Arnold Bennett
This stirring coming-of-age story recounts the childhood and youth of the eponymous protagonist, Hilda Lessways, who would eventually grow up to marry Edwin Clayhanger, the scion of a wealthy and powerful family in the Potteries district of the Midlands region in England. This is the second in a series of novels that depict the lives of the members of the Clayhanger family.
In this delightful volume of insightful and good-humored advice, motivational writer Arnold Bennett points out that for all of the time we humans dedicate to learning, very little of that time is spent endeavoring to elucidate helpful points for living life well, and to the fullest. It's a sad state of affairs that Bennett sets out to remedy in The Human Machine.
6) Clayhanger
Part of his multi-generational epic, the Clayhanger Family series, Arnold Bennett's novel The Roll-Call focuses on one of the youngest members of the family, George Cannon. Despite his forebears' hard work, George is spoiled and entitled, and his increasingly demanding manner puts a strain on the family as it struggles to make it through the war.
Settle in for a deliciously transporting read. Arnold Bennett's The Price of Love follows the ups and downs of one Rachel Louisa Fleckring, whose disastrous foray into married life leaves her damaged and distrustful. What's more, a large sum of money that has been entrusted to Rachel winds up missing along the way. How can she put the pieces of her once-promising life back together?
10) Mr. Prohack
What happens when a man who has everything falls desperately in love with a lowly shopgirl? That's the conundrum at the center of Arnold Bennett's novel Hugo. The eponymous protagonist is a titan of industry who is used to living a life of luxury and getting everything he wants—until Camilla rebuffs his advances. Throw in some creepy elements of Gothic horror, and it's an all-around engaging read.
The author of The Grand Babylon Hotel, How to Live on 24 Hours a Day, The Old Wives' Tale and much more, English writer Arnold Bennett's fictional and non-fictional works have stood the test of time. Bennett also wrote for stage and screen. The Author's Craft, contains some of Bennett's essays on the art of writing, with his thoughts on applying the craft to both novel and play writing.
18) Leonora
Though originally published more than a century ago, Arnold Bennett's novel Leonora is brimming with nuanced insights about the true nature of marriage that still resonate today. The eponymous heroine is the wife of a prominent and wealthy manufacturing titan who enjoys the trappings of his success. But when a figure from his past reappears, Leonora begins to question everything she once believed to be true about her husband and their relationship.
...20) The Lion's Share
Audrey's youth has been a privileged one, but the thing she wants more than anything else—freedom—has remained out of her reach. When her father succumbs to an accident, she decides to seize the day and make the most of her sudden shift in circumstances. But will her wonderment with the wider world cloud her judgment?