Last month we read “Anna of the Five Towns” by Arnold Bennett with mixed views at our recent meeting.
Some did not like the book at all and others, although reluctant at first, were
glad they had read it. A small number enjoyed it from the start.
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| CC Image from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Bennett |
Quite a few
people thought the early part slow, a bit heavy and grim, but enjoyed the
descriptions of the town and the pottery industry, which Bennett knew well from
his own experience. The passages where the working people went to the newly
opened Park in their leisure time to listen to the band and stroll about were
thought to be a much needed lightening of atmosphere and a contrast to the
gloomy earlier feeling. Similarly, the Sunday School Treat for the children and
their teachers provided a light hearted moment in a story which centres on a
naïve, overly dutiful young woman.
Anna is the
repressed oldest daughter of a former Methodist preacher who is an emotional
bully. He is also a miser, obsessed with spending as little as possible and is
proud of his management of Anna’s inheritance until now, when she has reached
her majority. She had been completely unaware of this money. Although he seems
to hand over this inheritance he really does no such thing, merely sending her
to the bank to collect cheque book, passbook etc, then taking them from her,
only allowing her to pay cheques into the bank, refusing her money for herself,
even when she is to go on holiday with the Sutton family. He ties up a
considerable amount of her income in a business agreement with Henry Mynors who
runs a pottery, assumes Anna will do as she is told, which she does, signing
the agreement in complete ignorance of any significance. It was thought by the
group that Ephraim Tellwright was in all likelihood, just continuing the
attitude towards his womenfolk that he had witnessed from his own childhood and
youth, and perhaps a measure of pity could be given, especially as he says at
one point that he has “never been happy”. We thought this all harked back to
Victorian attitudes and that it didn’t reflect the more feminist activities
i.e. the Suffragette movement, going strong by 1902 when the book was written.
The Suttons are
a wealthy family and Anna is befriended by the daughter Beatrice, an indulged
young woman in contrast to Anna, who has no servants and makes her own clothes.
Anna is shown to be very unsure of herself in social situations with the
Suttons and others, for example the sewing group of ladies, and is confused as
to how to act. They encourage Anna to form a relationship with Henry Mynors and
this is a major strand in the story. Henry is a stalwart of the Methodist
church and courts Anna. We were not sure whether he did love Anna as much as it
seems, or if her inheritance was a big draw! He was certainly overjoyed to hear
it was £50,000 instead of the £10, 000 or £20,000 he thought.
The Methodist
church is a thread through the story and is another source of confusion for
Anna, who would dearly love to feel conviction of faith, but merely feels guilt
that she doesn’t. The church is tied in with the key part of the plot involving
a factory now owned by Anna, rented by Titus Price who is deeply in debt. Titus
is a leading member of the church but we found him to be hypocritical; he is
very unpleasant to a young girl at the Sunday School outing, having previously
presented himself as a good Christian!
Anna feels
sorry for Titus in that she has to hassle him for payment of the rent owed, at
the insistence of her father, and particularly for Titus’s son Willie, a gentle
young man, but ineffectual for most part. This small family provide the tragic
element in Anna’s life.
The story
reaches an abrupt end and this was felt to be very unsatisfactory by most of
us. It was felt that Bennett was in a hurry to finish and it wasn’t thought out
properly. Perhaps he had a publishers’ deadline to meet?!!
On the whole,
the group felt it probably would not be the book taken off the shelf to read
based on the blurb, but several of us felt glad to have read it. Bennett’s own
acknowledgement that he wrote to make an income was thought to be reflected in
the storyline, but his empathy with his female characters and the closely
observed, eloquently written descriptions provided us with some bits to enjoy.
Next month we're reading Bernard Cornwell "Azincourt" for discussion on Wednesday 5th August and if you want to get ahead of the game September 2nd we're discussing George Orwell "Down and Out in Paris and London"
Until next time...:)
