Other editions of book Michael by E. F. Benson, Fiction

There you are, then, Francis, he said; "and I take it from you that that will put you perfectly square again. You've got to write to me, remember, in two days' time, saying that you have paid those bills. And for the rest, I'm delighted that you told me about it. In fact, I should have been rather hurt if you hadn't." "Mike, you're a brick," he said. "But then you always are a brick. Thanks awfully." "But it's more blessed to give than to receive, Francis," he said. "I have the best of you there." "Well, it's pretty blessed to receive when you are in a tight place, as I was," he said, laughing. "And I am so grateful

Michael is the 1916 quaint novel by the famous English novelist, biographer, memoirist, archaeologist and short story writer, E. F. Benson. Odin’s Library Classics is dedicated to bringing the world the best of humankind’s literature from throughout the ages. Carefully selected, each work is unabridged from classic works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama.

Europe is about to enter its darkest days, the long night of the First World War, Michael finds himself unloved by his parents and finding love in the arms of German singer Sylvia, he must make hard decisions between his patriotic feelings and the undeniable love he has for his new fiancee. This novel, originally published in 1916, is being republished here together with a new introductory biography of the author.

While E. F. Benson is best known for his comic novels of upper middle-class society, he also wrote serious novels that dealt with far greater issues than social ascendancy and the well-worded snub. Michael includes serious versions of some of the themes that appeared in Benson's comic novels--his love for German composers and a female singer whose fondness for informality and serious musicianship are reminiscent of Olga. Benson manages to interleaf several major themes without crowding the book. The story features inter-generational conflict; the mental decline of an elderly parent; what today we would call the self-esteem issues of a physically ugly man; national identity; and the slow, inexorable buildup to World War One and the heartache it causes as loving friends realize that they will be fighting on opposite sides. Benson deals with each theme sensitively, though sometimes the late Victorian prose style is heavy-handed. Even though Benson's obvious love for Germany and German music were, if anything, a daring stance to take so close to the war that was to wipe out so many lives, modern audiences are more sensitive to easy, sweeping national generalizations like the kind that Felix makes.

A hundred years ago it must have presented almost precisely the same appearance as it did in the summer of 1913, if we leave out of reckoning a few dozen of modern upstart villas that line its outskirts, and the very inconspicuous railway station that hides itself behind the warehouses near the river's bank. Most of the trains, too, quite ignore its existence, and pass through it on their way to more rewarding stopping-places, hardly recognizing it even by a spurt of steam from their whistles, and it is only if you travel by those that require the most frequent pauses in their progress that you will be enabled to alight at its thin and depopulated platform. . . .

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.