Riceyman Steps

Riceyman Steps is a late masterpiece by Arnold Bennett, published in 1923 and set in a shabby corner of Clerkenwell in London. Henry Earlforward, a mild second-hand bookseller, marries the widow who keeps the shop across the way, but his deepening miserliness slowly poisons the marriage, as he starves himself, his wife, and their devoted servant Elsie rather than spend a penny. Bennett turns this small, grey world into a story of quiet tragedy, drawn with such exactness that the dusty shop and its half-lit rooms become unforgettable. It won some of the highest praise of his whole career. This free PDF and EPUB presents the complete novel.