A Simpleton

by Charles Reade

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Genres: Classics

444 pages, Nook

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.