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The World of Charles Dickens
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Biographies and Books About Charles Dickens and his works
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Janelle
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Sep 18, 2021 11:12PM
Nice, Sue :) I just started it.
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I’m not quite sure how many bios of Dickens I’ve read, but it’s quite few, though they’ve all been either British or American. Each bio has its own merits, and I can’t think of a single one that I’ve read that I wouldn’t recommend. There are, for me, though, 3 that stand out slightly more than others, namely, Slater, Tomalin, and Ackroyd. And here’s the thing, when it comes to the Allen Turnan saga, they all have a somewhat different perspective:Tomalin, notwithstanding her (excellent, but not convincing) argument that Dickens took ill in another place and was transported to Gads Hill before he died, says that the Dickens and Turnan relationship was, from Dickens’ perspective highly sexually charged. Ackroyd (staggeringly, in my view) claims that the relationship was asexual, father-daughter motivated. While Slater doesn’t speculate, his is purely an evidential perspective - 3 great, 5 start reads, highly recommended
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The trouble with selecting a biography for a group is that there are bound to be spoilers for some members.
Sean - you might like to read Dickens Incognito by Felix Aylmer, for more details about how Charles Dickens managed to keep the "open secret" relationship with Ellen Ternan. This is the book Claire Tomalin used for her source material for that.
Also, for good insights on his life as an actor there is Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World by Simon Callow. Both of these are well-known actors - and both also Dickensian scholars (and authors). Charles Dickens set a precedent!
Although there has been a "major" biography every decade since he died, these two come from a slightly different perspective. Each is unique, and well worth reading :)
Bionic Jean wrote: "I agree with your 3 choices Sean, (though so far I've only dipped into the Michael Slater one.) The trouble with selecting a biography for a group is that there are bound to be spo..."
Thank you for the recommendations: that appeals to me, getting a modern actor's perspective on Dickens, and I have a couple of book tokens to use up yet ...
I’m not sure how many bios of Dickens I’ve read, but I know I’ve enjoyed them all. Slater, Ackroyd, and Tomalin take the top 3 spots for me - but I would still recommend many others, especially some of the American biographers. I’d also recommend reading Dickens’ letters, especially those supplemented with notes and illustrations such as J Hartey’s Selected Letters, or Dickens As Editor (Letters written to Dickens’ sub-editor Wills), R Lehmann. And if you're really lucky, the Pilgrim Letters edition is beyond description (a friend of mine is working in the middle-east for a while, and has most generously loaned me the full set - reading the volumes is the nearest thing to being in the same room as the man himself).Though not a bio, I would definitely recommend John Carey’s The Violent Effigy, which is more about Dickens’ mind, his imagination and his obsessions rather than his life. Snuff, corpses, gibbets, talking-birds, wooden-men -legs, murder(ers), fire, effigies, cannibalism and much more - Dickens had a lot of obsessions, thank goodness. What’s more, the humour is almost as equal to Dickens’; it’s utterly hilarious
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The Violent Effigy: A Study Of Dickens' Imagination by John Carey is new to me, and has gone straight on my to-read list.
Bionic Jean wrote: "Thanks so much Sean - some great recommendations here :)The Violent Effigy: A Study Of Dickens' Imagination by John Carey is new to me, and has gone straight on my to..."
Enjoy!
I just finished an ARC through NetGalley for Charles Dickens from Little People BIG DREAMS. It’s a children’s introductory biography to the life and works of Dickens, illustrated for children. I really like this series which has titles for all sorts of cultural figures from Jane Goodall to Ruth Bader Ginsburg to David Bowie and on and on. Not for very young kids though parents can read to the young ones.
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I can't find it on GR yet, so hope someone (you, Sue?) adds it soon.
I did add my review last night, Jean. I’ll check how it’s listed. You will find it under my books read. It isn’t published until next week, at least here in the states.
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Yes it is. I only became aware of it a few years ago.
Hi gang! Been a while since I've checked in. But I was able to read this thread today and wanted mention 2 books:In March of this year, I read My Father as I Recall Him by Mamie Dickens. Knowing what we do about Dickens's later life, his separation from Catherine, etc., it would be easy to dismiss this short memoir as a white-washed version of the man. But I thought it was lovely. Mamie may have retained an idealized version of her father, but the description of her experiences warmed my heart, and I too can celebrate the "good" parts of Dickens. He was a talented, complex, generous, lively man. I enjoyed Mamie's remembrances, and will read it again one day. (My review here: review)
Also in March, I read The Dickens Country by Frederic Kitton. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! (My review here: review)
Kitton is a delight, and his book is a fascinating romp through Dickens-related locales in and out of London. LOVED it!
Cheryl, I love your enthusiasm for both these books. I just downloaded them. Your reviews are wonderful. Thanks for the titles.
Petra wrote: "Cheryl, I love your enthusiasm for both these books. I just downloaded them. Your reviews are wonderful. Thanks for the titles."Thanks so much Petra!
Happy reading ... hope you enjoy!
Thanks from me as well Cheryl, have bookmarked your Dickens biographies recommendations!
Melanie wrote: "Thanks from me as well Cheryl, have bookmarked your Dickens biographies recommendations!"You're welcome, Melanie! I'm so glad if my recommendations are helpful :-)
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I've been told My Father as I Recall Him and Charles Dickens, By His Eldest Daughter (I think it's Mamie Dickens's personal recollection in two volumes - not sure) are both very touching personal memoirs. I think perhaps the one you've read would make a good side read, as all too many biographies of him contain big spoilers about his works. Can you remember if there are many?
Thank you! I too love your enthusiasm :)
Bionic Jean wrote: "Cheryl - these are fantastic! We've mentioned Charles DickensFrederic G. Kitton a few times before, as a scholar, so it's good to hear this book is so enjoyable. I..."Hello, Jean!! I'm trying to remember if there were spoilers in the Mamie Dickens book, and I don't believe there were any at all. It really was more of an insider look at Charles Dickens's life and habits. And it was short, so it would make a good side read.
I'm freaking out a little because I was not aware of the other short memoir from Mamie (Charles Dickens, By His Eldest Daughter) ... I've done some quick poking around, and it looks like she wrote it before My Father as I Recall Him..(??) Not sure.
One one website, I found this premise to the book:
"I have written this short biography of my father at the request of Messrs. Cassell & Co., expressly for the young. ... If the reading of this little book be the means of making any boys and girls love and venerate the Man -- before they can know and love and venerate the Author and the Genius -- I shall have accomplished my task with a thankful and a grateful heart."
Perhaps there is some duplicated material in both books, but they were written for different purposes.
Thanks so much Jean, and have a happy day!
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Yes, it's a puzzle - I guess the only way to know is to read them both! Since you've read it so recently I'm sure you'll be right about the spoilers aspect, so we can safely have it as a group choice. YAY!
The unabridged version is My Father As I Recall Him - Critical Edition Penguin Random House Unabridged Classic, so perhaps the ones with just 6 chapters are abridged ... I'll look into this before we read it though, to make sure.
There’s some pretty good contemporaneous stuff written about Dickens, but I’m not sure that I’d include either of Maimies books in this group. Her first, ‘CD, by his Eldest Daughter seems to me that it was part of her readings to children that did for a while after her father's death - well, I could be wrong, but it certainly reads like it was written for children. Her other book My Father As I Recall Him, puts me in mind of the somewhat carefully selected, expurgated and sanitised Dickens' letters that she edited (significantly) with her sister-in-law Georgina. However, I’d still recommend reading the latter, even if it’s just to get a better understanding of his oldest daughterForster’s Life is full of gems, but, again, it’s not objective by today’s standards, and long-winded (to be fair, a 19c audience would disagree).
However, the best contemporary read for me, ironically, is that written by the most sycophantic Dickensianite I’ve ever come across. George Dolby’s Charles Dickens As I Knew Him. He reefers to CD as ‘Mr Dickens’ right throughout, skips over all domestic issues, and focusses mainly on Dickens’ readings - it fills in all the gaps. It covers Dickens’ humour, his joking, temperament (only the good), his generosity, compassion, his health struggle, his eating, drinking, smoking habits, the other (lesser known) train accident, and a great deal more - though again, entirely pro-Dickens, it covers a period that no-one else could possibility have covered as Dolby accompanied Dickens on his American and last UK readings - it’s my top contemporaneous recommended read.
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It would be very nice if you could comment on our side reads of the first two parts of John Forster's biography. The second part The Life of Charles Dickens : Volume II is in our current reads folder, https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... but this is just coming to an end, and we will have a different side read before reading the third part. The first part is in the side reads folder https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group.... (I know you are still learning how to navigate round the group.)
Several have commented that it is a little dry, so I have borne this in mind, although our side reads are the moderator's choice. I don't think we've discussed George Dolby's book. Thank you for your interesting opinion of this one; but it's not really a front-runner just yet, as there are several more recent ones to give a better proportion. We could get to have a surfeit of older bios of Charles Dickens, since there are literally dozens of them, and need to be mindful of the right balance.
Thanks for your views, which I'm sure will be useful for those new to reading a biography of Charles Dickens. The main problem in selecting a read for the group, is always going to be the question of spoilers. If you look through our threads, you will see that we have had wonderful short reads of at least two of his children's books. We have many in this group who would probably enjoy reading Mamie Dickens's memories, even if they are not at all scholarly. It would make a nice change from John Forster ... although as I say, we don't want a surfeit of biographies, when there are so many other options for side reads.
There's a new book out about that may be of interest to many of us. I shared it in another thread, but putting it here too for reference:The Turning Point: 1851--A Year That Changed Charles Dickens and the World by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst
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It's so great though that this deals with Charles Dickens's life immediately before he wrote our current read, Bleak House! And it's written by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, who's a Dickens scholar at Oxford University.
If there's anyone who's not reading Bleak House with us by the way, there's still time to join in :) You've read it? Well just take a peek at our discussions. I think you'll be surprised!
A new book Dickens and Travel: The Start of Modern Travel Writing by Dickens descendant Lucinda Hawksley focussing on his travels around Britain and abroad.
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I recently finished reading One Hot Summer: Dickens, Darwin, Disraeli, and the Great Stink of 1858 - this is a micro-history book including sections about Dickens, looking at the fall-out after his separation from Catherine and the Garrick Club Affair. I enjoyed it, though I couldn't get on with the Audible version and had to switch to print!My review is linked here if anyone is interested, but I haven't said all that much about Dickens.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
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I can recommend Charles Dickens and the Street Children of London by Andrea Warren as an introduction to Dickens for those who know very little of his life and works. It's a short book (the last quarter is comprised of notes) and ideal as a quick read. It also doesn't contain any spoilers. It's a sort of mini biography and basic overview of Dickens' cultural impact at the time. Some other famous personalities are discussed relevant to the included topics.
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I know another Dickens-loving friend recommended this as a good introduction or "primer" as he called it, to the character and activity of Dickens with regard to the poor.
It's still not on kindle.uk sadly, but is on kobo, albeit a bit pricey.
William S. Holdsworth’s Charles Dickens as a Legal Historian, published by Yale University Press in 1928, is one of the most interesting and charming micro-studies I have ever read. It doesn’t appear to have been mentioned in the group before (?). Some critical books I have found useful: The inimitable Dickens: A reading of the novels; Dickens and Crime; Dickens and Education.
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I have started reading a recent biography (2020) of Dickens:The Mystery of Charles Dickens
I must say — it is excellent. This biography takes a different approach. Rather than looking at the life chronologically, it seeks to decipher and understand the mystery of Dickens. Within that framework, it looks at, for instance, the mystery of his creative power, the mystery of his troubled marriage, and so forth.
It is a good read and I am enjoying it.
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John, that one is on my library list for "later". It's only available at the library in the next town and is on my list to pick up when I get there next. I'm really glad to hear that it is as good as it sounds.
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"Designed to be part biography, part study guide, this brilliant new book explores the relationship between Dickens's lived experience and his literary work.
Dr Orford explores the key themes of some of Dickens's most well-loved stories. An excellent introduction to the world of Dickens scholarship; this new publication provides an informative portrait of Dickens's early family life, personal relationships, professional networks, social circles, travels abroad, charitable works, financial issues and so much more."
There is a new Great Courses video lecture called "London in the Time of Dickens." by the familiar Dickens scholar, Lillian Nayder. I have a link to the publicity page belowhttps://www.thegreatcourses.com/cours...
I am not sure of the availability of this course in the U.K. but in the U.S. it not only is available for purchase but it also viewable on Wondrium, the company's fee-based streaming service. Many libraies in the U.S. carry Wondrium content.
https://www.thegreatcourses.com/cours...
I have only watched the first lecture and found both familiar material and new in a well written essay filled with period maps, photos, and illustrations.
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Thanks Sam! In the UK the link goes to where we can purchase the 12 lectures on DVD for £29.99. (A little steep for me, but good to know they are available.)
There’s a pay-walled link in the New York Times this weekend, reviewing ‘The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens,' by Helena Kelly where she takes the view that Forster’s biog, based on Dickens’s own version of his life story, is heavily sanitised and that there’s a darker tale to be told. I’ve read the review here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/16/bo...
but can’t guarantee (due to my own IT ineptitude) that it will open.
David wrote: "There’s a pay-walled link in the New York Times this weekend, reviewing ‘The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens,' by Helena Kelly where she takes the view that Forster’s biog, based on Dickens’s own ..."I enjoy biographies of Dickens. I have mixed feelings about books that purport a different story or darker side, but I will keep an open mind.
I was able to read The NY Times review of The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens. Rather odd review. I could not tell whether he liked or did not like the book.I downloaded a sample of Kelly’s book and was able to read approximately 25 pages. She goes right after Forster.
I am also suspicious about the claim of old documents newly found. What these authors do is find one new document. Then the claim is made and it sounds like thousands of new documents have been unearthed.
I may read this book, but biographies that seek to show a different light usually over reach.
David wrote: "There’s a pay-walled link in the New York Times this weekend, reviewing ‘The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens,' by Helena Kelly where she takes the view that Forster’s biog, based on Dickens’s own ..."Thank you, David. This was interesting! It sounds like the reviewer, Alexis Coe, thinks that the biographical material in the book does not support a major change in one's sense of Dickens's character ("Her title suggests she is out to raise hackles, and if she succeeds, it likely won’t be in the way she intended.").
The reviewer does also suggest that the book has merit in that it may spur additional interest in reading and rereading Dickens: "Speaking of his fiction, when it comes to literary analysis, Kelly isn’t just unimpeachable — she’s energizing. For the first time in years, I’m excited to revisit 'David Copperfield' and 'Oliver Twist.'” That sounds worthwhile!
Mod
I feel like a rubbernecker on the highway with this book. I am intrigued by it sufficiently enough to want to read it; on the other hand, I find myself wanting to just wave and pass it by.I am suspicious — very much — about an author who seems to have started out with the idea and objective that Dickens was a worse person than has been previously acknowledged.
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