Hilda Lessways: Start in Life, Recovery, Burden, Fall, Deliverance, and Punishment(Matatabi Classics)

Hilda Lessways, the second novel in The Clayhanger Family trilogy, delves into the distinctive and challenging experiences of women in the early 20th century. Set against the rapidly industrializing Five Towns, the narrative shifts perspective from Edwin Clayhanger to explore Hilda's complex journey through love, betrayal, and societal pressures. This poignant narrative details Hilda's transition from a vibrant love affair in Brighton to the trials of a tumultuous marriage, encapsulating the intense emotional and societal struggles of the era. Through intimate reflections, Hilda attempts to reconcile her ambitions with the gender constraints of her time. Offering much more than a continuation of the social exploration begun in Clayhanger, Hilda Lessways provides a compelling look at the personal conflicts and societal norms that shaped women's roles during a period of significant change. Bennett's narrative skillfully highlights the timeless struggle for personal identity and autonomy, resonating with readers across generations.

About the Author :
Enoch Arnold Bennett, better known as Arnold Bennett, was an English author and novelist who made important contributions to literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was born on May 27, 1867, in Hanley, Staffordshire. His father, a lawyer, wanted him to become a lawyer like him, but Bennett was more interested in writing. After working at a law office in London for a short period of time, he decided to pursue a career in literature full time, starting in 1900. Bennett produced a large amount of work during his lifetime. He wrote 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays, and a daily journal of over a million words. Apart from his novels and plays, he also wrote articles and stories for more than 100 newspapers and periodicals. This made him one of the most financially successful British authors of his time. Bennett's life was cut short when he got typhoid fever and passed away in 1931. He contracted it from drinking tap water during a trip to France. His death marked the end of a productive and influential writing career. John McLean is a British born Japanese-English translator, interpreter, production editor, emcee, talk show host, and university associate professor from Hiroshima, Japan. His clients range from celebrated athletes like Simone Biles and Kohei Uchimura to prominent Japanese figures such as Nana Komatsu and Kentaro Sakaguchi, as well as dignitaries like Kazumi Matsui and major media outlets like NBC, CBC, and Al Jazeera. Beyond interpreting, his translating, subtitling and editing work with Japanese film directors and dedication to nurturing emerging filmmakers at the Berlin Film Festival through his collaboration with Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs (UNIJAPAN) highlight his contribution to the Japanese film industry.

Review :
"By [Arnold Bennett's] 1920s heyday he was one of the wealthiest and celebrated writers in the English language" (Patrick Donovan - 3 March 2022, High & Ham) Arnold Bennett, "the great social novelist... rigorously exposes the harsh working conditions in the ceramics industry at the height of the Industrial Revolution" (Nina Allan - 28 April 2019 - The Quietus) "Arnold Bennett was a linguistic puzzle. He stammered so badly all his life that he could hardly force out an intelligible sentence. But once he put pen to paper words poured from him" (Patrick Donovan - 6 March 2022 - The Sunday Times)