The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett
This novel explores the lives of two sisters, Constance and Sophia Baines, who are brought up in a small town drapery shop in the mid-19th century. Constance remains in their hometown, marries and leads a relatively uneventful life, while Sophia elopes to Paris with a traveling salesman, living through the Siege of Paris and the Franco-Prussian War. The book contrasts the sisters' different experiences and how their choices shape their lives, ultimately reuniting them in their old age.
The 321st greatest book of all time
- Published
- 1908
- Nationality
- British
- Type
- Fiction
- Pages
- 600-800
- Words
- 190,983
- Original Language
- English
- Alternate Titles
- None
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This book is on the following 13 lists:
- 22nd on Choosing the Century's(20th) Favorite Books(1924) (The Literary Digest)
- 87th on The 100 Greatest British Novels (BBC)
- 87th on The Modern Library | 100 Best Novels (Modern Library)
- 654th on Our Users' Honorable Mention Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- 704th on Our Users' Favorite Books of All Time (The Greatest Books Users)
- A Hundred Novels to Change Your Life (The Daily Mail)
- Famous Authors Name Their Favorite Novels(from 1915) (New York Times)
- William H. F. Lamont’s 100 Best Novels (1947) (archive.org)
- 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read (The Guardian)
- 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die (The Book)
- Have You Read 100 Great Books? (The Jasper Lee Company)
- Harold Bloom's The Western Canon (The Western Canon (Book) by Harold Bloom)
- Masterpieces of World Literature (Frank N. Magill)