The Good Companions

What is The Good Companions about?

The Good Companions (1929) is J.B. Priestley’s breakthrough novel, a sprawling, warm-hearted picaresque that became one of the most beloved English novels of the interwar period. The story follows three disparate characters—Jess Oakroyd, a blunt Yorkshire mill worker; Inigo Jollifant, a discontented schoolteacher; and Miss Trant, a middle-aged spinster who has just inherited money—whose paths converge when they join forces with a struggling troupe of traveling performers called the Dinky Doos. The novel follows the renamed “Good Companions” as they tour the English provinces, encountering adventures, setbacks, and romances. Priestley uses the picaresque structure to create a panoramic portrait of interwar England—its music halls, boarding houses, small towns, and working-class communities—with affection, humor, and social observation. The novel celebrates the redemptive power of fellowship, art, and adventure while honestly acknowledging the economic hardships and class divisions of its time. Its warmth and generous spirit made it an antidote to the disillusionment of the post-war period.