By Arnold Bennett

The Card:

Written in 1911, The Card is the story of Edward Henry (Denry) Machin, who rises from washerwoman’s son to the Mayor of Bursley (Burslem in the Potteries town of Stoke-on-Trent) via a mixture of gentle deceit and personal hype. He is literally a trickster of confidence, his rise to fame is begun at an exclusive ball to which he has obtained an invitation, where he has the audacity to claim a dance with the glamorous but imposing Countess of Chell.

His reputation as a Card, or someone we all want to talk about, thus confirmed, Denry continues his irresistible rise through the sticky class system of turn of the century Britain using money, influence and the allure of what we have come to call celebrity. With the aid of the Countess, who cannot seem to prevent herself helping him, and various ploys worthy of a latter day Max Clifford, including a very nifty deal to save the local football team, Denry conquers Bursely, The Five Towns and, as the longevity of the book’s reputation testifies, the literary world.

He leaves us with a feeling similar to the begrudgingly complimentary councillor who provides the last line of the book when asked what this Great Man Machin has ever actually done, what Great Cause he might be identified with, replies - "He's identified with the great cause of cheering us all up."