Anna of the Five Towns (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. A Staffordshire Potteries Novel of Conscience, Inheritance, Methodist Control, and Female IndependenceBy Arnold Bennett
Length9h 23m
About this audiobook
Set amid the smoky pottery district of Staffordshire, Anna of the Five Towns is a finely observed study of conscience, repression, and thwarted desire. Bennett's prose combines realist precision with quiet psychological penetration, tracing Anna Tellwright's struggle between inherited wealth, filial tyranny, Nonconformist morality, and the possibility of love. In the tradition of late Victorian and Edwardian realism, the novel transforms provincial life into a moral landscape where money, religion, and class determine private fate. Arnold Bennett, born in Hanley in 1867, knew intimately the industrial "Five Towns" that became the imaginative center of much of his fiction. His upbringing among the potteries, his exposure to Methodism, commerce, and social constraint, and his later career as a journalist and novelist all inform the book's disciplined attention to place and character. Bennett writes not as a tourist of provincial life but as one who understands its habits, pressures, and silences from within. This novel is recommended to readers who value subtle social criticism, restrained emotional drama, and richly textured realism. Those interested in women's constrained choices, industrial modernity, or the moral economies of provincial England will find Anna of the Five Towns both moving and intellectually rewarding.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.4 (85)
Includes Amazon
GenreLiterary Classics, General Fiction
Length9 hrs 23 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateSep 22, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Anna of the Five Towns (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5Chapter I. The Kindling of Love
Show all chaptersShow less
6Chapter II. The Miser's Daughter
7Chapter III. The Birthday
8Chapter IV. A Visit
9Chapter V. The Revival
10Chapter VI. Willie
11Chapter VII. The Sewing Meeting
12Chapter VIII. On the Bank
13Chapter IX. The Treat
14Chapter X. The Isle
15Chapter XI. The Downfall
16Chapter XII. At the Priory
17Chapter XIII. The Bazaar
18Chapter XIV. End of a Simple Soul
19Analysis
20Reflection
21Memorable Quotes
The Collected Works of Arnold BennettArnold Bennett439h 55m4.5 (45)$2.99 · $0.00
The Greatest Works of Arnold BennettArnold Bennett361h 12m4.4 (12)$1.99 · $0.00
Anna of the Five TownsArnold Bennett9h 20m3.7 (3.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Complete Novellas & Short StoriesArnold Bennett40h 46m$1.99 · $0.00
The Old Wives' TaleArnold Bennett25h 39m4.0 (6.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Arnold Bennett: Buried Alive, The Old Wives' Tale & The Card (3 Books in One Edition)Arnold Bennett40h 8m4.2 (19)$1.99 · $0.00
CLAYHANGERArnold Bennett22h 1m4.0 (6.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
Hilda Lessways (Romance Classic)Arnold Bennett13h 3m4.1 (432)$1.99 · $0.00
The Complete Five Towns CollectionsArnold Bennett136h 4m4.4 (137)$1.99 · $0.00
The Adventures of Denry the AudaciousArnold Bennett19h 7m4.0 (1.7K)$1.99 · $0.00
THE ROLL-CALLArnold Bennett13h 54m3.6 (194)$1.99 · $0.00
RICEYMAN STEPSArnold Bennett11h 32m3.9 (1.1K)$1.99 · $0.00
MENTAL EFFICIENCY & OTHER HINTS TO MEN AND WOMENArnold Bennett3h 8m3.6 (461)$1.99 · $0.00
OVER THERE (War Scenes on the Western Front)Arnold Bennett4h 2m3.8 (151)$1.99 · $0.00
THESE TWAINArnold Bennett18h 6m4.0 (566)$1.99 · $0.00
The Grand Babylon HotelArnold Bennett8h 46m3.7 (3.7K)$1.99 · $0.00
Complete WorksArnold Bennett439h 59m4.2 (107)$1.99 · $0.00
THE OLD ADAMArnold Bennett10h 49m3.7 (25)$1.99 · $0.00
The Clayhanger Trilogy: Clayhanger, Hilda Lessways & These Twain (Complete Edition)Arnold Bennett51h 21m4.2 (1.5K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Matador of the Five Towns and Other Stories (Unabridged)Arnold Bennett10h 22m3.8 (153)$10 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
These Precious DaysAnn Patchett11h 14m4.5 (45.2K)$29 · $0.00
The Jeeves and Wooster Stories: The Complete Collection (33 Books)P. G. Wodehouse21h 57m4.7 (2.8K)$15 · $0.00
The Gulag Archipelago Volume 3Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn21h 56m4.7 (8.9K)$46 · $0.00
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m4.6 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m4.6 (9.3K)$18 · $0.00
TWELFTH NIGHTWilliam Shakespeare, Sidney Lee16h 38m4.6 (2.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Complete Histories / History Plays of William Shakespeare (Annotated)William Shakespeare29h 42m4.6 (2.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
Braving the TruthRachel Held Evans11h 31m4.7 (359)$29 · $0.00
The Old Man and the Sea (Annotated)Ernest Hemingway4h 27m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
Henry V (The Play, Historical Background and Analysis of the Character in the Play)William Shakespeare, William Hazlitt8h 50m4.6 (1.3K)$1.99 · $0.00
H. P. LOVECRAFT Ultimate Collection: Novellas, Short Stories, Poetry & Essays (Annotated)H. P. Lovecraft12h 28m4.6 (2.3K)$2 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust16h 8m4.5 (10.6K)$1.99 · $0.00
The Mis-Education of the NegroCarter Goodwin Woodson4h 32m4.5 (28.4K)$10 · $0.00
Lessons in TruthH. Emilie3h 50m4.6 (1.4K)$4.70 · $0.00
TORAH - Bilingual Edition: English/Hebrew (Annotated)Max Margolis, JPS28h 26m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
Betty Crocker picture cooky bookBetty Crocker, Inc. General Mills2h 13m4.5 (6.5K)$1 · $0.00
The Complete Tales of Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter3h 36m4.5 (75K)$3 · $0.00
Anne of Green GablesL. M. Montgomery11h 1m4.5 (1.2M)$2.30 · $0.00
Crime and Punishment (The Unabridged Garnett Translation) (Annotated)Fyodor Dostoevsky24h 25m4.5 (15.4K)$1.99 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.6 (4.6K)$29 · $0.00
Demon CopperheadBarbara Kingsolver21h 3m4.5 (949.4K)$46 · $0.00
To Kill a MockingbirdHarper Lee12h 18m4.5 (7.4M)$29 · $0.00
Remarkably Bright CreaturesShelby Van Pelt11h 17m4.4 (1.7M)$29 · $0.00
This Side of Paradise - The Original 1920 Edition (Annotated)F. Scott Fitzgerald11h 30m4.6 (1.6K)$2 · $0.00
War LordBernard Cornwell13h 21m4.6 (33.1K)$33 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m4.6 (9.3K)$18 · $0.00
Something Like LoveBeverly Jenkins10h 21m4.6 (2.7K)$29 · $0.00
Black History CollectionFrederick Douglass, Harriet Ann Jacobs, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois27h 9m4.6 (2.6K)$18 · $0.00
The Old Man and the Sea (Annotated)Ernest Hemingway4h 27m4.6 (1.4K)$2 · $0.00
White HotIlona Andrews13h 18m4.5 (136.9K)$5 · $0.00
The Ghost by the Billabong (The Matilda Saga, #5)Jackie French14h 58m4.6 (773)$33 · $0.00
Cast in BloodMichelle Sagara16h 35m4.6 (607)$33 · $0.00
The Captain Blood Trilogy (Annotated)Rafael Sabatini29h 20m4.6 (1K)$3 · $0.00
Ship of the Line (Annotated)Cecil Louis Troughton Smith11h 13m4.6 (1K)$2 · $0.00
The George Orwell CollectionGeorge Orwell24h 46m4.5 (14.4K)$12 · $0.00
ShivajiRanjit Desai25h 13m4.6 (3.1K)$24 · $0.00
Time RegainedMarcel Proust15h 38m4.5 (9.2K)$2 · $0.00
Driving ForceElle James4h 58m4.6 (407)$20 · $0.00
When God Calls the HeartBrian Bird, Michelle Cox3h 24m4.6 (439)$10 · $0.00
You may also like
The Complete Novels CollectionJane Austen69h 25m4.6 (48.3K)$12 · $0.00
Washington SquareHenry James7h 16m3.7 (30.2K)$17
Edith Wharton: New Year's Day, False Dawn, The Old Maid & The Spark (4 Books in One Edition)Edith Wharton10h 3m4.1 (3.2K)$1.99 · $0.00
Anna Karenina (Maude Translation, Unabridged and Annotated)Leo Tolstoy39h 30m4.1 (957.5K)$1 · $0.00
The FoursomeChristina Baker Kline10h 47m4.3 (3.4K)$29 · $0.00
Lady SusanJane Austen2h 27m3.8 (80.5K)$3.50 · $0.00
Mrs Craddock (A Dramatic Love Story)William Somerset Maugham12h 29m3.9 (2.1K)$1.99 · $0.00
MiddlemarchGeorge Eliot34h 44m4.2 (224.8K)$21 · $0.00
Adam BedeGeorge Eliot22h 17m3.9 (31.9K)$3.50 · $0.00
Sense and SensibilityJane Austen10h 49m4.2 (1.4M)$5 · $0.00
Tales of Old New YorkEdith Wharton10h 2m4.1 (3.8K)$1.99 · $0.00
Washington SquareHenry James7h 15m3.7 (30.3K)$12 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of George Eliot (Annotated)George Eliot169h 40m4.5 (2.2K)$3 · $0.00
The Collected Novels: Bel-Ami + A Life + Pierre and Jean + Strong as Death + Mont Oriol + Notre C?ur (Annotated)Guy de Maupassant51h 49m$2 · $0.00
Austen and Brontës: Complete Novels of Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë & Anne Brontë (Annotated)Charlotte Brontë, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë, Jane Austen203h 11m$2 · $0.00
The Jews of Barnow: StoriesKarl Emil Franzos8h 49m4.2 (10)$1 · $0.00
Raison et Sensibilité / Sense and Sensibility - Edition bilingue: français - anglaisJane Austen29h 19m$2 · $0.00
TogetherRobert Herrick20h 6m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Clayhanger Family Novels (Clayhanger + Hilda Lessways + These Twain + The Roll Call) (Annotated)Arnold Bennett64h 34m4.4 (76)$2 · $0.00
The Merry-Go-Round (Annotated)William Somerset Maugham2h 59m4.1 (12)$2 · $0.00