Christie Johnstone

by Charles Reade

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Classics

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 24, 2011

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

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this short, early novel lacks the drama and depth of character found in Reade's later, longer books, it retains his sardonic wit and trademark strong female characters. His attempt to capture a Scottish accent falls short of the perfection of Walter Scott (so does every author's), but it is readable, though some words will be a mystery to those inexperienced at reading the Scots tongue. The book concludes with a lengthy discourse on what constitutes a successful and happy marriage. It is emotional and thoughtful, part commentary, part sermon, and would make fine reading at weddings even today.

All in all, this is a nice little story that, if nothing else, confirms that Charles Reade is without peer as an innovative (and frequently hilarious) third person narrator.

A few selections from Christie Johnstone:

This, then, is a happy couple; the very pigeons and the crows need not blush for the nest at Kensington Gravel-pits. There the divine institution Marriage takes its natural colors, and it is at once pleasant and good to catch such glimpses of Heaven's design, and sad to think how often this great boon, accorded by God to man and woman, must have been abused and perverted, ere it could have sunk to be the standing butt of farce-writers, and the theme of weekly punsters.

"And yon man," asked Jean Carnie, "is he a lord, too?"
"I am his lordship's servant," replied Saunders, gravely, not without a secret misgiving whether fate had been just.
"Na!" replied she, not to be imposed upon, "ye are statelier and prooder than this ane."
"I will explain," said his master. "Saunders knows his value; a servant like Saunders is rarer than an idle viscount."
"My lord, my lord!" remonstrated Saunders, with a shocked and most disclamatory tone. "Rather!" was his inward reflection.

Love is a state of being; the beloved object is our center; and our thoughts, affections, schemes and selves move but round it. We may diverge hither or thither, but the golden thread still holds us. Is fair or dark beauty the fairest? The world cannot decide; but love shall decide in a moment. A halo surrounds her we love, and makes beautiful to us her movements, her looks, her virtues, her faults, her nonsense, her affectation and herself; and that's love, doctor!

[Jane Dietzel-cairns · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as "Love Me Little, Love Me Long," I think, but still enjoyable to read. Annoying to read the Scottish accents rendered phonetically. Good characters, especially the Viscount suffering from ennui and his wise valet, appear to have later become models for novelists like Dorothy L. Sayers and Georgette Heyer, who both poked fun at the conventions of Victorian romance.