E F Benson

The Freaks of Mayfair E F Benson

This is a series of character sketches of the various social types living in Mayfair. We have the snobs, the social climbers, the faddists, the conformists, and one character who imagines herself the heroine of sensational novels. Although it was written in 1916, this could easily have been written today, Eddie and Patsy (of Ab Fab fame) seem to have taken it as their manual on how to behave. A lot of the characters here seem to be forerunners of the characters from 'Mapp and Lucia, humanist famous creations. Amusing, but not as laugh out loud funny as those later books. (Tania)