The Complete Short Stories of Arnold Bennett (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Tales of the Five Towns, The Grim Smile of the Five Towns, The Matador of the Five Towns, The Loot of CitiesBy Arnold Bennett
Length40h 51m
About this audiobook
The Complete Short Stories of Arnold Bennett gathers the brief fiction of one of Edwardian England's most acute realists, revealing in concentrated form the social textures, moral compromises, and quiet dramas that animate his novels. Set often amid the industrial "Five Towns" of the Potteries, these stories combine documentary precision with urbane irony, attentive characterization, and a shrewd sense of class, commerce, marriage, ambition, and self-deception. Bennett's prose is lucid and disciplined, yet richly observant, standing between Victorian realism and modernist psychological nuance. Arnold Bennett (1867–1931), born in Hanley, Staffordshire, drew deeply on the landscape, speech, and civic mentality of the pottery district in which he was raised. His early legal training, journalistic career, and cosmopolitan years in London and Paris sharpened his eye for institutions, social aspiration, and the theatricality of everyday life. These experiences helped him transform provincial material into fiction of national and enduring significance. This collection is highly recommended for readers interested in English realism, regional fiction, and the evolution of the modern short story. It offers not merely period charm, but a penetrating study of ordinary lives rendered with intelligence, sympathy, and unsentimental art.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A comprehensive Introduction outlines these selected works' unifying features, themes, or stylistic evolutions.
- A Historical Context section situates the works in their broader era—social currents, cultural trends, and key events that underpin their creation.
- A concise Synopsis (Selection) offers an accessible overview of the included texts, helping readers navigate plotlines and main ideas without revealing critical twists.
- A unified Analysis examines recurring motifs and stylistic hallmarks across the collection, tying the stories together while spotlighting the different work's strengths.
- Reflection questions inspire deeper contemplation of the author's overarching message, inviting readers to draw connections among different texts and relate them to modern contexts.
- Lastly, our hand‐picked Memorable Quotes distill pivotal lines and turning points, serving as touchstones for the collection's central themes.
Audiobook details
GenreGeneral Fiction, Literary Classics
Length40 hrs 51 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateSep 22, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
51Why the Clock Stopped
2Introduction
52Hot Potatoes
3Historical Context
53Half-a-Sovereign
4Synopsis (Selection)
54The Blue Suit
5Tales of the Five Towns
55The Tiger and the Baby
Show all chaptersShow less
6Part I. At Home
56The Revolver
7His Worship the Goosedriver
57An Unfair Advantage
8The Elixir of Youth
58The Woman who Stole Everything and Other Stories
9Mary with the High Hand
59The Woman who Stole Everything
10The Dog
60Chapter I. In the Hotel
11A Feud
61Chapter II. After Dinner
12Phantom
62Chapter III. Cander
13Tiddy-fol-lol
63Chapter IV. The Martyr
14The Idiot
64Chapter V. In the Garden
15Part II. Abroad
65Chapter VI. Henry’s Heart
16The Hungarian Rhapsody
66Chapter VII. Late
17The Sisters Qita
67Chapter VIII. Confession
18Nocturne at the Majestic
68Chapter IX. Her Life
19Clarice of the Autumn Concerts
69Chapter X. The Sovereign Queen
20A Letter Home
70A Place in Venice
21The Grim Smile of the Five Towns
71The Toreador
22The Lion's Share
72Middle-Aged
23Baby's Bath
73The Umbrella
24The Silent Brothers
74House to Let
25The Nineteenth Hat
75Claribel
26Vera's First Christmas Adventure
76Time to Think
27The Murder of the Mandarin
77One of Their Quarrels
28Vera's Second Christmas Adventure
78“What I Have Said I Have Said”
29The Burglary
79Death, Fire, and Life
30News of the Engagement
80The Epidemic
31Beginning the New Year
81A Very Romantic Affair
32From One Generation to Another
82The Loot of Cities
33The Death of Simon Fuge
83The Loot of Cities
34In a New Bottle
84Chapter I. The Fire of London.
35The Matador of the Five Towns
85Chapter II. A Comedy on the Gold Coast.
36The Matador of the Five Towns
86Chapter III. A Bracelet at Bruges.
37Mimi
87Chapter IV. A Solution of the Algiers Mystery.
38The Supreme Illusion
88Chapter V. In the Capital of the Sahara.
39The Letter and the Lie
89Chapter VI. "Lo! 'twas a gala night!"
40The Glimpse
90Mr. Penfound's Two Burglars
41Jock-at-a-Venture
91Midnight at the Grand Babylon
42The Heroism of Thomas Chadwick
92The Police Station
43Under the Clock
93The Adventure of the Prima Donna
44Three Episodes in the Life of Mr Cowlishaw
94The Episode in Room 222
45Catching the Train
95Saturday to Monday
46The Widow of the Balcony
96A Dinner at the Louvre
47The Cat and Cupid
97Analysis
48The Fortune Teller
98Reflection
49The Long-lost Uncle
99Memorable Quotes
50The Tight Hand
The Complete Clayhanger Family Novels (Clayhanger + Hilda Lessways + These Twain + The Roll Call) (Annotated)Arnold Bennett64h 34m$2 · $0.00
Mental Efficiency, and Other Hints to Men and WomenArnold Bennett1h 24m$2 · $0.00
The Lion's ShareArnold Bennett11h 25m$2 · $0.00
The Grand Babylon HôtelArnold Bennett8h 38m$2 · $0.00
Paris Nights, and Other Impressions of Places and PeopleArnold Bennett9h 20m$1 · $0.00
The City of Pleasure: A Fantasia on Modern ThemesArnold Bennett7h 52m$2 · $0.00
ClayhangerArnold Bennett21h 59m$2 · $0.00
Hilda LesswaysArnold Bennett11h 5m$1 · $0.00
Journalism for Women: A Practical GuideArnold Bennett2h 45m$2 · $0.00
The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five TownsArnold Bennett8h 30m$2 · $0.00
The Roll-CallArnold Bennett12h 18m$2 · $0.00
The Human MachineArnold Bennett3h 8m$2 · $0.00
Helen with the High Hand (2nd ed.)Arnold Bennett4h 58m$1 · $0.00
The Plain Man and His WifeArnold Bennett1h 59m$2 · $0.00
The Game of Life and How to Play It & How to Live on 24 Hours a DayArnold Bennett4h 23m$2 · $0.00
Over There: War Scenes on the Western Front (Annotated)Arnold Bennett3h 59m$2 · $0.00
How to Live on 24 Hours a DayArnold Bennett2h 4m$2 · $0.00
How to Live on 24 Hours a Day (A Classic Guide to Self-Improvement) (Annotated)Arnold Bennett2h 16m$2 · $0.00
Riceyman Steps (Unabridged) (Annotated)Arnold Bennett11h 32m$2 · $0.00
RiversnowTess Thompson8h 11m$20
Supreme ClienteleAshley & JaQuavis8h 58m$20
Body Refinement in a Beast Tamer’s World, Book 1Seth Ring14h 7m$27
EmberJeffrey Wilson, Brian Andrews13h 58m$23
The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Unabridged)Jane Austen88h 8m5 (1)$1 · $0.00
Desperate MeasuresBrenda Jackson8h 59m5 (1)$28 · $0.00
Searching For ThanksgivingS.E. Smith4h 24m$20
Naughty 4Brenda Hampton7h 30m$17
The Dance with Me TrilogyShelley Shepard Gray21h 44m$35
Anne Shirley (Complete 14 Book Collection)Lucy Maud Montgomery125h 28m$2 · $0.00
The DopemanJaQuavis Coleman5h 25m$20
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
WhistlerAnn Patchett10h 45m4.2 (12)$29 · $0.00
Grand Opening 2Carl Weber9h 16m$20
Sons of Valor II: Violence of ActionBrian Andrews, Jeffrey Wilson12h 34m$23
Malevolent MagicMildred Abbott7h 13m$17
Bikes, Toys, and Hot BoyzGenesis Woods, Shantaé13h 9m$23
War LordBernard Cornwell13h 21m$33 · $0.00
Ghetto BastardK’wan7h 37m$20
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes: The Ultimate CollectionArthur Conan Doyle59h 49m$5 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Novels, Short Stories and Autobiographical WritingsFyodor Dostoyevsky270h 59m$2 · $0.00
The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America (Annotated)Howard Irving Chapelle, Tappan Adney13h 10m$2 · $0.00
Charles Dickens: Complete Works (Annotated)Charles Dickens819h 4m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Novels of Jane Austen & Brontë Sisters (Annotated)Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë204h 15m$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works: Charlotte, Emily, Anne, Patrick & Branwell BrontëCharlotte Brontë, Anne Brontë, Emily Brontë138h 12m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Annotated)Oscar Wilde126h 19m$2 · $0.00
L. M. Montgomery – Premium Collection: Novels, Short Stories, Poetry & MemoirsLucy Maud Montgomery155h 1m$2 · $0.00
MARK TWAIN: 12 Novels, 195 Short Stories, Autobiography, 10 Travel Books, 160+ Essays & Speeches (Illustrated)Mark Twain415h 9m5 (2)$2 · $0.00
The Complete Works of William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare89h 26m$3.50 · $0.00
The Great Gatsby: Original 1925 Edition (An F. Scott Fitzgerald Classic NovelFrancis Scott Fitzgerald4h 45m$18 · $0.00
The Brontë Sisters: The Complete Novels (Unabridged) (Annotated)Charlotte Brontë, Emily Brontë, Anne Brontë120h 3m$2 · $0.00
All NovelsGeorge Orwell53h 48m$10 · $0.00
The Complete Works of TolstoyLeo Tolstoy412h 44m$1 · $0.00
The Complete Works of Louisa May Alcott (Annotated)Louisa May Alcott226h 24m$2 · $0.00
Sherlock Holmes series - completeArthur Conan54h 8m$3.50 · $0.00
The Fire Next TimeJames Baldwin2h 25m$15
The Count of Monte Cristo (With Original Illustrations)Alexandre Dumas54h$1 · $0.00
The Complete Books of F. Scott Fitzgerald (all his 5 novels + all 4 short story collections published during his lifetime)F. Scott Fitzgerald87h 43m$1 · $0.00
Braving the TruthRachel Held Evans11h 31m$29 · $0.00
You may also like
Rhoda Fleming — CompleteGeorge Meredith16h 59m$2 · $0.00
Gobseck & At the Sign of the Cat and RacketHonoré de Balzac4h 46m$2.30
The Highlander Takes a BrideLynsay Sands9h 40m5 (1)$29 · $0.00
At His Gates (Annotated)Mrs. Oliphant20h 26m$2 · $0.00
My Secret to KeepBarbara Conrey9h 24m$20 · $0.00
The Tenant of Wildfell HallAnne Brontë18h 52m$4 · $0.00
Kafir Stories: Seven Short StoriesW. C. Scully4h 30m$2 · $0.00
Adam BedeGeorge Eliot25h 37m$18 · $0.00
Anna KareninaLeo Tolstoy33h 35m$30
Wild HeatherL. T. Meade7h 10m$2 · $0.00
Dimanche and Other StoriesIrène Némirovsky8h 21m$17 · $0.00
Pearl-Fishing; Choice Stories from Dickens' Household Words; First SeriesCharles Dickens5h 49m$2 · $0.00
The Jews of Barnow: StoriesKarl Emil Franzos8h 49m$1 · $0.00
The Small House at Allington (The Classic Unabridged Edition) (Annotated)Anthony Trollope28h 51m$2 · $0.00
CECILIAFrances Burney44h 42m$2 · $0.00
Charlotte Löwensköld (Annotated)Selma Lagerlöf10h 29m$2 · $0.00
Adam BedeGeorge Eliot22h 17m$3.50 · $0.00
Poor Folk and Other Stories (Unabridged)Fyodor Dostoyevsky21h 29m$2 · $0.00
A Certain AgeBeatriz Williams12h 52m$33 · $0.00
The Intoxicated Ghost, and other storiesArlo Bates3h 59m$2 · $0.00