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142 Strand
Libro usado en buenas condiciones, por su antiguedad podria contener señales normales de uso
416 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2010
4 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Rosemary Ashton
18 books18 followersRosemary Ashton is Emeritus Quain Professor of English Language and Literature and an Honorary Fellow of UCL.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 2, 2017
What a complicated chap was John Chapman (1821-1894), both in his professional and private life.
In the former he played a most important part in the intellectual and cultural life of Victorian London while in the latter his marriage to Susanna lasted longer than could be expected with the string of affairs that Chapman had over the course of their marriage.
His residence at 142 Strand, where he lived, entertained lavishly and ran his publishing and bookselling business for seven years from 1847 to 1854, was one of the centres of literary London and he gave a start to the careers of writers such as George Eliot, Thomas Henry Huxley, James Anthony Froude and the American historian John Lothrop Motley. In addition established writers sought out Chapman when they had a book to publish that was too radical or was too unorthodox for other publishers to risk.
His long-running 'Westminster Review' carried articles by such as Harriet Martineau, John Stuart Mill, George Henry Lewes, Arthur Hugh Clough and the American Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose work Chapman first introduced to the British public. Mill said of Chapman's 'Westminster Review', 'The greatest utility of the Westminster Review is that it is willing to print bolder opinions on all subjects than the other periodicals and when you feel moved to write anything that is too strong for other Reviews, you will generaly be able to get it in the Westminster.'
In addition his personality was such and his views so strong that he had the support of great writers, such as Charles Dickens, in many of the causes that he espoused, such as free trade in publishing and the copyright laws.
As a publisher he had the distinction of publishing George Eliot's first work, a translation of Strauss's 'Life of Jesus', albeit anonymously, in 1847 and then in 1854 of publishing the only work that Eliot produced under her own name, a translation of Feuerbach's 'The Essence of Christianity', 'By Marian Evans'. Indeed Evans lived with the Chapmans, despite some turbulent times, for some years before moving out with her partner George Henry Lewes.
As a chronicle of literary life this is a valuable addition to any library and as a tale it brings the often neglected Chapman, quite rightly despite his many peccadilloes, to the forefront of the Victorian literary scene.
In the former he played a most important part in the intellectual and cultural life of Victorian London while in the latter his marriage to Susanna lasted longer than could be expected with the string of affairs that Chapman had over the course of their marriage.
His residence at 142 Strand, where he lived, entertained lavishly and ran his publishing and bookselling business for seven years from 1847 to 1854, was one of the centres of literary London and he gave a start to the careers of writers such as George Eliot, Thomas Henry Huxley, James Anthony Froude and the American historian John Lothrop Motley. In addition established writers sought out Chapman when they had a book to publish that was too radical or was too unorthodox for other publishers to risk.
His long-running 'Westminster Review' carried articles by such as Harriet Martineau, John Stuart Mill, George Henry Lewes, Arthur Hugh Clough and the American Ralph Waldo Emerson, whose work Chapman first introduced to the British public. Mill said of Chapman's 'Westminster Review', 'The greatest utility of the Westminster Review is that it is willing to print bolder opinions on all subjects than the other periodicals and when you feel moved to write anything that is too strong for other Reviews, you will generaly be able to get it in the Westminster.'
In addition his personality was such and his views so strong that he had the support of great writers, such as Charles Dickens, in many of the causes that he espoused, such as free trade in publishing and the copyright laws.
As a publisher he had the distinction of publishing George Eliot's first work, a translation of Strauss's 'Life of Jesus', albeit anonymously, in 1847 and then in 1854 of publishing the only work that Eliot produced under her own name, a translation of Feuerbach's 'The Essence of Christianity', 'By Marian Evans'. Indeed Evans lived with the Chapmans, despite some turbulent times, for some years before moving out with her partner George Henry Lewes.
As a chronicle of literary life this is a valuable addition to any library and as a tale it brings the often neglected Chapman, quite rightly despite his many peccadilloes, to the forefront of the Victorian literary scene.
September 1, 2022
Ashton, Rosemary - 142 Strand
Physical address of John Chapman, writer, publisher and editor of the influential Westminster Review.
A quarterly, it was an outlet for progressives and radicals, questioning Victorian society and Faith.
Incubator of Victorian titans including Thomas Huxley, Herbert Spencer, Marion Evans, James Froude, Harriet Martineau, too many more.
As a journal of intellectual thought, WR never made money.
Indeed, countless pages are devoted to Chapman’s unceasing quest to find backers and donations.
Chapman himself is inspiring as well infuriating.
He possesses vision, but lacks focus. Rather than mend faults, he makes excuses. In financial matters, he is totally hopeless. He holds his wife in contempt, cheats on her with several women.
For all that, he kept the Westminster ongoing for 40+ years.
Ashton’s book is informative, though chronology proves a merry skip-around.
Readers leap ahead five or ten years, then swing back, only to touch upon even earlier incidents.
Most of the “names” are bygone and may be forgotten save by English majors and Victorian fans.
Physical address of John Chapman, writer, publisher and editor of the influential Westminster Review.
A quarterly, it was an outlet for progressives and radicals, questioning Victorian society and Faith.
Incubator of Victorian titans including Thomas Huxley, Herbert Spencer, Marion Evans, James Froude, Harriet Martineau, too many more.
As a journal of intellectual thought, WR never made money.
Indeed, countless pages are devoted to Chapman’s unceasing quest to find backers and donations.
Chapman himself is inspiring as well infuriating.
He possesses vision, but lacks focus. Rather than mend faults, he makes excuses. In financial matters, he is totally hopeless. He holds his wife in contempt, cheats on her with several women.
For all that, he kept the Westminster ongoing for 40+ years.
Ashton’s book is informative, though chronology proves a merry skip-around.
Readers leap ahead five or ten years, then swing back, only to touch upon even earlier incidents.
Most of the “names” are bygone and may be forgotten save by English majors and Victorian fans.
March 20, 2015
Not quite about 142 Strand, not quite about John Chapman and not quite about his "circle," the book is hard to categorize. I was most interested in the parts about Marian Evans (known as George Eliot) since I'm a big fan of her novels, though I don't know her non-fiction which she published with Chapman. But it is an interesting look at a milieu especially at the economic and social difficulties of publishers.
April 28, 2008
The story of radical publisher John Chapman, editor of the Westminster Review, and his coterie of writers. There is much insight into the early career of George Eliot. The book is not a clear-cut narrative of events but is a fascinating read.
April 6, 2010
An interesting style of writing which I enjoyed when I was reading but once put down felt difficult to pick up. Possibly my own state of mind but also the nature of the book - really an incomplete biography dressed up as something else.
August 27, 2016
Ashton essentially concludes that Chapman was a bit of a necessary mediocrity; sadly I feel the same about this book. Comes alive only when George Eliot enters the scene, a bit ho-hum and scattered otherwise.
September 1, 2012
Couldn't get into it.
December 31, 2015
A surprisingly interesting window into the nineteenth century world of literature and publishing. Frequently heavy on details, both factual and philosophical, but overall readable.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews