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In Darkest London
In Darkest London is a social documentary of the East End in the 1880s. It was originally published in 1889, as Captain Lobe: A Story of the Salvation Army by John Law. Margaret Harkness, who wrote under the pen name of John Law, is considered one of the important expounders of 'social realism' in late 19th century England. Her passionate sense of justice and determined desire for social reform are paramount in all her writings; and her description of the impoverishment in the East End of London, where she lived for several years gathering first hand material about the lives and labour of the people there, is keenly observed.
- GenresVictorian
204 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1889
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August 26, 2019
4.5 stars
This summer I’m reading some of the “New Women” writers of the late nineteenth century. Margaret Harkness is an interesting one; she has no wiki entry for herself. She was the daughter of a clergyman who trained to be a nurse, but instead of going on to marry well as her family wished, she opted to remain single and go into journalism and writing. Initially she wrote about historical topics, but in the mid-1880s she became influenced by socialism and feminism and began to write about the state of those who were living in the slums. She also became very interested in the work of the Salvation Army, who were one of the few organisations living and working in the heart of the slums. She wrote articles and a number of novels on the subject. She also worked with other like-minded women such as Eleanor Marx (daughter of Karl), Olive Schriener, Annie Besant, Amy Levy, Beatrice Potter (later Webb), Clementina Black and Olive Birrell; all mostly forgotten today. Harkness often wrote under the pseudonym John Law and some of her books on GR are still recorded as John Law.
At the time Harkness was writing her more radical novels feminism and socialism were quite closely linked in Britain as social equality and gender equality were seen as inextricable. Therefore categorising Harkness as one or the other is not helpful as Sally Ledger points out;
“If Harkness can be described as a socialist and a nonconformist, then she also has considerable credentials as a feminist novelist, not least in her portrayal of the seamstress, Nelly Ambrose, in A City Girl. The tensions between feminism and socialism in late Victorian Britain are unresolved in Harkness’s novels, and it is for this reason, I would claim, that she is celebrated neither as a full-bloodedly socialist nor a whole-heartedly feminist writer, her fiction refusing to conform unequivocally to either paradigm.”
Harkness’s later life is shrouded in some mystery; she travelled extensively from the 1890s onwards, going to Australia, India, the US, New Zealand, Sri Lanka amongst others. She continued to write, but her later works are even less known than her earlier works.
In Darkest London focuses on conditions in the East End slums and primarily on the work of the Salvation Army and their slum workers, who lived and worked in the same conditions as the residents. Consequently there is a good deal of religion of an evangelical flavour in the book as the thoughts and motives of Captain Lobe, the main male character are laid bare. Harkness doesn’t pull her punches though and there are plenty of death bed scenes and all beliefs examined are questioned, as here in an exchange between a Salvation Army slum worker and a working man she is talking to;
““You must give up your sins; then God will send you food,” was the reply.
The man shook his head, and said, “The Bible calls God a father, and no father could starve his son for sinning. He would give him food first, and speak about his sins afterwards.”
“Gold and silver have I none,” was the girl’s reply; “but what I have, that I give unto you.”
“Then, my lass, you can carry your preaching somewhere else. Don’t come here to talk of salvation to a man like me. I’m hungry.” “
The capitalist factory manager is suitably wicked and sexually predatory. The woman who looks after the factory girls, Jane Hardy is an interesting character, well nuanced, flawed, but ultimately strong. She argues for socialism, sees men as the enemy and will constantly ask where people stand on the woman question. She works only to keep her elderly mother from the workhouse. Her strength at the end of the novel is telling. The whole thig revolves around Ruth, who is an interesting character who appears to be acted upon, but a careful reading indicates otherwise.
This is a good novel which combines sharp social commentary and description of the slums and an examination of the validity of socialism and feminism. There is even a little romance. Harkness’s writing at times is fragmented and the telling of the conditions of the poor is the most important factor. There are also references to all sorts of other issues which are sharp and to the point. A nameless East End doctor who Harkness refers to as “The Modern Prometheus” (a Frankenstein reference) who cannot gives his patients the drugs they need because they are so weak and undernourished that they would be killed by them. The title is a direct reference to a book just published by Henry Stanley called In Darkest Africa; the point being, that horror can be found just down the road, look what we are doing to the poor. The novel is set exactly at the time of the Ripper murders and in exactly the same area. They are not mentioned, a deliberate decision I believe. There is horror enough in normal daily life. There are also expressions of the view that it is all the fault of the foreign influx from Eastern Europe, using terms that I suspect were taken straight from the streets; very prescient for today. Death is desired and suicide is often the remedy for despair. It’s grim at times, but Harkness infuses the whole with humanity and passion.
This summer I’m reading some of the “New Women” writers of the late nineteenth century. Margaret Harkness is an interesting one; she has no wiki entry for herself. She was the daughter of a clergyman who trained to be a nurse, but instead of going on to marry well as her family wished, she opted to remain single and go into journalism and writing. Initially she wrote about historical topics, but in the mid-1880s she became influenced by socialism and feminism and began to write about the state of those who were living in the slums. She also became very interested in the work of the Salvation Army, who were one of the few organisations living and working in the heart of the slums. She wrote articles and a number of novels on the subject. She also worked with other like-minded women such as Eleanor Marx (daughter of Karl), Olive Schriener, Annie Besant, Amy Levy, Beatrice Potter (later Webb), Clementina Black and Olive Birrell; all mostly forgotten today. Harkness often wrote under the pseudonym John Law and some of her books on GR are still recorded as John Law.
At the time Harkness was writing her more radical novels feminism and socialism were quite closely linked in Britain as social equality and gender equality were seen as inextricable. Therefore categorising Harkness as one or the other is not helpful as Sally Ledger points out;
“If Harkness can be described as a socialist and a nonconformist, then she also has considerable credentials as a feminist novelist, not least in her portrayal of the seamstress, Nelly Ambrose, in A City Girl. The tensions between feminism and socialism in late Victorian Britain are unresolved in Harkness’s novels, and it is for this reason, I would claim, that she is celebrated neither as a full-bloodedly socialist nor a whole-heartedly feminist writer, her fiction refusing to conform unequivocally to either paradigm.”
Harkness’s later life is shrouded in some mystery; she travelled extensively from the 1890s onwards, going to Australia, India, the US, New Zealand, Sri Lanka amongst others. She continued to write, but her later works are even less known than her earlier works.
In Darkest London focuses on conditions in the East End slums and primarily on the work of the Salvation Army and their slum workers, who lived and worked in the same conditions as the residents. Consequently there is a good deal of religion of an evangelical flavour in the book as the thoughts and motives of Captain Lobe, the main male character are laid bare. Harkness doesn’t pull her punches though and there are plenty of death bed scenes and all beliefs examined are questioned, as here in an exchange between a Salvation Army slum worker and a working man she is talking to;
““You must give up your sins; then God will send you food,” was the reply.
The man shook his head, and said, “The Bible calls God a father, and no father could starve his son for sinning. He would give him food first, and speak about his sins afterwards.”
“Gold and silver have I none,” was the girl’s reply; “but what I have, that I give unto you.”
“Then, my lass, you can carry your preaching somewhere else. Don’t come here to talk of salvation to a man like me. I’m hungry.” “
The capitalist factory manager is suitably wicked and sexually predatory. The woman who looks after the factory girls, Jane Hardy is an interesting character, well nuanced, flawed, but ultimately strong. She argues for socialism, sees men as the enemy and will constantly ask where people stand on the woman question. She works only to keep her elderly mother from the workhouse. Her strength at the end of the novel is telling. The whole thig revolves around Ruth, who is an interesting character who appears to be acted upon, but a careful reading indicates otherwise.
This is a good novel which combines sharp social commentary and description of the slums and an examination of the validity of socialism and feminism. There is even a little romance. Harkness’s writing at times is fragmented and the telling of the conditions of the poor is the most important factor. There are also references to all sorts of other issues which are sharp and to the point. A nameless East End doctor who Harkness refers to as “The Modern Prometheus” (a Frankenstein reference) who cannot gives his patients the drugs they need because they are so weak and undernourished that they would be killed by them. The title is a direct reference to a book just published by Henry Stanley called In Darkest Africa; the point being, that horror can be found just down the road, look what we are doing to the poor. The novel is set exactly at the time of the Ripper murders and in exactly the same area. They are not mentioned, a deliberate decision I believe. There is horror enough in normal daily life. There are also expressions of the view that it is all the fault of the foreign influx from Eastern Europe, using terms that I suspect were taken straight from the streets; very prescient for today. Death is desired and suicide is often the remedy for despair. It’s grim at times, but Harkness infuses the whole with humanity and passion.
October 30, 2023
Maybe 3.5. This book was very interesting to read as someone interested in Victorian history, but I didn't love it as a novel.
December 10, 2012
I picked up this book at the Museum of London Docklands. I'd not come across Margaret Harkness in the books I'd been reading about Victorian East London, but the book sounded great so I thought I'd get it. (Later in the week I started reading East End 1888 and it quotes from her, and in particular this novel, extensively). I have to say this is by far the best novel written and set in the Victorian East End. While she's a little judgemental, she's a lot more understanding than Morrison. Her characters aren't poor because they are just lazy criminals born that way, but rather are hard working and exploited. There are men and women who drink too much and are violent towards their children and each other, but the characters presented are human rather than sub human. What is interesting about this book is that she also looks into the psychology of the people who are there to help. She is as critical of the charity workers as she is of the poor. While she presents the salvation army characters feelings and activities with earnestness she does make them seem a little naive. How they offer prayers when people need bread and how they are obsessed with people being "saved" and don't really consider other Christian denominations are really Christian (one has a dream where a vicar is taken away to hell). It reminded me so much of the Christianity I was brought up in, and how at the age of 17 and 18 all I wanted to do was to help the poor. But despite all that I really loved this book. The main character Lobe, was well meaning but rather misguided. He was young and trying to help people and desperately in love. The object of his desire was the young factory owner who wanted to become a slum worker, but was deemed "too fragile" and instead was told to start looking at conditions within her own factory. (Which I think was entirely the right thing to have done). But there were other great characters, there was a lovely agnostic charity worker who had some wonderful arguments with Lobe, and seemed to be the true heroine, though she was hardly in it. There was the wonderful factory mistress who'd worked her way up from the shop floor and was working to take care of her mother for a man she hated. She was a really great character, though her ambitions seemed to be mocked a little which seemed unfair. Though her racist beliefs make her far from perfect. It was also interesting to see that the Covent Garden area was in many ways considered a worst slum that Whitechapel. The descriptions of the poverty and the lack of work were very bleak. But there were some great quotes about people that are easily converted into people's stereotypes today. "And among the foreigners lounges the East End loafer, monarh of all he surverys, lord of the premises. It is amusing to see his British air of superority. His hands are deep down in his pockets of his fustian trousers, round his neck is a bit of coloured rag or flannel, on his head is a tattered cap. He is looked upon as the scum of the nation, but he feels himself to be an Englishman, and able to kick the foreigner back to "his own dear native land" if only government would belive in "England for the English" and give all foreigners notice" "I get angry with the poor things down here sometimes, as I did with the man this evening; but I generally feel for them nothing but pity, because they are the victims of a state of barbarism which some people call civilisation" "When they went in two of the girls were kissing, and this sight roused the ire of the labour mistress, who said, "Kisses between women mean nothing. I've seen women kiss that have longed to scratch each others eyes out. Go on with your work and keep your kisses for your sweethearts". I enjoyed the novel very much. I am going to hunt down more works by this author (we only have two of her novels at work). Hopefully they will be just as interesting.
January 20, 2026
Never in a thousand universes would I have imagined that the first book I ever finished and wrote a comment on this platform is in English, Victorian times, and mostly about poverty. I was made to finish this book as a class reading assignment, and it turns out it's (much) easier and interesting to read than I thought.
It is about poverty, slum living environment, religious questions about charity, and mentioned socialism, but not in a propaganda way. In short, it is about any observation that an upper-class person with empathy might think about their unfortunate peers.
I wouldn't consider this a novel, simply because there was no effort to develop a real plot. I guess Harkness's primary purpose here is to show her readers, the upper-class that actually have time and money to read a book, to learn and empathize with the slum, not to entertain. This book is great as a historical source - not too dry to drop halfway, but not too subjective about a random love between a prince and Cinderella. Many paragraphs describing the living environment and urban structure were vivid, and many mono/diologues show a strong perspective for each character. But again, not a great novel, and I'd be impressed if someone decided to read and enjoy this in their spare time.
I wanted to rate it as 3.5. For a political economy major, the questions it raised weren't "that" impressive, and the last quarter started repeating what had already been said. I learned much English from this book, though.
It is about poverty, slum living environment, religious questions about charity, and mentioned socialism, but not in a propaganda way. In short, it is about any observation that an upper-class person with empathy might think about their unfortunate peers.
I wouldn't consider this a novel, simply because there was no effort to develop a real plot. I guess Harkness's primary purpose here is to show her readers, the upper-class that actually have time and money to read a book, to learn and empathize with the slum, not to entertain. This book is great as a historical source - not too dry to drop halfway, but not too subjective about a random love between a prince and Cinderella. Many paragraphs describing the living environment and urban structure were vivid, and many mono/diologues show a strong perspective for each character. But again, not a great novel, and I'd be impressed if someone decided to read and enjoy this in their spare time.
I wanted to rate it as 3.5. For a political economy major, the questions it raised weren't "that" impressive, and the last quarter started repeating what had already been said. I learned much English from this book, though.
November 3, 2021
This was a very well written novel focused on heavy social commentary on the treatment of the poor within East End London slums. I found it a very interesting and engaging New Woman novel that was unique in its exploration of the working-class New Women. I haven’t read a novel that focused on the rise of feminism in the slums of London and I felt it added so much more to the anti-patriarch commentary.
The characters were very well constructed and very complex in nature and I enjoyed the writing. However, the plot wasn’t as engaging in some parts and I sometimes didn’t agree with the critiques that Harkness was presenting. Overall though, I would recommend it as it does give a great insight into New Woman values and beliefs.
The characters were very well constructed and very complex in nature and I enjoyed the writing. However, the plot wasn’t as engaging in some parts and I sometimes didn’t agree with the critiques that Harkness was presenting. Overall though, I would recommend it as it does give a great insight into New Woman values and beliefs.
October 22, 2021
Formula plot.
August 14, 2011
I picked up this book at the Museum of London Docklands. I'd not come across Margaret Harkness in the books I'd been reading about Victorian East London, but the book sounded great so I thought I'd get it. (Later in the week I started reading East End 1888 and it quotes from her, and in particular this novel, extensively).
I have to say this is by far the best novel written and set in the Victorian East End. While she's a little judgemental, she's a lot more understanding than Morrison. Her characters aren't poor because they are just lazy criminals born that way, but rather are hard working and exploited. There are men and women who drink too much and are violent towards their children and each other, but the characters presented are human rather than sub human.
What is interesting about this book is that she also looks into the psychology of the people who are there to help. She is as critical of the charity workers as she is of the poor. While she presents the salvation army characters feelings and activities with earnestness she does make them seem a little naive. How they offer prayers when people need bread and how they are obsessed with people being "saved" and don't really consider other Christian denominations are really Christian (one has a dream where a vicar is taken away to hell). It reminded me so much of the Christianity I was brought up in, and how at the age of 17 and 18 all I wanted to do was to help the poor. But despite all that I really loved this book.
The main character Lobe, was well meaning but rather misguided. He was young and trying to help people and desperately in love. The object of his desire was the young factory owner who wanted to become a slum worker, but was deemed "too fragile" and instead was told to start looking at conditions within her own factory. (Which I think was entirely the right thing to have done). But there were other great characters, there was a lovely agnostic charity worker who had some wonderful arguments with Lobe, and seemed to be the true heroine, though she was hardly in it. There was the wonderful factory mistress who'd worked her way up from the shop floor and was working to take care of her mother for a man she hated. She was a really great character, though her ambitions seemed to be mocked a little which seemed unfair. Though her racist beliefs make her far from perfect.
It was also interesting to see that the Covent Garden area was in many ways considered a worst slum that Whitechapel. The descriptions of the poverty and the lack of work were very bleak. But there were some great quotes about people that are easily converted into people's stereotypes today.
"And among the foreigners lounges the East End loafer, monarh of all he surverys, lord of the premises. It is amusing to see his British air of superority. His hands are deep down in his pockets of his fustian trousers, round his neck is a bit of coloured rag or flannel, on his head is a tattered cap. He is looked upon as the scum of the nation, but he feels himself to be an Englishman, and able to kick the foreigner back to "his own dear native land" if only government would belive in "England for the English" and give all foreigners notice"
"I get angry with the poor things down here sometimes, as I did with the man this evening; but I generally feel for them nothing but pity, because they are the victims of a state of barbarism which some people call civilisation"
"When they went in two of the girls were kissing, and this sight roused the ire of the labour mistress, who said,
"Kisses between women mean nothing. I've seen women kiss that have longed to scratch each others eyes out. Go on with your work and keep your kisses for your sweethearts".
I enjoyed the novel very much. I am going to hunt down more works by this author (we only have two of her novels at work). Hopefully they will be just as interesting.
I have to say this is by far the best novel written and set in the Victorian East End. While she's a little judgemental, she's a lot more understanding than Morrison. Her characters aren't poor because they are just lazy criminals born that way, but rather are hard working and exploited. There are men and women who drink too much and are violent towards their children and each other, but the characters presented are human rather than sub human.
What is interesting about this book is that she also looks into the psychology of the people who are there to help. She is as critical of the charity workers as she is of the poor. While she presents the salvation army characters feelings and activities with earnestness she does make them seem a little naive. How they offer prayers when people need bread and how they are obsessed with people being "saved" and don't really consider other Christian denominations are really Christian (one has a dream where a vicar is taken away to hell). It reminded me so much of the Christianity I was brought up in, and how at the age of 17 and 18 all I wanted to do was to help the poor. But despite all that I really loved this book.
The main character Lobe, was well meaning but rather misguided. He was young and trying to help people and desperately in love. The object of his desire was the young factory owner who wanted to become a slum worker, but was deemed "too fragile" and instead was told to start looking at conditions within her own factory. (Which I think was entirely the right thing to have done). But there were other great characters, there was a lovely agnostic charity worker who had some wonderful arguments with Lobe, and seemed to be the true heroine, though she was hardly in it. There was the wonderful factory mistress who'd worked her way up from the shop floor and was working to take care of her mother for a man she hated. She was a really great character, though her ambitions seemed to be mocked a little which seemed unfair. Though her racist beliefs make her far from perfect.
It was also interesting to see that the Covent Garden area was in many ways considered a worst slum that Whitechapel. The descriptions of the poverty and the lack of work were very bleak. But there were some great quotes about people that are easily converted into people's stereotypes today.
"And among the foreigners lounges the East End loafer, monarh of all he surverys, lord of the premises. It is amusing to see his British air of superority. His hands are deep down in his pockets of his fustian trousers, round his neck is a bit of coloured rag or flannel, on his head is a tattered cap. He is looked upon as the scum of the nation, but he feels himself to be an Englishman, and able to kick the foreigner back to "his own dear native land" if only government would belive in "England for the English" and give all foreigners notice"
"I get angry with the poor things down here sometimes, as I did with the man this evening; but I generally feel for them nothing but pity, because they are the victims of a state of barbarism which some people call civilisation"
"When they went in two of the girls were kissing, and this sight roused the ire of the labour mistress, who said,
"Kisses between women mean nothing. I've seen women kiss that have longed to scratch each others eyes out. Go on with your work and keep your kisses for your sweethearts".
I enjoyed the novel very much. I am going to hunt down more works by this author (we only have two of her novels at work). Hopefully they will be just as interesting.
November 16, 2014
More than just a story about the conditions and characters of late 19th century London, this book also brings forth a multitude of questions and points of views.
I guess some would say that the characters are too rigidly defined. Although I would agree with this, I don't have a problem with it.
I think that this is a book that challenges one's thoughts and the characters are there to serve that purpose as much as telling an eye-opening story.
I guess some would say that the characters are too rigidly defined. Although I would agree with this, I don't have a problem with it.
I think that this is a book that challenges one's thoughts and the characters are there to serve that purpose as much as telling an eye-opening story.
November 17, 2015
Very interesting read. Fast-paced and filled with Salvation Army members, it was ultimately an enjoyable book about charitable slumming.
Read
April 17, 2022Jack the Ripper 1889
Also oct. 1888 short story https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Also oct. 1888 short story https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews