The Old Wives' Tale is a fantastic portrayal of two very different sisters, Constance and Sophia Baines, as they go through a variety of situations in their marriages and their relationships with their parents. It begins with stories from their youth and continues into their old age, covering a period of about 70 years in the cities of Burslem and Paris.

First published in 1907, The Ghost was the first of many "fantasias on modern times" written by Arnold Bennett. These illustrated his ability to produce not only realistic novels, perfected in his portrayals of provincial English life set in the Staffordshire scenery of his childhood, but also more sensational stories, written after his move to London where he developed a far more cosmopolitan interest. A supernatural story, The Ghost tells the tale...

British author Arnold Bennett was well acquainted with the ups and downs of literary acclaim. In the witty romp A Great Man, he brings his personal experiences to bear in telling the tale of Henry Knight, a shy, eccentric author who begins to make a name for himself on the literary scene and has a difficult time adjusting to his new reality. As part of our mission to publish great works of literary fiction and nonfiction, Sheba Blake Publishing Corp....

The book consists of four volumes containing coming of age novels set in the Midlands of Victorian England. The story follows Edwin Clayhanger as he leaves school, takes over the family business, and falls in love. The second novel Hilda Lessways tells the story from her coming of age, her working experiences as a shorthand clerk and keeper of a lodging house in London and Brighton. These Twain, the third in the Clayhanger series, chronicles the married...

"The Pretty Lady" is the story of a French prostitute, Christine, who has escaped from wartime Ostend, and set herself up in business in London. Though a refugee, she demands no pity; she is self-sufficient, practical and realistic. Bennett began writing the novel in May 1917. (Excerpt from Wikipedia)

No one is a worse guide to success than your typical successful man. He seldom understands the reasons of his own success; and when he is asked by a popular magazine to give his experiences for the benefit of the youth of a whole nation, it is impossible for him to be natural and sincere. He knows the kind of thing that is expected from him, and if he didn't come to London with half a crown in his pocket he probably did something equally silly, and...

At the beginning a misconception must be removed from the path. Many people, if not most, look on literary taste as an elegant accomplishment, by acquiring which they will complete themselves, and make themselves finally fit as members of a correct society. They are secretly ashamed of their ignorance of literature, in the same way as they would be ashamed of their ignorance of etiquette at a high entertainment, or of their inability to ride a horse...

The novel chronicles the rise of Edward Henry Machin from washerwoman's son to Mayor of Bursley. Edward achieves this through luck, initiative and a fair bit of chutzpah.

A fantastic guide to increasing your intellectual acuity by English writer Arnold Bennett.

How do you define your taste in literature? When is the last time you picked up a true classic? Arnold Bennett, a renowned English novelist spent years curating the optimal collection of literary greats. In this book, he outlines what books and authors are necessary to build out your own library, and why he deems them integral to an understanding of literature.