Arnold Bennett’s masterpiece “The Death of Simon Fuge” is now available as a public-domain two-hour audiobook read by David Wales, in Librivox’s new release of The Grim Smile Of The Five Towns.

It’s a pretty good lively reading with some subdued attempt at dialogue characterisation, read by an older man with what is probably a New England American accent. He goes at it rather fast, and is a little sibilant when heard on headphones. But the graphic equaliser and real-time speed-shifter of a good audio player (such as AIMP) will fix that…

Speed: 0.94 or 0.95.

EQ settings to start tweaking from:

Sadly there’s not a single illustration for “Fuge” to be had, but this picture from North Staffordshire in circa 1902-03 gets pretty near to the three main male characters, with the visitor Mr. Loring being the one standing behind and with a pipe…