Books Marked

Like Vivian Ringer (“Literary Britain,” Nov. 19), I, too, made a literary pilgrimage to Lamb House in Rye, East Sussex. Not because of someone as tedious as Henry James but because of Edward Frederic Benson, author of the sprightly Mapp and Lucia novels, who lived there from 1919 to 1940.

Benson transformed Rye into the fictional “Tilling” and Lamb House into “Mallards.” A visit to the Martello Bookshop there will get you a guide to some two dozen buildings in Rye that Benson used in his novels. And if you have read them, your visit will be a delightful experience of remembrance and discovery.

Benson’s works range from mystery, romance and humor to biography and social commentary. He is depicted in the west window of Rye parish church, as is his manservant and favorite dog, Taffy.

RICHARD G. LOTTRIDGE

Sierra Madre