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Leonora

Arnold Bennett

Book Overview: 

Leonora Stanway is 40 and lives a comfortable middle-class life with her unsympathetic and dull husband, John. Her three daughters are rapidly growing up and away and she regrets that her life has become dull, domesticated and meaningless. Arthur Twemlow, the son of John’s former business partner, blows into Leonora’s life and that of her family. Meanwhile, old Uncle Meshach has re-written his will

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Book Excerpt: 
. . .Five Towns after all.

There was a fluttering in the lobby, and Millicent ran into the parlour, hurriedly, negligently.

'I can't stay a minute, auntie,' the vivacious girl burst out in the unmistakable accents of condescending pertness, and then she caught sight of the well-dressed, good-looking man in the corner, and her bearing changed as though by a conjuring trick. She flushed sensitively, 53stroked her blue serge frock, composed her immature features to the mask of the finished lady paying a call, and summoned every faculty to aid her in looking her best. 'So this chit is the daughter of our admired Leonora,' thought Twemlow.

'I suppose you don't remember old Mr. Twemlow, my dear?' said Hannah after she had proudly introduced her niece.

'Oh, auntie! how silly you are! Of course I remember him quite well. I really can't stay, auntie.'

'You'll stay and drink this cup of tea with me,' Hannah insisted firmly, and Milly was obliged to s. . . Read More

Community Reviews

Interesting portrayal of a privileged mom with grown children over 100 years ago in Stoke-on-Trent. The ending was a little too neat, but maybe this is what happens to people who do everything right. Arnold Bennett wrote for a women's magazine and he has a lot of insight into things that would appea

3.5

Brilliantly written, but somehow lacks a story.
Leonara is a nice woman approaching middle age, or what was middle age then, meaning 40 or so. One of her daughters excells as a singer in Gilbert&Sullivan operas. She falls in love with some American, but in the end, stays with family.

This was going really well, sound characters, plenty of suspense, a nice dog.....and then the end, pah, a happy ending absolutely ruined it. Bennett should have had the courage to end it the way it seemed to be going. Maybe this is why he's largely forgotten as a writer.

As with all Bennett's books I thoroughly enjoyed this. He is such a brilliant writer and much overlooked these days. He writes so well from the woman's point of view.