Bensen is a great writer. The observations of everyday situations and people's attitudes are insightful and amusing without being too judgmental. A fascinating look at a vanished society. ( )

Benson is one of my favourite authors. Typical of his stories, there is a serious side to the entertaining lives of the village elite. Published in 1912, Mrs Ames may have been the forerunner to Mapp and Lucia, but she has a distinct character all her own. The reader cheers her on in her quest to be society's leading light. Very enjoyable and recommended strongly to Benson fans. ( )

A delightful portrayal of village social competition, and as always with Benson, character types, such as the talkative: "She talked rather slowly, but without ever stopping of her own accord, so that she got as much into a given space of time as most people. Even if she was temporarily stopped by an interruption, she kept her mouth open, so as to be able to proceed at the earliest possible moment." (6) Very funny on hair: prominent bald man who combs his long side hair over the top, secured by an essential hat, which may be knocked off by a branch.
May be EF Benson's best, in that the intricacies of interior life and social issues--specifically, the Suffragette Movement-- intersect in Benson's usual witty and oppositional, contradictory way. Some is broad satire, here of Mrs Ames: "In appearance she was like a small, good-looking toad in half-mourning; or, to state the comparison with greater precision, she was small for a woman, but good-looking for a toad." Or, "For the next week, Mrs Altham was thoroughly in her element. She had something to conceal, and was in a delicious state of tension with the superficial desire to disclose her impersonation..."(126).
And Benson underlines profound human behavior, where great laws--kindness and generosity-- are principally concerned with apparent trivialities, "Indeed, it is chiefly in little things, because most of us are not concerned with great matters" (284). The author's wit takes certain religious history for granted, "Mr Ames' lumbago was of the Laodicean sort, neither hot nor cold."
Curiously, the NYT had this book exactly right,"An extraordinary study in comedy," while TLS condescends,"a clever little satire." ( )

This novel is a precisely drawn satire of life in an English village in the early 20th century. Mrs. Ames has been the leader of society in Riseborough for many years, due partly to her commanding presence and partly to her distant familial connection with a nobleman. The other residents of Riseborough both admire and resent her for her position, and many of the local gossips would be glad to see her fail in some way. So when a (relatively speaking) new arrival, Mrs. Evans, begins to set herself up as Mrs. Ames' social rival, the entire town waits with bated breath to see whether their queen will be dethroned. Meanwhile, both Mrs. Ames and Mrs. Evans dimly begin to realize that their lives are unfulfilling, but their search for deeper meaning takes them down drastically different paths, one of which may lead to scandal and heartbreak.

I expected this book to be nothing more than a light, witty comedy of manners -- which it is, but it also took a more serious turn than I anticipated. The various social machinations of the ladies of Riseborough are very funny; there's a particularly wonderful scene in which Mrs. Evans hosts a masquerade ball and several ladies (tragically, yet hilariously) show up wearing the same costume. But for me, the more compelling story was Mrs. Ames' slow realization that her dreary, respectable life isn't making her happy. It's only when she begins to identify with a cause greater than herself that she actually finds contentment -- even at the moment when all her respectability and social standing is taken away. So oddly enough, this comedy of manners turns into a coming-of-age story, and I found it a surprisingly thought-provoking read.

Stayed up late last night finishing up the delightful and surprising Mrs. Ames by E.F. Benson. Written in the jovial tone somewhere between Wodehouse and Thirkell, the novel focusses mainly on two couples of the town gentry who become entangled over the course of a year. At first it seems the story will be all a comedy of manners although Benson paves the way for his heroine, for she is just that, Amy Ames to have an epiphany. She 'gets' the suffragette movement, not just the thrill and 'fun' of the demonstrations but the whole purpose of lifting women out of being onlookers into being participants in the greater world. Meanwhile her husband is getting himself into a dangerous muddle..... A delightful read very much of the early 19th century era and style, so not for everyone, but if you like this kind of thing, as I do, I expect you will enjoy it. There is a scene where Mrs. Ames, who is exactly my age, has gone to the beach to 'transform' herself, and she ends up buying a little spade to build things and runs in and out of the waves..... that image of this person unbuttoning and enjoying herself was priceless!
**** ( )