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
26Vera's First Christmas Adventure
2Introduction
27The Murder of the Mandarin
3Historical Context
28Vera's Second Christmas Adventure
4Synopsis (Selection)
29The Burglary
5Tales of the Five Towns
30News of the Engagement
Show all chaptersShow less
6Part I. At Home
31Beginning the New Year
7His Worship the Goosedriver
32From One Generation to Another
8The Elixir of Youth
33The Death of Simon Fuge
9Mary with the High Hand
34In a New Bottle
10The Dog
35The Matador of the Five Towns
11A Feud
36The Matador of the Five Towns
12Phantom
37Mimi
13Tiddy-fol-lol
38The Supreme Illusion
14The Idiot
39The Letter and the Lie
15Part II. Abroad
40The Glimpse
16The Hungarian Rhapsody
41Jock-at-a-Venture
17The Sisters Qita
42The Heroism of Thomas Chadwick
18Nocturne at the Majestic
43Under the Clock
19Clarice of the Autumn Concerts
44Three Episodes in the Life of Mr Cowlishaw
20A Letter Home
45Catching the Train
21The Grim Smile of the Five Towns
46The Widow of the Balcony
22The Lion's Share
47The Cat and Cupid
23Baby's Bath
48The Fortune Teller
24The Silent Brothers
49The Long-lost Uncle
25The Nineteenth Hat
50The Tight Hand
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