The Card

By Arnold Bennett

Book Overview

When Edward Henry Machin first saw the smoke on May 27, 1867-the very day of Bennett's own birth. At age 12, Denry begins his career by altering his marks in a test sufficiently to earn him a scholarship to grammar school. At 16, he leaves school to work for Mr Duncalf, the town clerk and a solicitor. Duncalf is responsible for organizing an exclusive ball; Denry "invites" himself, then also a few others in exchange for things he will need, such as lessons from dance instructor Ruth Earp. On a bet, he audaciously asks the energetic, beautiful Countess of Chell to dance. Everyone, including Machin, is in awe of the Countess and he thus earns himself the reputation of a "card" (a "character", someone able to set tongues wagging) - a reputation he is determined to cement.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1979941475
• ISBN13: 9781979941471
• Release Date: November 2017
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Want to know what a card is?

I'm from the Five Towns, where this gem of a book is set. It's actually the Potteries, in Staffordshire, England. The book is about the life and times of Edward Henry (Denry) Machin who, by being a 'card' rises from humble beginnings to wealth and prominence. A card is someone who's a bit of a lad, who does things no one else dares or dreams of. Denry is never cruel, never arrogant and his adventures and mishaps as he falls in love and out, manages his mother, determined to live her life in a tiny slum, and becomes the most well known inhabitant of the area make for hilarious reading. The wit is subtle, his triumphs are believable and his failures make us feel for him. Read this book. It's very, very good.