A Simpleton

by Charles Reade

Charles Reade (1814-1884) was an English novelist and dramatist. He began his literary career as a dramatist, and it was his own wish that the word "dramatist" should stand-first in the description of his occupations on his tombstone. His first comedy, The Ladies' Battle, appeared in May 1851. It was followed by Angela (1851), A Village Tale (1852) and The Lost Husband (1852). But Reade's reputation was made by the twoact comedy, Masks and Faces (1852), in which he collaborated with Tom Taylor. He made his name as a novelist in 1856, when he produced It is Never Too Late to Mend, a novel written with the purpose of reforming abuses in prison discipline and the treatment of criminals. Several novels followed in quick succession, including The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth (1857), Jack of All Trades (1858), Love Me Little, Love Me Long (1859), and White Lies (1860), which was dramatised as The Double Marriage. In 1861, Reade produced what would become his most famous work, The Cloister and the Hearth, relating the adventures of the father of Erasmus.

Genres: Classics

396 pages, Paperback

Published July 13, 2007

About the author

Charles Reade was an English novelist and dramatist, best known for The Cloister and the Hearth. He fell out of fashion by the turn of the century - "it is unusual to meet anyone who has voluntarily read him," wrote George Orwell in an essay on Reade - but during the 19th century Reade was one of England's most popular novelists. He was not highly regarded by critics.

Reviews

[Niki (nikilovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy Victorian literature, especially Victorian sensation novels, do yourself a favor and read some books by Charles Reade. It will not take you long to fall in love with his characters and and their story. During his lifetime, he was one of the most famous Victorian sensation writers along with Wilkie Collins and Mary Elizabeth Braddon.

Goodreads has a quote from an essay George Orwell wrote about Reade listed in their biography of Reade, "it is unusual to meet anyone who has voluntarily read him." The problem with the inclusion of the quote is it is misleading. It sounds like George Orwell's essay is saying no one should read his books, when the opposite is true. His essay is extolling the virtues of Reade's work. Here's another quote from Orwell's essay, "But he also wrote three novels which I personally would back to outlive the entire works of Meredith and George Eliot, besides some brilliant long-short stories such
as A Jack of All Trades and The Autobiography of a Thief." That's high praise indeed. (Incidentally, Orwell lists his three favorite books by Charles Reade in the essay. They were Foul Play, Hard Cash, and It Is Never Too Late to Mend.)

So fat, I have read Foul Play and A Simpleton by Reade and absolutely loved them both. I think it's unfortunate that his books have fallen out of favor because they are quite fun to read. I do find it a little difficult to give a brief summary of the story without giving away too much of the plot. In the end, A Simpleton, originally published in 1873, is the story of true love and the trials and tribulations a couple must overcome, albeit much more dramatic than most people must face, of course. It is a Victorian sensation novel after all. I laughed, I cried, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of my reading.