Wednesday, October 4, 2017

The Grand Babylon Hotel - Arnold Bennett

I've been meaning to investigate Arnold Bennett for a long time, and found this in Edinburgh back in January. It sounded entertaining so seemed like a good place to start.

The back blurb told me that:
"Nella, daughter of millionaire Theodore Racksole, orders a dinner of steak and beer at the exclusive Grand Babylon Hotel in London. Her unladylike order is refused, so Theodore promptly buys the chef, the kitchen, and the whole hotel. But when staff begin to vanish and an aristocratic guest goes missing, Nella discovers that murder, blackmail, and kidnapping are also on the menu."

The Times also described it as rather excellent.

It is excellent. Nella, and Theodore Racksole are an appealing pair, with a delightfully modern relationship for a book first published in 1902, Theodore let's Nella do much as she likes, and what he's told, on the grounds that it's just easier that way, and as she's a determined young woman he's probably right.

From the very night that he buys the Hotel, Theodore suspects something is amiss, and relishes the chance to solve the problem. The mix of Ruritanian style royalty, murder, mayhem, kidnap, and international intrigue is entirely far fetched and very much tongue in cheek, which is all extremely satisfying and great fun along the way.

'The Grand Babylon Hotel' seems to be a bit of an oddity in Bennett's oeuvre - it certainly has little to do with the potteries and the five towns, and sounds worlds away from the 'Old Wives Tale' as well. If I'd realised that earlier it probably wouldn't have been the book I started with- simply because it was so much fun that I'd quite like more of the same. Beginning with something more typical might have been a better idea, if only because at the moment I still don't really feel I know anything about Bennett. That will change though, and meanwhile this one is a little gem of a thing.

12 comments:

  1. Anna of the Five Towns is probably more typical, or of you’re feeling like tackling something more substantial there is the Clayhanger trilogy.

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    1. I was thinking about 'The Card', I want to read 'The Old Wives Tale' but it's so long and I'm struggling to concentrate on, or find the time for long books at the moment

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  2. Thanks for your recommendations. These books somehow haven't been on my radar and I am looking forward to expanding my reading horizons. Just downloaded it on Kindle for free, so even better!

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    1. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. It's not a very serious book, but it was a lot of fun.

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  3. Bennett is great. Do try The Old Wives Tale - ditto Clayhanger. I've never heard of this one - must try to get hold of it!

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    1. It's very frivolous- just perfect! I really want to read the old wives tale, I need to clear the decks first though - tbr pile is a Mountain.

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  4. This sounds charming, and I wouldn't have guessed it was originally published in 1908 if you hadn't said. I can't wait to try it.

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  5. I found this to be great fun - an excellent way of passing a train journey. I also think it would be good adapted for TV, maybe at Christmas.

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    1. You're right in all counts. It would make great tv!

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  6. Really pleased to see that you liked this so much as I have a copy of it on my shelves just waiting to be read. It was the hotel setting that attracted me to it in the first instance - well, that and the beautiful cover on the Vintage edition. :)

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    1. Same here, and it definitely lived up to its promise.

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