Arnold Bennett’s Fiction

For this reason, my study focuses on those works that are now considered authentic “classics” of European literature. Among these I have also included the novel Accident, which, to my mind, has been unfairly underrated by critics and reviewers. It is my view that in Accident Bennett achieves the levels of his best work, demonstrating an extraordinary ability to portray a world in which change was linked to the new means of transport. Furthermore, my monograph is not organised in terms of a chronological sequence with a discussion of all the writer’s works, but follows a thematic development in which the Potteries and the young Bennett’s desire to move away from a place that had nothing to offer him, apart from the monotony of its commerce and the work ethic of its inhabitants. In this context, it is particularly important to emphasise the figure of the artist who, as I try to make clear in each chapter, becomes the only means of revolt against the imaginative sterility of the Five Towns. In this sense, there is an overlap and convergence between the writer and certain biographical features of his protagonists, such as Sophia Baines who, with her escape to Paris, embodies the same rebelliousness that must have animated Arnold Bennett when – as described in Drabble’s and Donovan’s biographies – he felt the oppressive presence of a culturally confined and religiously narrow-minded microcosm that had nothing more to offer than a dreary industrial landscape and the worthless respectability of a community exclusively devoted to its industrial and commercial activities.

Before concluding this brief preface, I would like to express my utmost gratitude to Francesco Marroni, Director of the Victorian and Edwardian Studies series, a tireless scholar who has been my main wellspring of inspiration and learning for a quarter of a century now. He generously read and re-read my manuscript while never failing to provide me with methodological suggestions, critical insights and, above all, a genuine affection that I hope I have been able to reciprocate.

I am indebted to Giuseppe Peter Vanoli more than I could ever say, more than I could ever write, for believing in me and for keeping my spirits and motivation high with his enthusing closeness and support.

A very special thanks to Renzo D’Agnillo, who patiently and scrupulously read every chapter of this monograph, providing me with valuable advice on a stylistic level as well as discussing with me the most recent critical works on Bennett.

I am particularly grateful to Raffaella Antinucci, Luca Baratta, Francesca Caraceni, Michela Marroni, Enrichetta Soccio and Tania Zulli (please forgive the alphabetical order) with whom I have had numerous discussions on both a literary and personal level.

I would also like to mention the enthusiasm with which the members of the Arnold Bennett Society continue to dedicate their lively encounters, seminars and talks in order to promote the ideas and works of the author of the Potteries. Even though I have never been personally acquainted with them, their initiatives have greatly contributed in furthering my knowledge of the places in which Bennett lived.

Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues at the University of Molise who, although not involved in my field of research, have always been keen to hear about my interests across the channel.

This book is dedicated to my extraordinary students in the post-Graduate course in Literature and the History of Art in Molise.

Campobasso, 13.09.2022