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A Simpleton
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.
- GenresClassics
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 17, 2012
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Charles Reade
867 books39 followersCharles 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.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 21, 2024
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.
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.
Displaying 1 of 1 review