as the main character of the exulting novel, Queen Lucia aka Emmeline Lucas – apparently, the wife of Lucas would be called Lucia…the husband who plays second violin to this virtuoso of pretentiousness is called Pepino and they exchange greetings, amiabilities in Italian – a language the Queen claims to know, up to the point where she would be seated near an Italian opera composer and she would have to show that she does not understand her and her knowledge of the ‘Bella lingua’ does not extend beyond caro, prego and a few other common expressions and gentilities…

Notwithstanding the pomposity, arrogance, falsity of many of the acts of the monarch of Riseholm, there is value in taking her preoccupation with art, the music playing, with a special penchant for Beethoven and his Moonlight sonata, the emphasis on intellectual activities, as opposed to the frivolity, time wasting of the big cities…her devoted companion, assistant and underling, George aka Georgie – well, until he finds another personage that would get more of his adoration and fidelity – seems to be the image of the pleasant, jocular gay, who does needlework, has some peculiar clothes, wakes up in the middle of night in a panic, when he thinks there are burglars, but they turn out to be just his sisters, Hermy and Ursy, and he is permanently concerned with the curls in his hair, which he would embellish with the help of a wig that he hopes nobody would notice…that it is artificial and not real hair

Another member of the entourage of the Riseholm Queen, until the situation would be dramatically changed, is the outré Daisy Margarita’ Quantock, married to Robert, a woman that has a habit, no a thirst, a passion, to find some new fad that would get her absorbed into febrile rituals, first it was Christian Science, which would insist there is no cold or pain and some other preposterous ideas, a period that would have her hire a cook just because of her association with the cult – alas, she has no talent for cooking – and then she finds this Guru – or Burglararu as he would be called later – an Indian who is supposed to come from Benares, with Brahmin heritage, a supernatural knowledge of all high things, a total disregard for money – at least on the face of it, for there would be surprises here – a teacher that would first use his skills to improve the pose, the happiness, bliss of his pupil, Daisy Quantock…

However, seeing as he could become an attraction for the circle controlled majestically by the local sovereign, Queen Lucia maneuvers to take possession of this Indian Wise man, to the fury of his initial sponsor, creating an event in the garden where his presence would be exploited for maximum benefit – nonetheless, he discovers that Lady Ambermere, one of the guests, has been to India and he considers that she may jeopardize his position and thus he absconds from the party, until that woman would be gone – together with the apparition of another spectacular guest, Olga Braceley, a young opera singer that would not just threaten the monarchy led by Mrs. Lucas, but would actually overthrow the former queen, though she has had no intention of doing so, on the contrary, when she would see the sorry state in which Emmeline Lucas will have been, she would make every effort to redress that.

Hermy and Ursy discover that the acclaimed guru, the one that has had people of the village standing on one foot, with the hand on the nose – forbidden today, in the days of the covid 19 epidemic – and in other postures is in fact a cook that they have met in India, a talented one, especially when inebriated, and when he sees them he understands that his game would soon be up and therefore he takes his exit, but not before entering Georgie’s house, where the owner has no reaction at the sounds he hears, thinking of the previous exaggerated debacle, and then all the other houses he can get to, stealing money, jewelry and leaving behind an astonishing number of…empty bottles, and seeing those, Georgie thinks of the time when he saw the ‘Burglararu’ with cognac and Daisy Margarita regrets having given this man carte blanche at the grocer and not asking for a weekly bill, which would have helped her to see earlier what the teacher was up to…

When Olga Braceley has a spontaneous, fresh, inventive party, the monarch of the place is unhappy, jealous, though she would show no such emotions, and instead she decides to organize a ‘proper event’, something to show this alien presence what high standard, elevated soirees they have in Riseholme, trying to get the participation of Georgie in a tableau, a sophisticated performance that would put to shame the games and fun the guests all had at the Braceley do, but Georgie has already been inclined to change his allegiance to the new sovereign, he even thinks he might be in love with the opera singer, and developments do not help the queen that seems to decline and lose the touch that awed the community before the arrival of the artist…

The opera singer has another party, where a quartet is hired and the Queen thinks it is a local band, which has little to boast about and when she arrives on the scene and listens to the music, she appreciates the glory of Beethoven, when asked by the host, but she is more than evasive, she is critical of the musicians and says something like…’when one has been spoiled by the music played by the Spanish Quartet, everything else pales…’ to which Olga Braceley resorts, but this is the Spanish Quartet…provoking laughter from Daisy Margarita – who has never managed to get over the stealing of her Guru – and the others present are now aware that the alleged absolute knowledge of music of their former monarch is flawed…

There is another episode of hilarity and embarrassment, when Lucia is invited to manifest her reputed knowledge of Italian, which she keeps pretending to talk at home with her spouse and advertises so flauntingly on many occasions, but all can watch her as she has no idea what the Italian composer that is a guest of the opera singer for whom he is composing some would be acclaimed work is saying to her…

This is truly a fantastic comedy!