MR ARNOLD BENNETT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19472, 6 May 1925, Page 8

MR ARNOLD BENNETT.

■ DESCRIPTION BY HIS WIFE. NEW FASHION IN BIOGRAPHY. Mrs Arnold Bennett; lias opened a fresh field in biography by writing a frank book about her husband, the celebrated novelist, and telling much of his home life and of her view of his character. Possibly other wives will iollow this improvement on the Boswellian method concerning their living and eminent husbands. It is true that Mrs Carlyle wrote freely and humorously about ‘'Carlyle,” -but she did not know that tile letters containing her remarks would be published. Readers had to wait many years for them. Evidently Mrs Bennett does not believe in keeping readers waiting, ami, as she mentions, we are no longer in the Victorian era. Her hook has some pifiuancy, though it is written with a certain restraint. Mr Bennett told the world of his earlv life as a writer and of his aims in “The Truth About an Author,” published anonymously about 20 years ago and afterwards acknowledged. The candid volume still has interest, and it was not far out as a forecast. Now renders are presented with “Arnold Bennett,” by Mrs 'Arnold Bennett (Eondon : Philpot). Mrs Bennett, who is French, relates that she firtjt met her busband in ISO 6, when be was nearly 40 years of age. He had been living in Paris for about seven years. Mr Bennett was, and is, fascinating .to women, says his wife, and bo bad made manv feminine friends while be was sub-editor of a Bondon women’s magazine, in which he signed his articles by such names as. Ida. Rose, Jane, Edith, .or Dorothy. Tie has fine taste in furnishing, helped by bis early studies as a painter. His surroundings must bo tidy, and he has a closely followed programme of writing in the morning, rest in the afternoon (with the comfort of a bot-water bottle oven in summer), and observation in the afternoon and evening. WORK HIS CHIEF INTEREST. Always Mr Bennett carries a notebook, and the notes of one day are “written up” on the next morning. “His work is the centre of his life, and his chief interest. Ho regards himself as a machine which nas to produce book after book, play after play, to amuse, interest, or educate others. lie loves, nurses, and thinks about this machine more than anything else; consequently ho is self-centred, and occasionally extremely egotistic, like most of us; but ho has moods of extreme kindness, and is capable of deep and lasting affection.” Even his holidays yield books, and though “in later years his keenness for excitement and pleasure has increased. this also “provides precious material with to build up new characters.” For the writing of “The Old Wives’ Talc,” Mr Bennett's greatest artistic work up to 1908, particular efforts were made to ensure peaceful surroundings. On the morning of the publication of the book, “while fixing his tie in front of the looking-glass of our wardrobe, he exploded, and said. 'Thi,s day is the most important of my life’ I have done by very best. I shall never be able ro do bolter. . . . It will decide our future.’ ” The book was a popular as well as an artistic success, and other successes con tinned to arrive, steadily, with riches. Mr Bennett’s hobbies since his wife first met him have been piano-playing, calligraphy (“The Old Wives' Tale” was written in carefully printed characters), yachting, drawing, and painting in water-colours. In recent years lie lias found relaxation in dancing and in theatrical enterprises, and he has a splendid new yacht, the MarieMarguerite. He likes good food and luxurious living. Mr Bennett has charm and personality, can readily make friends, likes admiration, and enjoys doing good deeds. “Nevertheless, wit'll all these quali-ties--sympathy, generosity, under >t a ruling--he can at times be extremely harsh, cruel, ami pitiless.” This is noticeable when ho thinks he is botug imposed upon. Among