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A Great Man
A FROLIC
152 pages, Paperback
Published April 21, 2008
About the author
Arnold Bennett
1,194 books324 followersEnoch Arnold Bennett was an English author, best known as a novelist, who wrote prolifically. Between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaboration with other writers), and a daily journal totalling more than a million words. He wrote articles and stories for more than 100 newspapers and periodicals, worked in and briefly ran the Ministry of Information during the First World War, and wrote for the cinema in the 1920s. Sales of his books were substantial, and he was the most financially successful British author of his day.
Born into a modest but upwardly mobile family in Hanley, in the Staffordshire Potteries, Bennett was intended by his father, a solicitor, to follow him into the legal profession. Bennett worked for his father before moving to another law firm in London as a clerk at the age of 21. He became assistant editor and then editor of a women's magazine before becoming a full-time author in 1900. Always a devotee of French culture in general and French literature in particular, he moved to Paris in 1903; there the relaxed milieu helped him overcome his intense shyness, particularly with women. He spent ten years in France, marrying a Frenchwoman in 1907. In 1912 he moved back to England. He and his wife separated in 1921, and he spent the last years of his life with a new partner, an English actress. He died in 1931 of typhoid fever, having unwisely drunk tap-water in France.
Many of Bennett's novels and short stories are set in a fictionalised version of the Staffordshire Potteries, which he called The Five Towns. He strongly believed that literature should be accessible to ordinary people and he deplored literary cliques and élites. His books appealed to a wide public and sold in large numbers. For this reason, and for his adherence to realism, writers and supporters of the modernist school, notably Virginia Woolf, belittled him, and his fiction became neglected after his death. During his lifetime his journalistic "self-help" books sold in substantial numbers, and he was also a playwright; he did less well in the theatre than with novels but achieved two considerable successes with Milestones (1912) and The Great Adventure (1913).
Studies by Margaret Drabble (1974), John Carey (1992), and others have led to a re-evaluation of Bennett's work. The finest of his novels, including Anna of the Five Towns (1902), The Old Wives' Tale (1908), Clayhanger (1910) and Riceyman Steps (1923), are now widely recognised as major works.
Born into a modest but upwardly mobile family in Hanley, in the Staffordshire Potteries, Bennett was intended by his father, a solicitor, to follow him into the legal profession. Bennett worked for his father before moving to another law firm in London as a clerk at the age of 21. He became assistant editor and then editor of a women's magazine before becoming a full-time author in 1900. Always a devotee of French culture in general and French literature in particular, he moved to Paris in 1903; there the relaxed milieu helped him overcome his intense shyness, particularly with women. He spent ten years in France, marrying a Frenchwoman in 1907. In 1912 he moved back to England. He and his wife separated in 1921, and he spent the last years of his life with a new partner, an English actress. He died in 1931 of typhoid fever, having unwisely drunk tap-water in France.
Many of Bennett's novels and short stories are set in a fictionalised version of the Staffordshire Potteries, which he called The Five Towns. He strongly believed that literature should be accessible to ordinary people and he deplored literary cliques and élites. His books appealed to a wide public and sold in large numbers. For this reason, and for his adherence to realism, writers and supporters of the modernist school, notably Virginia Woolf, belittled him, and his fiction became neglected after his death. During his lifetime his journalistic "self-help" books sold in substantial numbers, and he was also a playwright; he did less well in the theatre than with novels but achieved two considerable successes with Milestones (1912) and The Great Adventure (1913).
Studies by Margaret Drabble (1974), John Carey (1992), and others have led to a re-evaluation of Bennett's work. The finest of his novels, including Anna of the Five Towns (1902), The Old Wives' Tale (1908), Clayhanger (1910) and Riceyman Steps (1923), are now widely recognised as major works.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 28, 2026
This writer is so much fun to the point that I feel intoxicated with laughing 😅
He reminds me to appreciate the pride of life, and the beauty of the world, and of the men and women, and of the minds of men and women, and in such a way informs me on and on that uplifts my soul 😁
I seem to think neither of the past nor of the future, but simply and intensely of the present, and I would not even ask myself why, really.
What a planet, this earth! It could make one weep…
He reminds me to appreciate the pride of life, and the beauty of the world, and of the men and women, and of the minds of men and women, and in such a way informs me on and on that uplifts my soul 😁
I seem to think neither of the past nor of the future, but simply and intensely of the present, and I would not even ask myself why, really.
What a planet, this earth! It could make one weep…
January 4, 2021
Available free at Librivox, here:: https://librivox.org/a-great-man-by-a... where it is read by Simon Evers.
Do I like this? Sort of. I do see its point. I believe in the title there is meant to be pinch of irony!
Here is a story about a young man who starts as a shorthand clerk in a legal firm and goes on to become a successful and widely acclaimed author of essays, novels and plays. Clearly the author is reflecting upon experiences in his own life.
We view a critique of the literary community. How to go about writing a good book, what is demanded of a writer, the fickle nature of popular acclaim and ultimately what are the consequences of achieving popularity and success—these are the themes of the book.
There is a love thread too. Henry Shakespeare Knight is the central protagonist. He is born in 1866—we follow him from birth to his eventual success as a popular writer. He lives in London, gets married and has twins. All is hunky-dory, but is he satisfied, is he happy with his life?
The book had originally a subtitle--“A Frolic”. Its message is delivered through humor. As is typical of Bennett’s books, the humor is lighter at the start but becomes more pointed, more critical, more acerbic by the end. The author uses irony to deliver a message.
The book’s message overshadows the story within. This is of course, only my view! I never came to feel for the characters. I observe their actions and smile, but their life experiences never pull at my heart.
Simon Evers read the audiobook at Librivox. Sections are OK, but for the most part I was disgruntled. He mumbles. No matter how many times you rewind there remain words that you must guess at. The tempo and volume vary. I did not enjoy listening to Evers’ narration. The narration I give one star.
************************
*Anna of the Five Towns 4 stars
*Riceyman Steps 4 stars
*Helen with the High Hand - An Idyllic Diversion 4 stars
*The Old Wives' Tale 4 stars
*The Card: A Story of Adventure in the Five Towns 4 stars
*Buried Alive 4 stars
*Clayhanger 3 stars
*The Grand Babylon Hotel 3 stars
*Hilda Lessways reading 3 stars
*A Great Man 2 stars
*The Price of Love TBR
Do I like this? Sort of. I do see its point. I believe in the title there is meant to be pinch of irony!
Here is a story about a young man who starts as a shorthand clerk in a legal firm and goes on to become a successful and widely acclaimed author of essays, novels and plays. Clearly the author is reflecting upon experiences in his own life.
We view a critique of the literary community. How to go about writing a good book, what is demanded of a writer, the fickle nature of popular acclaim and ultimately what are the consequences of achieving popularity and success—these are the themes of the book.
There is a love thread too. Henry Shakespeare Knight is the central protagonist. He is born in 1866—we follow him from birth to his eventual success as a popular writer. He lives in London, gets married and has twins. All is hunky-dory, but is he satisfied, is he happy with his life?
The book had originally a subtitle--“A Frolic”. Its message is delivered through humor. As is typical of Bennett’s books, the humor is lighter at the start but becomes more pointed, more critical, more acerbic by the end. The author uses irony to deliver a message.
The book’s message overshadows the story within. This is of course, only my view! I never came to feel for the characters. I observe their actions and smile, but their life experiences never pull at my heart.
Simon Evers read the audiobook at Librivox. Sections are OK, but for the most part I was disgruntled. He mumbles. No matter how many times you rewind there remain words that you must guess at. The tempo and volume vary. I did not enjoy listening to Evers’ narration. The narration I give one star.
************************
*Anna of the Five Towns 4 stars
*Riceyman Steps 4 stars
*Helen with the High Hand - An Idyllic Diversion 4 stars
*The Old Wives' Tale 4 stars
*The Card: A Story of Adventure in the Five Towns 4 stars
*Buried Alive 4 stars
*Clayhanger 3 stars
*The Grand Babylon Hotel 3 stars
*Hilda Lessways reading 3 stars
*A Great Man 2 stars
*The Price of Love TBR
December 7, 2018
Review soon.
October 2, 2015
Bennett is practically forgotten nowadays. It seems that only those of his novels that have been televised or films are read, and those not by many. This is the only reason I can find for 'The Card' having to date 38 reviews, and this little gem has none. (Till now). It's very much in the same mould as 'The Card', though set in London and France rather than The Five Towns. I assume it's based largely on Bennett's own experiences as a novelist becoming wildly popular, though I don't think he ever broke the bank at Monte Carlo on behalf of a Parisian 'actress'. This is just one of the exploits of Henry Shakspeare Knight, dyspeptic, spoiled, and altogether delightful. It's a short novel, beautifully written in the solid English style of the time, with masses of incidental information about contemporary life - Henry's weekly bath routine is wonderfully detailed. Such a shame that this has been forgotten - it's available on PG, and well worth a couple of hours of anyone's time.
February 9, 2016
Subtitled 'A Frolic', A Great Man is the lightly comic story of Henry Shakspeare Knight, an innocuous shorthand clerk who becomes a highly successful novelist, despite living a sedentary life with his adoring mother and having no real experience or knowledge of human nature.
The most dramatic incident of his childhood is a severe attack of dyspepsia brought on by scoffing a pound of matrons glacés. When his first novel, a slight and sentimental romance with the execrable title of Love in Babylon*, becomes a best seller, he has to buy a book called How to Become a Successful Novelist so he can learn how to write a follow-up.
Yep, it's that kind of comedy, an unpretentious social farce featuring a modest, guileless Everyman who suddenly discovers fame and fortune knocking at his shabby door.
Mr. Bennett gives you the impression that he doubted the value of Art, but not the value of money.
* his second novel, a slight and sentimental tragedy about an extremely tall man who can't find love because ofvhis height, has an even more execrable name, A Question of Cubits.
The most dramatic incident of his childhood is a severe attack of dyspepsia brought on by scoffing a pound of matrons glacés. When his first novel, a slight and sentimental romance with the execrable title of Love in Babylon*, becomes a best seller, he has to buy a book called How to Become a Successful Novelist so he can learn how to write a follow-up.
Yep, it's that kind of comedy, an unpretentious social farce featuring a modest, guileless Everyman who suddenly discovers fame and fortune knocking at his shabby door.
Mr. Bennett gives you the impression that he doubted the value of Art, but not the value of money.
* his second novel, a slight and sentimental tragedy about an extremely tall man who can't find love because ofvhis height, has an even more execrable name, A Question of Cubits.
December 30, 2017
Wry British humour and vintage British fiction.
I liked this rather creaky period piece. Gentle British humour in this story of how success can be a mixed blessing. Wry, subtle and with a very likable though unlikely hero. Atmospheric as one would expect from Bennett though not set in the potteries. Vintage British fiction at its best.
I liked this rather creaky period piece. Gentle British humour in this story of how success can be a mixed blessing. Wry, subtle and with a very likable though unlikely hero. Atmospheric as one would expect from Bennett though not set in the potteries. Vintage British fiction at its best.
March 18, 2016
An odd little novel that seems autobiographical. Henry is a successful author who is continually surprised by his popularity and his good fortune. The only time he acts with determination is when he leaves Monte Carlo and Cosette to return to England. The subtitle - A Frolic - is very fitting.
July 18, 2019
Henry Shakespeare Knight, great man, and writer extraordinaire, in a book that never gets dull.
January 19, 2021
A big thanks to LibriVox reader Simon Evers for recording the audio book version.
March 8, 2024
Started excellently, really enjoyed the childhood and young man sections but as soon as he had success as a writer it started to go downhill for me and almost bored ,seemed as if AB was too as he folded it up while characters still only married a few years....
I found Simon Evers an very good narrator, unlike another reviewer on here, he doesn't mumble in the least , perhaps their equipment was at fault.On my smart TV his voice was clear , and expressive ,and very likeable indeed without too much drama,it fitted the book well.
I found Simon Evers an very good narrator, unlike another reviewer on here, he doesn't mumble in the least , perhaps their equipment was at fault.On my smart TV his voice was clear , and expressive ,and very likeable indeed without too much drama,it fitted the book well.
August 29, 2025
I loved this story. Mr. Bennett was obviously writing from experience as to what it was like to hit writer's block after the first successful story; what it was like to work with a literary agent; what it was like to come to terms with success beyond his wildest dreams and what it was like to find enough places to invest his money as it started rolling in (almost too fast). This was a fun read for me.
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August 6, 2026Arnold Bennett’s 1904 novel “A Great Man” is indeed “A Frolic,” as the title page announces. It’s an amusing book, quite funny at times, and also a one-dimensional book, with a straight-ahead narrative that takes few turns and contains few surprises. Not a tale for the ages, but we had a good time with it.
September 6, 2023
Only "discovered" Arnold Bennett about 5 years ago and I love his style and wit. This little book, a very quick light read, typifies his approach. The hero of the tale is an author who doesn't quite know how he does it and is bemused at his own abilities. A wry and gently amusing tale with much insight into the human condition.
Fairly certain there is a lot of his own experience in this book, like his hero he was feted as an author though not quite accepted by the literati. Well that was their loss!
Fairly certain there is a lot of his own experience in this book, like his hero he was feted as an author though not quite accepted by the literati. Well that was their loss!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews