The Old Wives' Tale by Arnold Bennett

Did you ever know an old lady (maybe your grandmother) or see an old lady (maybe a bag-lady on the street) and suddenly wonder about their lives and how they got to that place or how they were as young people? As revealed in his "Author's Preface" to this book, author Arnold Bennett was inspired to write this novel by observing an old woman in a restaurant. He observed, "...there is an extreme pathos in the mere fact that every stout ageing woman was once a young girl with the unique charm of youth in her form and movements and in her mind. And the fact that the change from the young girl to the stout ageing woman is made up of an infinite number of infinitesimal changes, each unperceived by her, only intensifies the pathos."

This novel tells the story of two such women, Constance and Sophia Baines. It follows them from their teenage years in the 1860s in Burslem, England, to their deaths more than 60 years later. The book is divided into four sections: their teenage years with their parents, the subsequent life of Constance, the subsequent life of Sophia, and their old-age, when they are reunited after 30 years.

The two, as young girls, appear to be almost opposites--Constance is dependable, conventional, cautious, and obedient to her rather domineering mother; Sophia is undependable, non-conforming, adventuresome, and rebellious, defying her mother by eloping with a traveling salesman.

The second section finds Constance marrying the sensible and industrious assistant in the family store. After the death of her parents, Constance and her husband operate the store, have a son, become financially well-off, and lead mostly quiet, small-town lives. As the idol of Constance's life, the son becomes excessively spoiled and neglects his mother while taking for granted her continued financial support.When the husband dies and the son moves to London, Constance is left alone.

The third section follows Sophia to Paris with her new husband, where in four years he spends all of his inheritance and subsequently leaves her. Because her pride will not let her return home to her family, Sophia must make her own way in the world, eventually becoming a successful hotel owner. When her health begins to fail, she sells the hotel and finally returns to her home town to visit her sister.

In the fourth section, what starts as a visit for the sisters becomes a life spent together, until their deaths within a short time of each other.

I'm not spoiling the book for anyone by detailing the plot, because plot is not the important element here at all. Instead, Bennett is giving a picture of societal changes, observations about human nature in general, and psychological insights about human motivations. What I find particularly interesting is that the core behavior of the characters remains the same despite all that happens to them. They may be behind-the-times and unattractive and sickly as they age, but inside they are much as they were as young girls.

Written in 1908, the novel is naturalistic and straight-forward. I found it quite interesting while I was actually reading, but when I put it down for a bit I had no urge to pick it up again. Maybe it was just too English, too understated for a mind trained by television and less realistic novels to crave action and high drama.

This is #87 on the Modern Library Top 100.