Story Telling : Murder by Arnold Bennett

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Story Telling : Murder by Arnold Bennett

"Relive the nostalgia and uncover the mysteries of the past—this is the heart of our Storytelling series."

Mrinmoy Majumder

Jun 11, 2025

Transcript

Arnold Bennett’s Murder is a masterclass in psychological storytelling, where the suspense lies not in the act itself but in the unravelling of the human mind. Set against the backdrop of early 20th-century England, the narrative follows a seemingly ordinary man who becomes entangled in a murder, and the story unfolds through his internal conflict, moral ambiguity, and emotional turmoil.

Bennett doesn’t rely on sensationalism; instead, he crafts a slow-burning tension that explores guilt, conscience, and the weight of societal expectations. The storytelling is intimate and introspective, drawing readers into the protagonist’s psyche as he grapples with the consequences of his actions. Through subtle shifts in tone and perspective, Bennett invites us to question the nature of justice and whether morality is absolute or circumstantial.

It’s not just a tale of crime—it’s a study of character, a quiet yet gripping exploration of what drives a person to the edge. If you enjoy narratives where the real drama unfolds in the mind rather than the courtroom, Murder delivers with quiet intensity.

Arnold Bennett’s Murder stands apart from many early 20th-century crime novels by shifting the focus from external investigation to internal introspection. While contemporaries like Agatha Christie or G.K. Chesterton often centered their stories around clever detectives, intricate plots, and the unravelling of clues, Bennett’s narrative is more psychological and moral in nature.

Instead of a classic whodunit, Murder explores the emotional and ethical consequences of the act itself. The suspense arises not from solving the crime but from witnessing the protagonist’s internal struggle—his guilt, rationalizations, and fear. This introspective approach aligns more closely with literary realism than with the puzzle-driven structure of traditional detective fiction.

In that sense, Murder feels more like a character study than a conventional crime story. It reflects Bennett’s broader literary interests in human psychology and social nuance, offering a quieter but more haunting experience than many of its genre peers.

If you’re drawn to the introspective tone of Murder, here are a few early 20th-century crime novels that also lean into psychological depth rather than just puzzle-solving:

The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes (1913) – Inspired by the Jack the Ripper murders, this novel focuses on a landlady’s growing suspicion that her tenant may be a killer. The tension builds through her internal conflict rather than external action.
Malice Aforethought by Francis Iles (1931) – A chilling tale told from the murderer’s perspective, this novel explores motive and moral decay long before the crime is committed. It’s a forerunner of the inverted detective story.
Before the Fact by Francis Iles (1932) – Another psychological gem, this one follows a woman who slowly realizes her charming husband may be plotting her murder. It’s more about dread and inevitability than detection.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1938) – While not a traditional crime novel, it’s steeped in psychological suspense, with themes of guilt, identity, and manipulation haunting every page.
The Beast Must Die by Nicholas Blake (1938) – A grieving father plans to kill the man who killed his son. The novel blends psychological insight with a twisty narrative structure.

These stories, like Bennett’s Murder, are less about “whodunit” and more about “whydunit” or “what now.”

The creator of the podcast has read the story line by line from the book :Vintage WhoDunIt edited by Maxim Jakubowski such that the current generation of readers can taste the gems of the 18th century.

"Relive the nostalgia and uncover the mysteries of the past—this is the heart of our Storytelling series."

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Story Telling : Murder by Arnold Bennett

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