Dickens A Biography by Fred Kaplan
Dickens A Biography by Fred Kaplan
Dickens
A Biography
by Fred Kaplan
Hodder and Stoughton, 1988, [Second Impression], ISBN 0340485582, black and white plates, hardcover, dust jacket
Very Good Condition, a little edge and shelf wear, minor rubbing and bumping to edges and corners, ex-library with stamps to front back end papers, library pocket attached to inside back cover, tape residue on front and back covers, dustjacket shows a little edge and shelf wear with a little rubbing, bumping, creasing and small chips and tears to edges and corners (see photographs)
“This is a magnificently crafted biography of Charles Dickens. Drawing partly on unpublished and new material, it has been ten years in the making. It presents Dickens and his novels in a manner that will speak to a new generation interested in the greatest and most popular English novelist. It provides a full-scale portrait of Dickens the man and incorporates into the narrative a critical discussion of his greatest masterpieces as well as suggesting their autobiographical origins, works like A Christmas Carol, Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities. For the first time, here is a frank, uncensored and objective presentation of Dickens’ marriage and his relationship with his mistress, the actress Ellen Ternan, and of his difficult relationships with his parents and children.
This biography combines a brisk narrative and telling detail with a presentation of the themes in Dickens’ work which makes clear his views on the important social issues of his day.
Emphasising Dickens’ friendships, it includes a rich gallery of famous Victorian figures: Thomas Carlyle, William Macready the actor, the illustrators of Dickens’ books, and novelists like William Makepeace Thackeray and the younger Wilkie Collins. A description of Dickens’ two long visits to America and discussion of his passion for amateur theatricals and public readings, which were such a significant part of his life, help to bring the novelist alive.”