Charles Dickens: His Tragedy and Triumph
“Charles Dickens: His Tragedy and Triumph” by Edgar Johnson is a revised and abridged biography published by Puffin on July 1, 1986. This 608-page work presents a comprehensive exploration of Charles Dickens, utilizing thousands of letters, many of which are unpublished, to depict both the author and the societal context in which he lived. The biography highlights Dickens as a complex figure, engaging with notable contemporaries such as William Makepeace Thackeray and Queen Victoria, while addressing his political and social crusades against issues like illiteracy and child abuse.
Readers will find a detailed account of Dickens’s life, from his early struggles to his rise as a literary figure. The narrative covers significant events and relationships, including his first love and the challenges he faced during his career. Johnson’s portrayal emphasizes the interplay between Dickens’s personal experiences and his literary achievements, providing insight into the societal issues of his time. This edition invites readers to delve into the life of one of literature’s most influential figures, offering a thorough understanding of his contributions and the era he shaped.
Official synopsis Publisher
A definitive biography of Charles Dickens, drawing on 1000s of letters, many unpublished, Johnson depicts not only him but also the world in which he lived. William Makepeace Thackeray, Benjamin Disraeli, Thomas Carlyle, Alfred Tennyson, Edgar Allan Poe, George Eliot, and Queen Victoria are among the players in the drama of his a drama in which he appears as one of the most complex figures of his time, a man whose political and social crusades against illiteracy, capital punishment, unjust penal systems, and child abuse are as compelling as his literary achievements.As the original 2-volume edition of Charles His Tragedy & Triumph appeared, Lionel Trilling “We cannot say less of Mr. Johnson’s book than it is the definitive life of Dickens. & to say that is to say that it is a splendid achievement & a work of superlative interest & charm.”V1 The anvil & the 1812-33: Birth & backgroundThe happy timeThe challenge of despairAmbition’s ladderFirst loveClimb to 1833-37: The career takes shapeBoz is bornCatherinePickwick triumphantKnight of the joyful countenanceTroubles & 1837-39: Metamorphosis of a journalistLost loveAscent of the rocketThe break with BentleyThe will in commandDeeper 1839-41: The thieves’ den & the worldMaster Humphrey’s clock strikes oneEmergence of a radicalThe neglected & misusedTriumph in Scotland & the eve of a new departureThe new 1842: The American dreamConquestwith undertonesNot the republic of my imaginationReturn journeyHome valedictory on AmericaCrescendo of 1843-46: Year of disappointmentSelfishness & the economic manBattles & Italinan air-castlesFrom the bells of Genoa…To the chimes of LondonLast days in ItalyBirth pangs of the daily newsV2 At grips with 1846-51: Difficulties with DombeyThe want of somethingThe world of DombeyismA haunted manMyself into the shadowy worldHis favorite childHousehold wordsSplendid barnstormingFog over EnglandThe anatomy of societyThe heaviest blow in my powerCritique of materialismFire bursts outNobody’s faultOld hell shaftThe prison of societyBreaking pointThe track of a stormSurface sereneThe tempest & the ruined gardenIntimations of mortalityThe great dust-heapThe bottom of the 1865-70: Pilgrim of Gad’s HillTo the loadstone rockLast rallyThe dying & undying voiceThe narrow bed
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