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Music Quote by E.F. Benson

“Mrs. Alingsby was tall and weird and intense, dressed rather like a bird-of-paradise that had been out in a high gale, but very well connected. She had long straight hair which fell over her forehead, and sometimes got in her eyes, and she wore on her head a scarlet jockey-cap with an immense…” quote by E.F. Benson
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““Mrs. Alingsby was tall and weird and intense, dressed rather like a bird-of-paradise that had been out in a high gale, but very well connected. She had long straight hair which fell over her forehead, and sometimes got in her eyes, and she wore on her head a scarlet jockey-cap with an immense cameo in front of it. She hated all art that was earlier than 1923, and a considerable lot of what was later. In music, on the other hand, she was primitive, and thought Bach decadent: in literature her taste was for stories without a story, and poems without metre or meaning. But she had collected round her a group of interesting outlaws, of whom the men looked like women, and the women like nothing at all, and though nobody ever knew what they were talking about, they themselves were talked about. Lucia had been to a party of hers, where they all sat in a room with black walls, and listened to early Italian music on a spinet while a charcoal brazier on a blue hearth was fed with incense… Lucia’s general opinion of her was that she might be useful up to a point, for she certainly excited interest.””

E.F. Benson

About This Quote

Source Novel: Miss Mapp, 1925

Mrs. Alingsby is an eccentric, flamboyant figure whose tastes and social circle defy conventional norms, creating intrigue and curiosity.

In simple terms: Eccentric character with odd tastes and friends.

Key Takeaway

Embrace uniqueness in others.

Themes

eccentricity art culture social circles curiosity

Mood

playful ironic

Type

literary character study

When to use this quote

  • social gatherings
  • art criticism
  • literary analysis
  • character study

Key Concepts

modernism aesthetic rebellion identity subculture

Questions to Reflect On

  • What draws you to eccentric personalities?
  • How do unconventional tastes affect social dynamics?
A Different Perspective

Her taste may alienate mainstream appreciation.

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