Overview

Set in the fictional Five Towns of Staffordshire, England, Clayhanger is the first installment of Arnold Bennett's Clayhanger Family trilogy (Clayhanger, Hilda Lessways, and These Twain). First published in 1910, this novel charts the journey of Edwin Clayhanger from a young man, burdened by the weight of familial duties, with architectural aspirations to the reluctant head of his father's printing and stationery business. Through the evolving stages of Edwin's life-his vocation, love, search for freedom, and establishment in life-Bennett crafts a compelling narrative of personal ambition, romantic entanglements, and the quest for individual autonomy against the backdrop of societal expectations. A century after its first publication, Clayhanger continues to be a pertinent exploration of the friction between one's own desires and the weight of familial expectations, resonating with modern readers as they navigate the intricate dynamics of self-identity and social roles.

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9784910554150

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Reviews

"Bennett said, ""I have written between 70 and 80 books. But also I have written only four: The Old Wives' Tale, The Card, Clayhanger and Riceyman Steps."" All the others, he said, were made a reproach to him because they were none of the above. (Ian Jack - 17 Sep 2005 - The Guardian) Arnold Bennett was a linguistic puzzle. He stammered so badly all his life that he could hardly force out an intelligible sentence. But once he put pen to paper words poured from him. (Patrick Donovan - 6 March 2022 - The Sunday Times) Edwin Clayhanger, who after some travails marries Hilda, whose own life has been turbulent. Edwin, like Bennett himself, has difficulties with his father, from whom he inherits a printing business in the Potteries. As a picture of provincial life in the late 19th and early 20th century, it is remarkably vivid. (Simon Heffer - 12 January 2016 - The Telegraph)"

Author Information

Enoch Arnold Bennett, better known as Arnold Bennett, was an English author and novelist who made important contributions to literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born on May 27, 1867, in Hanley, Staffordshire. His father, a lawyer, wanted him to become a lawyer like him, but Bennett was more interested in writing. After working at a law office in London for a short period of time, he decided to pursue a career in literature full time, starting in 1900. Bennett produced a large amount of work during his lifetime. He wrote 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays, and a daily journal of over a million words. Apart from his novels and plays, he also wrote articles and stories for more than 100 newspapers and periodicals. This made him one of the most financially successful British authors of his time. Bennett's life was cut short when he got typhoid fever and passed away in 1931. He contracted it from drinking tap water during a trip to France. His death marked the end of a productive and influential writing career. John McLean is a British born Japanese-English translator, interpreter, production editor, emcee, talk show host, and university associate professor from Hiroshima, Japan. His clients range from celebrated athletes like Simone Biles and Kohei Uchimura to prominent Japanese figures such as Nana Komatsu and Kentaro Sakaguchi, as well as dignitaries like Kazumi Matsui and major media outlets like NBC, CBC, and Al Jazeera. Beyond interpreting, his translating, subtitling and editing work with Japanese film directors and dedication to nurturing emerging filmmakers at the Berlin Film Festival through his collaboration with Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs (UNIJAPAN) highlight his contribution to the Japanese film industry.

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