9 h 45 minAudiobook9 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
In Tilling, an invitation can become a weapon, and a window is the perfect place to rule.
Elizabeth Mapp watches her neighbours from her garden room window at Mallards, determined to remain Tilling’s leading lady. In this small town on England’s south coast, everyone knows everyone, and leisure leaves plenty of room for gossip. E. F. Benson’s comic novel turns visits, bridge games and garden produce into matters of fierce social importance.
Around Miss Mapp, neighbours become rivals and allies. Major Benjamin Flint and Captain Puffin guard their standing, while lively Diva Plaistow keeps a keen eye on local affairs. A remark leads to a plan; a small deception promises an advantage. Beneath the polite surface, the struggle is constant: who gets noticed, who knows first, and who keeps up appearances best?
What you’ll discover
- A watchful leading lady Meet Elizabeth Mapp, whose determination to lead makes every neighbour’s move worth watching.
- Little wars of manners Follow social manoeuvres that turn ordinary invitations and bridge games into hard-fought campaigns.
- An unconventional neighbour Encounter Irene Coles, a young painter whose frank manner unsettles the town’s careful habits.
- The price of appearances See how being thought well of matters more in Tilling than being good.
- Wit with a knowing smile Enjoy Benson’s cool, sly voice as it draws you into the role of fellow observer.
Who will love it
For readers who love social comedy, English small-town life between the wars, and characters who are petty and wonderful at once. Gossip, social rivalry and the art of keeping up appearances turn Tilling into a battlefield of polite intentions.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Tilling is a town built for gossip
- Miss Mapp watches from her window
- The neighbours are rivals and allies
- Small schemes grow into campaigns
- Appearances matter more than facts
- A light, sly voice carries the comedy
Who’s who
- Elizabeth MappAn unmarried woman of middle age who watches Tilling from her garden room window and is determined to remain its leading lady.
- Major Benjamin FlintA retired army officer in Tilling, drawn into the town's round of visits, bridge and rivalry.
- Captain PuffinAnother retired military man living in Tilling, whose standing in the town is bound up with his rivalry with the Major.
- Diva PlaistowA lively neighbour of Miss Mapp who takes a keen interest in everything that goes on around her.
- Evie BartlettA member of the Tilling circle, married to the local clergyman, and part of its social round.
- Irene ColesA young painter whose frank, unconventional manner sets her apart from the careful habits of the older residents.
Formats and delivery
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- Audiobook
- 9 h 45 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 9 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Miss Mapp
by E. F. Benson · 1922
From her garden room window, Elizabeth Mapp watches Tilling and schemes to remain its leading lady.
Medium level5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Miss Mapp is a comic novel by E. F. Benson, published in 1922. It is set in Tilling, a small town on the south coast of England, where everyone knows everyone and nobody has quite enough to do.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Tilling is a town built for gossip
The story opens in Tilling, a small, old, comfortable town on the coast of southern England. Its streets are narrow, its houses are tidy, and its residents are mostly people of modest means with plenty of leisure. Benson based the town on a real place in Sussex, and he gives it a settled, almost closed-in feeling. Everything that happens there is seen by someone.
That is the point of the setting. In a place like this, there is no private life worth the name. A visit, a new hat, a delivery at the door or an empty chair at a tea table all become news before the afternoon is out. Benson treats the town as a kind of stage where the same small cast play out their parts day after day.
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What is Miss Mapp about?
It is a comic novel about Elizabeth Mapp, who watches the people of the small seaside town of Tilling from her window. The story follows the gossip, rivalries and social schemes of her circle.
Who is Miss Mapp?
Miss Mapp is an unmarried woman of middle age who lives at Mallards in Tilling. She is sweet in speech, suspicious in thought, and determined to remain the leading figure of the town.
Where and when is Miss Mapp set?
It is set in Tilling, a small town on the south coast of England, based on a real Sussex town. Benson published the novel in 1922, so it reflects life in the years after the First World War.
The author
E. F. Benson
1867–1940 · English novelist
Edward Frederic Benson (1867–1940) was an English novelist and short-story writer. He was born at Wellington College in Berkshire and later lived in Rye, Sussex. His books include The Room in the Tower, and Other Stories (1912), Miss Mapp (1922), and Visible and Invisible (1923). He died in London.
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