The hero of a novel Buried Alive is Mr Priam Farll a painter of considerable ability. He is
however extremely shy - so shy that when his valet Henry Leek dies suddenly the doctor
believes the dead man to be Priam Farll and the live man the valet. The artist does not try to
disabuse him. After the funeral Priam Farll marries a widow and lives a happy life until the
loss of his wife's money means he has to take up painting again. A connoisseur of art
recognises his style but thinks the paintings are by an imposter. He makes a fortune by buying
his works through a small dealer and selling them in America as genuine. Meanwhile Priam Farll
refuses through his obstinate shyness to prove his own identity. The Old Wives Tale (1908) a
novel set in part in the Potteries district of North Staffordshire where Bennett grew up is
generally considered his single masterpiece. The Card is a short comic novel written by Arnold
Bennett in 1911. It chronicles the rise of Edward Henry (Denry) Machin from washerwoman's son
to Mayor of Bursley (a fictitious town based on Burslem). This is accomplished through luck
initiative and a fair bit of chutzpah (in slang a card is a 'character' an 'original' a
clever audacious person). Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) was an English journalist novelist and
writer. After working as a rent collector and solicitor's clerk Bennett won a writing contest
which convinced him to become a journalist. He later turned to the writing of novels including
his most famous Clayhanger and Anna of the five towns.
