The Freaks of Mayfair by E.F. Benson Folio Society HB 2009

In that most rarefied haunt of civilisation – Edwardian Mayfair – there parades a strange and glorious collection of social climbers, snobs and bright young things. These delightful ‘freaks’ are captured in a series of irresistibly funny character sketches. Fans of Benson’s Mapp and Lucia novels may recognise some early prototypes in such characters as Mrs Weston, with her enthusiasm for yogic postures, or ‘Aunt’ Georgie, who is passionate about embroidery and calls his chauffeur ‘naughty boy’. Others are still recognisable today, for example the ‘grizzly kittens’ who seek to prolong their youth with a ‘miserable display of mature skittishness’. Reminiscent of Saki, this is a sparkling and perceptive social satire.

'Among the immortals … in the supreme pantheon of the greatest humorous writers in the English language' – Stephen Pile

DESCRIPTION: Bound in full cloth. 176 pages; frontispiece and 7 black & white illustrations by George Plank. Comes in navy slipcase. Out of print. Book is in excellent condition.

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