J.B. Priestley / John Boynton Preistley Books In Order

Publication Order of The Image Men Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Plays

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

J.B Priestley is the pen name by John Boynton Priestley an English mystery author. He was a novelist, scriptwriter, playwright a broadcaster and a social commentator. His father was a headmaster, and his mother passed on when he was two years, and his father remarried after four years. Priestley schooled at Belle Vue Grammar school and left at the age of sixteen to be a junior clerk at a wool firm named Helm and company in Swan Arcade. While he was working there, he began writing at night and published his articles in London and local newspapers.

After serving in the military, Priestley joined Trinity Hall University in Cambridge. The author’s novel, Benighted of 1927 was adapted into James Whale film. Priestley’s book, The Good Companions, made him a public figure and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction; he is also best known for his 1945 play An ‘Inspector Calls. In 1960, the author published a survey of western literature covering all the genres called Literature and western man. In 1970, the author was awarded a title of honorary Doctor of letters by the University of Bradford and in 1973 awarded the Freedom of the City of Bradford. The university named their library after him in his honor which he opened it officially in 1975

The Good Companions

The story is about three people who are at their turning point in life and parting ways and how they perform a troupe where they encounter ups and downs in the performing life. The three are Jessiah Oarkroyd who does jobs like carpentry and other odd jobs, he is tired of his nagging wife and a child, and he decides to pack his clothes and leave home to go to England. His adventures start when he rides in a big van carrying stolen goods. The driver and his helper leave him at an inn after stealing from him when he falls asleep. The innkeeper awakens him, and he realizes that he has no money to buy breakfast. He Walks out of the inn and starts footing, and he comes across another van with a man trying to repair a peddler’s stall. He assists him, and he is given breakfast and a ride in return for his help.

Jessiah stays with the man for three days after which he starts walking again where he comes upon a car and helps the driver, Elizabeth Trant, to start the motor. Trant has been taking care of her ill father before his death and has inherited hundreds of pounds from him. She is planning to travel to England after the misfortune and is ready to fulfill her dream and support the stuck troupe. While Jessiah is repairing the motor, they meet Inigo Jolliphant a teacher of literature and history at a private boarding school and just like Jessiah and Miss Trant; he had started his adventures a few days ago. He had been fired after he became too drunk while in work and began playing piano during his birthday

The misfortunes they face are the beginning of their new life which brings them together from a different background, and they work together having some adventures and succeeding in some of their endeavors.

The three meet up by chance and Elizabeth offers to manage, and Payout for a concert called Dinky Doo which she later changes the name to The Good Companions. Inigo becomes their new piano player, and Oarkroyd builds scenes by doing his odd jobs in the theater. They meet great characters on their journey to Rawnsley and also in their concert troupe. The troupes’ first appearance is in a small town, and the show was not successful but the second one favored them.
The novel is delightful with lots of humor and quirky cast with memorable and loveable characters. The author portrays each character and knits them together into a whole.

An Inspector Call

The novel begins when Arthur Birling, a rich British factory owner, is in the middle of celebrating Gerald’s engagement to Sheila, his daughter. The celebration is interrupted by Inspector Goole who is doing an investigation on the suicide committed by a young working-class lady, Eva Smith because he doubts that some of the family members might be aware of the reason behind the suicide. When the inspector starts interrogating the members of Birling family, it comes to light that each one of them is connected to Eva and had exploited, ruined and abandoned her leading to distress

Birling matches his daughter to Gerald because he is from an aristocracy family to utilize her for his profits. The two try getting married, but Sheila is not in love with Gerald because he deceives her, but she seems not to care since her aim matches that of her father of material gain and power. Although Gerald loves Sheila, he does not respect her and their relationship.

Eva was vulnerable and needed help from Gerald when they met since he is in a position to help her as a friend, but he utilizes her by making her his mistress after which he leaves her. Sheila on learning about it, she becomes jealous and plots on how she can kill Eva. Eric, Birling’s son, has a relationship with Eva but his mother does not like it since she is from a low-income family and talks to her about it.

Every member is confronted brutally for their bad involvement in the young lady’s suicide. The family at first seems friendly and tightly knit but ends up being self-centered, coward, and selfish due to their evil deeds towards the young lady.

The story is provoking with exciting characters and a moral message which is captivating and holds your attention till the end. The author achieves this by use of climaxes and unfolding the plot slowly. The book intends to show the inequality between different social classes and how dangerous this difference is and some of the themes referenced in An Inspector Call range from issues of class structure, social duty, and responsibility. J.B Priestley views society with more communal but not individual responsibilities. The Birling family members are more concerned with personal gain while exploiting other people.