Project Gutenberg 2018-01-30 Public domain in the USA. 126 Benson, E. F. (Edward Frederic) 1867 1940 Benson, Edward Frederic Benson, Edward F. (Edward Frederic) An Act in a Backwater Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "An Act in a Backwater" by E. F. Benson is a novel written in the early 20th century. The story unfolds in a small English town and introduces Colonel Raymond, a retired military man with a penchant for pompousness and a desire to associate with the aristocracy. As events begin to unfold following the death of a noble relative, the narrative explores themes of class, the absurdities of social pretensions, and family dynamics. At the start of the story, Colonel Raymond diligently follows his routine as he heads to the Wroxton County Club, where his eccentricities and overbearing personality become evident. The narrative humorously illustrates his interactions with other characters, particularly his obsession with status and his noble relative, Lord Avesham. Following the announcement of Avesham's death, Colonel Raymond's thoughts reveal his anxieties regarding the implications for his own standing in the town, setting the stage for conflicts and encounters that will arise as the Avesham family moves into the area, complicating his efforts to maintain his perceived superiority. The opening chapters lay an intriguing foundation for exploring the interplay of social class and personal ambition in this seemingly idyllic backwater. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 81.2 (6th grade). Easy to read. en City and town life -- Fiction Courtship -- Fiction Siblings -- Fiction England -- Social life and customs -- Fiction PR Text Category: Humour Category: Novels Category: British Literature 425149 2025-07-22T12:17:42.905270 text/html 429569 2021-01-24T15:44:40 text/html 216437 2025-07-22T12:17:48.957228 application/epub+zip 219477 2025-07-22T12:17:43.970290 application/epub+zip 215927 2025-07-22T12:17:43.446242 application/epub+zip 349445 2025-07-22T12:17:52.812206 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 304542 2025-07-22T12:17:48.273283 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 305378 2022-08-25T12:11:54.537659 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 385000 2025-07-22T12:17:42.073267 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 384939 2018-02-11T07:05:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 19372 2025-07-22T12:17:52.952201 application/rdf+xml 12618 2025-07-22T12:17:43.529238 image/jpeg 2073 2025-07-22T12:17:43.488251 image/jpeg 142620 2018-02-11T08:27:48 application/octet-stream application/zip 189319 2021-01-24T15:44:40 application/octet-stream application/zip 190314 2025-07-22T12:17:42.942255 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia