The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman. [By W. M. Thackeray, with Notes by Charles Dickens.] Illustrated by George Cruikshank.

by William Makepeace Thackeray

The Loving Ballad of Lord Bateman. [By W. M. Thackeray, with notes by Charles Dickens.] Illustrated by George Cruikshank.

British Library, Historical Print Editions

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British Library
Thackeray, William Makepeace; Dickens, Charles; Cruikshank, George;
1883.
43 p.; 4.
11645.ff.33.

Genres: Poetry, Classics, Fiction, Literature

86 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

William Makepeace Thackeray was an English novelist, satirist, and journalist, best known for his keen social commentary and his novel Vanity Fair (1847–1848). His works often explored themes of ambition, hypocrisy, and the moral failings of British society, making him one of the most significant literary figures of the Victorian era.
Born in Calcutta, British India, he was sent to England for his education after his father’s death. He attended Charterhouse School, where he developed a distaste for the rigid school system, and later enrolled at Trinity College, Cambridge. However, he left without earning a degree, instead traveling in Europe and pursuing artistic ambitions.
After losing much of his inheritance due to bad investments, Thackeray turned to writing for a living. He contributed satirical sketches, essays, and stories to periodicals such as Fraser’s Magazine and Punch, gradually building a reputation for his sharp wit and keen observational skills. His breakthrough came with Vanity Fair, a panoramic satire of English society that introduced the enduring character of Becky Sharp, a resourceful and amoral social climber.
Thackeray’s later novels, including Pendennis (1848–1850), The History of Henry Esmond (1852), and The Newcomes (1853–1855), continued to explore the lives of the English upper and middle classes, often focusing on the contrast between personal virtue and social ambition. His historical novel Henry Esmond was particularly praised for its detailed 18th-century setting and complex characterization.
In addition to his fiction, Thackeray was a noted public speaker and essayist, delivering lectures on the English humorists of the 18th century and on The Four Georges, a critical look at the British monarchy.
Despite his literary success, he lived with personal struggles, including the mental illness of his wife, Isabella, which deeply affected him. He remained devoted to his two daughters and was known for his kindness and generosity among his friends and colleagues.
His works remain widely read, appreciated for their incisive humor, rich characterizations, and unflinching critique of social pretensions.

Reviews

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

An old English ballad written down in paragraphs. There's additional explanation provided at the end, which is really needed for me because the ballad itself didn't really make a lot of sense. It was not as entertaining as most of the other short stories I read during my short-story-binge, but it was so short that I was not annoyed at the end. :-)

[Rebecca Long Okura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is exactly what it purports to be. It is the writing down of a old English ballad. That’s all it is. Then after that some biographical information about Dickens is provided. While this information can be found elsewhere in depth, it is at least briefly provided here. I came here to read the ballad and this is it. The problem with this book is that, while it references the illustrations that were published at the same time as the original edition, the illustrations ARE NOT included here, which is a shame as they are really fun and add a lot of interest to the book.

[ForestGardenGal · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this short poem, Dickens displays his Shakespearean prowess. A beautiful and touching sweet romance; the notes at the end of the poem add explanations that help the reader to understand the development of the characters as would have been understood by a Shakespearean audience.

PG, though some explanation will probably be required for younger audiences to comprehend the poem, there is no sex, language, nor violence.

[Fahdii Ajmalal Fikrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably wouldn't have understood this ballad if it weren't for the syarah (re: commentary).

The commentary itself felt a little too 'reaching' in some parts, but I could finally see the beauty within the story after reading it.

[P.H. Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Real rating: 4/10
Only read if you must read all of Dickens's work, while it is quite short those few brief moments can be better spent elsewhere.