Riceyman Steps

By Arnold Bennett and Arnorld Bennett

Book Overview

"Riceyman Steps" is a masterful work of social realism by Arnold Bennett, set in the atmospheric streets of Clerkenwell, London, shortly after the First World War. The novel centers on Henry Earlforward, a second-hand bookseller whose life is governed by an all-consuming passion for parsimony. As Henry courts and eventually marries Violet Arb, a widow who shares some of his frugal instincts, the narrative explores the devastating psychological and physical consequences of extreme miserliness within a domestic setting.

The story is anchored by the presence of Elsie, the couple's devoted yet underpaid servant, whose simple humanity and capacity for love serve as a poignant contrast to the grim asceticism of the Earlforward household. Through vivid characterizations and a meticulous attention to the details of everyday life, Bennett delves into themes of greed, self-denial, and the struggle for dignity in the face of post-war economic hardship. Awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, "Riceyman Steps" remains a compelling study of human obsession and stands as one of the most significant and psychologically astute examples of early twentieth-century English fiction.

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025951891
• ISBN13: 9781025951898
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 390 Pages
• Weight: 1.59 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

a world starved of generosity

The novel, Riceyman Steps, though nowhere as successful as his best work Old Wives Tale, nonetheless deserves plaudits for ambition and its tight focus on three expertly-drawn characters. The sentences are beautiful and give profound insights into characters, but lack of incident and forward action leave us with little desire to proceed. Characters don't really make choices to change their fate; instead, they live on and on, with the occasional traumatic episode thrown in for good measure. The best thing about the work is how avoids stereotypes about character types; for example, a miser may have real qualms about spending money, but can be persuaded in the right context to spend lavishly (though later he will resent doing so). I had a lot of trouble with the ending (which I'll spell out only obliquely, although there isn't much suspense); first, why did the novel give so much prominence to Joe (the housekeeper's boyfriend) near the ending? It seemed out of place. Second, the death doesn't really have any meaning except to confirm the narrator's view that people ultimately get what they deserve. Okay, fine, but did the characters really choose their fates (or were they merely burdened by their ill habits?) Bennett doesn't really present any alternatives; are any people in his world capable of living salutary lifestyles? That, I think, is a flaw of the novel; it fails to give us a glimpse into people who are avoiding the pitfalls of the protagonists. Conspicuously absent are children in this novel; there are literally no opportunities in this novel for the characters to display generosity or affection towards the outside world. How much of this penury is simply a result of the couple's being childless? Bennett seems convinced that these people are not particularly sinister and even deserving of sympathy; still, the book's ultimate purpose is moralistic; it exhort us to examine our hearts to see if we possess the same myopic shortcomings. SUMMARY: Nowhere near as great as Old Wives' Tale (and much slower), but a must-read for Bennett fans.

Another Bennett masterpiece

I can't beat that other review from Taipei - read the book

My Fifth Reading Was the Best Yet!

Why do I return to 'Riceyman Steps' every six years or so? Who can resist it? Arnold Bennett has created a fascinating world, one that we as readers are privileged to enter. The basic story and characters grab you immediately; you NEED to know what will happen, you want desperately for it all to turn out well. Bennett understands how fragile we all are, and yet how our passions can drive us. His understanding of the human heart is as perfect as 'Riceyman Steps. Don't miss this one!

A case-study of a miser

This is one of my favorite Bennett novels and one of the more idiosyncratic. If you ever wanted to experience the claustrophobic world of a true miser, and learn what it is like to live with one, this is your book. And it's vintage Bennett.