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The Card
The Oxford Bookworms Library offers a variety of titles, many of which are touchstones of United States culture and history. Introductions lead students into the story. Illustrations support comprehension. Glossaries explain key topic words. Activities for Before, While, and After Reading help students reap maximum benefit. About the Author sections give students information about the author's life and work.
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Published July 5, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 14, 2015
This is the humorous tale of Edward Henry Machin (his mother "saved a certain amount of time each day by addressing her son as Denry"), set in a small industrial town at the start of the 20th century.
Denry is an impulsive, opportunistic and occasionally lucky entrepreneur, with few morals where business is concerned. He is not especially likeable, but nor is he ludicrously unpleasant and he is an entertaining character to townsfolk as well as readers.
He was raised by his mother, a poor (but proud and hard-working) widow, but obtained a scholarship to grammar school - by cheating, although "he gradually came to believe he had won the scholarship by genuine merit". An encounter with a countess who was "born to poor but picturesque parents" and "brought up to matrimony" provides an opportunity to be noticed and raise his ambitions.
"There were several different men in Denry, but he had the gift of not mixing up two different Denrys when he found himself in a complicated situation." In particular, he develops the habit of turning questions round when asked a tricky situation (Do you?, Could you? etc), to generally good effect.
The ways he makes money and climbs the social ladder are many and various and sometimes quite funny, but my favourite chapter was "Raising a Wigwam", even though I guessed what was going on quite early.
There is some nice social detail, "The servant was correctly starched, but unkempt in detail." Also, "The manners and state of a family that has industrially risen combine the spectacular grandeur of the caste to which it has climbed with the ease and freedom of the caste which it has quitted."
Bennett was criticised by some of his contemporaries, especially the Bloomsbury Set, for being old-fashioned and that is true to some extent, which is part of its charm. However, it also has glimpses of modernity that were quite surprising to me, e.g. joking about estate agents overusing terms such as "bijou", some of the features of a high-tech house and the comment that "This was in the days... when automobilists made their wills and took food supplies before setting forth". There is also some careful omission (e.g. when the countess quizzes Denry about something for which he has no excuse, yet he emerges on even better terms than before), which builds dramatic tension.
Overall, a well-written, witty read.
The sequel is The Regent, though it's not as strong as this.
Denry is an impulsive, opportunistic and occasionally lucky entrepreneur, with few morals where business is concerned. He is not especially likeable, but nor is he ludicrously unpleasant and he is an entertaining character to townsfolk as well as readers.
He was raised by his mother, a poor (but proud and hard-working) widow, but obtained a scholarship to grammar school - by cheating, although "he gradually came to believe he had won the scholarship by genuine merit". An encounter with a countess who was "born to poor but picturesque parents" and "brought up to matrimony" provides an opportunity to be noticed and raise his ambitions.
"There were several different men in Denry, but he had the gift of not mixing up two different Denrys when he found himself in a complicated situation." In particular, he develops the habit of turning questions round when asked a tricky situation (Do you?, Could you? etc), to generally good effect.
The ways he makes money and climbs the social ladder are many and various and sometimes quite funny, but my favourite chapter was "Raising a Wigwam", even though I guessed what was going on quite early.
There is some nice social detail, "The servant was correctly starched, but unkempt in detail." Also, "The manners and state of a family that has industrially risen combine the spectacular grandeur of the caste to which it has climbed with the ease and freedom of the caste which it has quitted."
Bennett was criticised by some of his contemporaries, especially the Bloomsbury Set, for being old-fashioned and that is true to some extent, which is part of its charm. However, it also has glimpses of modernity that were quite surprising to me, e.g. joking about estate agents overusing terms such as "bijou", some of the features of a high-tech house and the comment that "This was in the days... when automobilists made their wills and took food supplies before setting forth". There is also some careful omission (e.g. when the countess quizzes Denry about something for which he has no excuse, yet he emerges on even better terms than before), which builds dramatic tension.
Overall, a well-written, witty read.
The sequel is The Regent, though it's not as strong as this.
October 16, 2025
The Card by Arnold Bennett, adapted for BBC Radio 4
Arnold Bennett was a fascinating writer, “the JK Rowling „of his day, a lover of high life, successful writer, with books sold in huge numbers, he has declined a knighthood, he wrote up to half a million words a year, author of the acclaimed The Old Wives Tale, included on The Modern Library’s List of Best 100 Novels of the 20th Century.
The hero of The Card is Edward Henry Machin, called Denry by his mother and friends, born in Bursley, in a modest family, but with courage, luck, perseverance and some tricks, such as cheating on his exam early on, the protagonist becomes rich and successful.
When he was in school, his colleagues insulted the hero, calling him “the washer woman” in mean reference to his mother’s job, provoking the young man into demonstrating that he can ascend beyond his humble condition.
A ball would take place in the town and the list of invitations falls into the hands of the protagonist, who tries again the trick he used in school, in order to get admission, and adds not just his name on the list, but that of the tailor – in exchange for favorable terms on the making of a suitable attire – the dance teacher, for he needs to show this skill at the ball, and some other people.
Dashing and daring, Denry demonstrates courage as he invites the Countess of Chell to dance and he is amusing during the performance – he has a special line that he would repeat rather often: did you? – and he wins a bet of five pounds, which might be the equivalent of a few thousand today.
As he works in rent collecting, the intrepid, open minded, intelligent, creative young man thinks of a scheme through which he would loan money to people who have trouble paying their dues, for a handsome interest and meets Ruth, a tenant who cannot pay the rent.
She is a smart, shrewd woman and probably invents a story about the proprietor, then gives a key to the hero to open a drawer, only to pretend that he broke it and thus he has to come the next day for the money.
During the night, she tries to make an escape, by coincidence the protagonist happens to be on her way, preventing an accident and realizing that the woman never had a penny towards the rent, but this strategy and daring mesmerizes the hero who appreciates the talent of this escape artist.
They become very close, indeed engaged to be married, but this new relationship is not the happiest circumstance, given the penchant that Ruth has to spend every penny he has and more, while they are on holiday in Llandudno, on the coast, where Denry says he has no more money, spent as they have been by Rothschild.
Ruth takes serious offence at being called Rothschild and perhaps even more dissatisfied with the impecuniosity of the protagonist decides to leave town with her friend, Nellie Cotterill.
The hero finds another way to make money buys a lifeboat and starts offering trips to visitors who want to see the famous wreck of a Norwegian ship, having hired Norwegian sailors saved from the catastrophe to take people to the spot.
Business minded as he is, Denry has other plans which bring so much profit that…he needs ever more capital and in order to convince the banks, he needs a “patron” and the clever man manages to get the name of the Countess of Chell as a guarantee, after an “accident, impromptu photograph in the newspaper and other events”.
Since it is difficult to convince his mother to move from her old house, in spite of the evident tremendous financial success of her son, the hero arranges for a new, invented owner to send notice to the old woman and then traps her, demolishes the old home and finally has her moved into modern, lavish lodgings.
After their separation, Ruth would leave town, only to return in style, talking about her holidays in Switzerland, a destination she recommends, but for the noble, worthy visitors it must be winter, for the sports.
Ruth is probably married to an older man, rich and maybe dead now, as Denry imagines, as he is faced with the calamity of the bankruptcy of Councilor Cotterill, who would be interested in taking two thousand pounds from the protagonist, who calculates that this would cost him eight pounds for every visit he paid this vicious man.
The councilor has to travel with his family to Vancouver, Canada, where his brother lives and start a new life, after landing from the boat on which he bought the cheapest tickets for his wife and daughter.
Learning about this, the hero and Ruth decide to share in the expense of buying a better set of tickets- second class the woman says, for they would have problems with their clothes in first.
As they reach the ship, while they talk with the departing family, Denry experiences strong, troubling emotions in the presence of the beautiful Nellie and he invites her on the shore, where he needs to give her something that he forgot.
She insists that the boat is departing, they have sounded the alarm, but the man insists and once they are off the ship, he declares that he wants to marry her, they would announce the parents by telegram and as she accepts, they have the ceremony in December and depart for…Switzerland for their honeymoon.
Nellie proves to be an ambitious, wise, creative young wife and she speaks of the office of mayor to her husband, who concocts a plan in that sense.
The Card is an amusing, entertaining work and the adaptation is as always in the case of the BBC, excellent.
Arnold Bennett was a fascinating writer, “the JK Rowling „of his day, a lover of high life, successful writer, with books sold in huge numbers, he has declined a knighthood, he wrote up to half a million words a year, author of the acclaimed The Old Wives Tale, included on The Modern Library’s List of Best 100 Novels of the 20th Century.
The hero of The Card is Edward Henry Machin, called Denry by his mother and friends, born in Bursley, in a modest family, but with courage, luck, perseverance and some tricks, such as cheating on his exam early on, the protagonist becomes rich and successful.
When he was in school, his colleagues insulted the hero, calling him “the washer woman” in mean reference to his mother’s job, provoking the young man into demonstrating that he can ascend beyond his humble condition.
A ball would take place in the town and the list of invitations falls into the hands of the protagonist, who tries again the trick he used in school, in order to get admission, and adds not just his name on the list, but that of the tailor – in exchange for favorable terms on the making of a suitable attire – the dance teacher, for he needs to show this skill at the ball, and some other people.
Dashing and daring, Denry demonstrates courage as he invites the Countess of Chell to dance and he is amusing during the performance – he has a special line that he would repeat rather often: did you? – and he wins a bet of five pounds, which might be the equivalent of a few thousand today.
As he works in rent collecting, the intrepid, open minded, intelligent, creative young man thinks of a scheme through which he would loan money to people who have trouble paying their dues, for a handsome interest and meets Ruth, a tenant who cannot pay the rent.
She is a smart, shrewd woman and probably invents a story about the proprietor, then gives a key to the hero to open a drawer, only to pretend that he broke it and thus he has to come the next day for the money.
During the night, she tries to make an escape, by coincidence the protagonist happens to be on her way, preventing an accident and realizing that the woman never had a penny towards the rent, but this strategy and daring mesmerizes the hero who appreciates the talent of this escape artist.
They become very close, indeed engaged to be married, but this new relationship is not the happiest circumstance, given the penchant that Ruth has to spend every penny he has and more, while they are on holiday in Llandudno, on the coast, where Denry says he has no more money, spent as they have been by Rothschild.
Ruth takes serious offence at being called Rothschild and perhaps even more dissatisfied with the impecuniosity of the protagonist decides to leave town with her friend, Nellie Cotterill.
The hero finds another way to make money buys a lifeboat and starts offering trips to visitors who want to see the famous wreck of a Norwegian ship, having hired Norwegian sailors saved from the catastrophe to take people to the spot.
Business minded as he is, Denry has other plans which bring so much profit that…he needs ever more capital and in order to convince the banks, he needs a “patron” and the clever man manages to get the name of the Countess of Chell as a guarantee, after an “accident, impromptu photograph in the newspaper and other events”.
Since it is difficult to convince his mother to move from her old house, in spite of the evident tremendous financial success of her son, the hero arranges for a new, invented owner to send notice to the old woman and then traps her, demolishes the old home and finally has her moved into modern, lavish lodgings.
After their separation, Ruth would leave town, only to return in style, talking about her holidays in Switzerland, a destination she recommends, but for the noble, worthy visitors it must be winter, for the sports.
Ruth is probably married to an older man, rich and maybe dead now, as Denry imagines, as he is faced with the calamity of the bankruptcy of Councilor Cotterill, who would be interested in taking two thousand pounds from the protagonist, who calculates that this would cost him eight pounds for every visit he paid this vicious man.
The councilor has to travel with his family to Vancouver, Canada, where his brother lives and start a new life, after landing from the boat on which he bought the cheapest tickets for his wife and daughter.
Learning about this, the hero and Ruth decide to share in the expense of buying a better set of tickets- second class the woman says, for they would have problems with their clothes in first.
As they reach the ship, while they talk with the departing family, Denry experiences strong, troubling emotions in the presence of the beautiful Nellie and he invites her on the shore, where he needs to give her something that he forgot.
She insists that the boat is departing, they have sounded the alarm, but the man insists and once they are off the ship, he declares that he wants to marry her, they would announce the parents by telegram and as she accepts, they have the ceremony in December and depart for…Switzerland for their honeymoon.
Nellie proves to be an ambitious, wise, creative young wife and she speaks of the office of mayor to her husband, who concocts a plan in that sense.
The Card is an amusing, entertaining work and the adaptation is as always in the case of the BBC, excellent.
November 11, 2019
Cuốn này viết về Denry, một người từ nhỏ học dốt và cũng không thông minh cho lắm, nhà thì nghèo, mẹ là 1 người giặt là. Nhưng với sự nhanh nhạy, biết nắm bắt cơ hội và luôn có những tư tưởng mới để kiếm tiền, chàng trai này cuối cùng cũng đã thành công từng bước tường bước một.
Mình rút ra được 1 vài điều:
1.Không phải cứ đi đâu xa mới có thể kiếm được tiền, tiền ở quanh bạn, quan trọng bạn có biết nắm bắt cơ hội và nhận ra được nó hay không thôi. Và tất nhiên bạn phải có mong muốn đã.
2. Đừng ngại và đừng sợ ai cả, hãy dũng cảm lên, đó là cơ hội. "She can't eat me"
3. Hay học cách cho đi trước khi muốn nhận.
4. Dù bạn có giàu, hay luôn biết ơn cha mẹ bạn.
Mình rút ra được 1 vài điều:
1.Không phải cứ đi đâu xa mới có thể kiếm được tiền, tiền ở quanh bạn, quan trọng bạn có biết nắm bắt cơ hội và nhận ra được nó hay không thôi. Và tất nhiên bạn phải có mong muốn đã.
2. Đừng ngại và đừng sợ ai cả, hãy dũng cảm lên, đó là cơ hội. "She can't eat me"
3. Hay học cách cho đi trước khi muốn nhận.
4. Dù bạn có giàu, hay luôn biết ơn cha mẹ bạn.
February 4, 2014
card (old-fashioned) an unusual and amusing person
I like a story in which a poor person becomes a rich person with their wit ideas and actions. They are not afraid of anything, such as be fired by their employers. That makes me feel try something new.
I like a story in which a poor person becomes a rich person with their wit ideas and actions. They are not afraid of anything, such as be fired by their employers. That makes me feel try something new.
April 13, 2017
Un buen libro para aquellos que ya tienen cierto nivel de inglés. Hace unos años fui incapaz de leerlo 😬
Me esperaba una historia más divertida, aún así es entretenido. 😉
___________________
It's good book for who already have some level of English. Maybe, for beginners it can be tricky.
It has a entertaining story and character.
Me esperaba una historia más divertida, aún así es entretenido. 😉
___________________
It's good book for who already have some level of English. Maybe, for beginners it can be tricky.
It has a entertaining story and character.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews