The Card a Story of Adventure in the Five Towns

Arnold Bennett

Sinopse

In "The Card: A Story of Adventure in the Five Towns," Arnold Bennett offers a rich tapestry of humor, social commentary, and human aspiration set against the backdrop of the fictional Five Towns of Staffordshire. Written in Bennett's distinctively clear and concise prose, the novel tells the story of Edward Henry Machin, whose journey from a humble, monotonous existence to a glamorous life shaped by chance and ambition captures the trials of small-town life and the pursuit of success. The narrative deftly intertwines themes of class, identity, and the fickle nature of fortune, shedding light on the broader cultural landscapes of early 20th-century England. Arnold Bennett, a prominent author of the early 1900s, was deeply influenced by his experiences growing up in the industrial North of England. His familiarity with the complexities of provincial life inspired him to create the Five Towns milieu, allowing him to explore human desires and societal expectations through a satirical lens. Bennett's keen observations of character and setting reflect his broader beliefs about the need for personal integrity amidst societal pressures, making him a significant figure in British literature. I highly recommend "The Card" not only for its entertaining plot but also for the insightful examination of human nature that it presents. Readers will find themselves engrossed in Machin's whims and challenges, while simultaneously reflecting on their own pursuits of happiness and meaning in an often unpredictable world.

Disponível desde: 16/09/2022.

Comprimento de impressão: 186 páginas.

Outros livros que poderiam interessá-lo

The Hunter Gracchus

Franz Kafka

"The Hunter Gracchus" is a short story by Franz Kafka. The story presents a boat carrying the long-dead Hunter Gracchus as it arrives at a port. The mayor of Riva meets Gracchus, who gives him an account of his death while hunting, and explains that he is destined to wander aimlessly and eternally over the seas. An additional fragment presents an extended dialogue between Gracchus and an unnamed interviewer, presumably the same mayor.Written in the first half of 1917, the story was published posthumously in Beim Bau der Chinesischen Mauer (Berlin, 1931). The first English translation, by Willa and Edwin Muir, was published by Martin Secker in London in 1933.

Ver livro

The Flying Fish

D H Lawrence

'The Flying Fish' is unfinished but tells the story of an Englishman, Gethin Day, returning home after years in South America. There is a hint of the home-sickness Lawrence may have felt during his long exile. The bulk of the story is the time spent on the ship which is taking Day back to England. It is a ship of fools, a 'plague ship' and the only positive note is the joy Day sees in the play of the flying fish and porpoises around the ship. It is tantalising to speculate how Day would have adapted to English life again, confined to an old house in an old country.

Ver livro

Upanishads The (Unabridged)

Swami Paramananda

The Upanishads represent the loftiest heights of ancient Indo-Aryan thought and culture. They form the wisdom portion or Gnana-Kanda of the Vedas, as contrasted with the Karma-Kanda or sacrificial portion. In each of the four great Vedas known as Rik, Yajur, Sama and Atharva there is a large portion which deals predominantly with rituals and ceremonials, and which has for its aim to show man how by the path of right action he may prepare himself for higher attainment. Following this in each Veda is another portion called the Upanishad, which deals wholly with the essentials of philosophic discrimination and ultimate spiritual vision. For this reason the Upanishads are known as the Vedanta, that is, the end or final goal of wisdom (Veda, wisdom; anta, end).

Ver livro

Hymn

Edgar Allan Poe

Hymn: Edgar Allan Poe was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories.

At morn—at noon—at twilight dim—
Maria! thou hast heard my hymn!
In joy and woe—in good and ill—
Mother of God, be with me still!

Ver livro

Cousin Mary - From their pens to...

Mary Russell Mitford

The bookshelves of British literature are incredible collections that have gathered together centuries of very talented authors.  From these Isles their fame spread and whilst among their number many are now forgotten or neglected their talents endure.  Among them is Mary Russell Mitford.

Ver livro

Juvenilia – Volume II

Jane Austen

"Run mad as often as you choose; but do not faint!"

If Volume I was the spark, Juvenilia – Volume II is the fire. In this volume, a mid-teen Jane Austen takes aim at the "cult of sensibility" that dominated the novels of her day. The centerpiece, "Love and Freindship" (spelled intentionally with Austen's original flourish), is a brilliant epistolary parody featuring heroines who faint on every sofa they encounter and wander the countryside in a state of perpetual, melodramatic "distraction." This volume also features her iconic "History of England," where she gleefully abandons historical accuracy to defend Mary, Queen of Scots, and mock the "vile" Elizabeth I. It is a collection that proves Austen was a master of irony before she was even twenty.

The Masterpiece of Parody: Love and Freindship: Through a series of letters, Austen deconstructs the romantic tropes of the era. Her characters, Laura and Sophia, believe that "feeling" is more important than "common sense," leading to a series of absurd adventures involving stolen money, secret marriages, and dying of a "chill" caught while fainting in the dew.

The Bias of a Historian: In The History of England, Austen mocks the dry, "objective" historians of her time. Writing as a "partial, prejudiced, and ignorant historian," she proves that history is often just a matter of who you like and who you don't—a biting critique of how narratives are constructed that still feels modern today.

A Developing Genius: From the unfinished "Lesley Castle" to the sharp "Collection of Letters," this volume shows Austen experimenting with different voices and structures. You can see the DNA of Northanger Abbey and Sense and Sensibility being formed in these rowdy, rebellious pages.

Join the fun at the Austen family table. Purchase "Juvenilia – Volume II" today.

Ver livro