02942cam a22003253u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000320011324500520014526400510019730000470024833600260029533700260032133800360034750000310038350505140041450801230092852013770105153400450242865300340247365300270250765300390253485600430257312995UtSlPG20260610133316.0mcr n260607r2004||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPR1 aBennett, Arnold,d1867-193114aThe Matador of the Five Towns and Other Stories 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2004  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2004-07-220 aThe Matador of the Five Towns -- Mimi -- The Supreme Illusion -- The Letter and the Lie -- The Glimpse -- Jock-at-a-Venture -- The Heroism of Thomas Chadwick -- Under the Clock -- Three Episodes in the Life of Mr Cowlishaw, Dentist -- Catching the Train -- The Widow of the Balcony -- The Cat and Cupid -- The Fortune-teller -- The Long-lost Uncle -- The Tight Hand -- Why the Clock Stopped -- Hot Potatoes -- Half-a-sovereign -- The Blue Suit -- The Tiger and the Baby -- The Revolver -- An Unfair Advantage.  aE-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Wilelmina Malliere, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team  a"The Matador of the Five Towns and Other Stories" by Arnold Bennett is a collection of short stories written in the early 20th century. The overarching theme of the collection revolves around the daily lives, relationships, and challenges faced by the inhabitants of a fictional industrial region known as the Five Towns. The opening story introduces Robert Brindley, an architect, his wife Mrs. Brindley, and their humorous handling of an uncelebrated family crisis—the forgotten birthday of an elderly relative—leading to an amusing chain of events that encapsulates the essence of existence in the Five Towns.  At the start of the book, we see the Brindleys navigating through a domestic crisis as they realize they have forgotten Mrs. Brindley's grandmother's birthday. The narrative unfolds through their witty banter, emphasizing their humorous yet sometimes chaotic perspectives on familial obligations. As they prepare for their visit to celebrate, Brindley is depicted as a typical, busy professional, while Mrs. Brindley's light-heartedness contrasts with her need for familial connection. The story effectively sets the tone for the collection, giving readers a glimpse into the quirks of life in the Five Towns, skillfully blending comedy with poignant insights about relationships and social responsibilities. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aCity and town life -- Fiction  aShort stories, English  aStaffordshire (England) -- Fiction40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/12995