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The World of Charles Dickens
Cover worn, page edges tanned. Shipped from the U.K. All orders received before 3pm sent that weekday.
Paperback
First published August 31, 1970
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About the author
Angus Wilson
89 books42 followersSir Angus Frank Johnstone Wilson, KBE (11 August 1913 – 31 May 1991) was an English novelist and short story writer. He was awarded the 1958 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for The Middle Age of Mrs Eliot and later received a knighthood for his services to literature.
Wilson was born in Bexhill, Sussex, England, to an English father and South African mother. He was educated at Westminster School and Merton College, Oxford, and in 1937 became a librarian in the British Museum's Department of Printed Books, working on the new General Catalogue. During World War II, he worked in the Naval section Hut 8 at the code-breaking establishment, Bletchley Park, translating Italian Naval codes.
The work situation was stressful and led to a nervous breakdown, for which he was treated by Rolf-Werner Kosterlitz. He returned to the Museum after the end of the War, and it was there that he met Tony Garrett (born 1929), who was to be his companion for the rest of his life.
Wilson's first publication was a collection of short stories, The Wrong Set (1949), followed quickly by the daring novel Hemlock and After, which was a great success, prompting invitations to lecture in Europe.
He worked as a reviewer, and in 1955 he resigned from the British Museum to write full-time (although his financial situation did not justify doing so) and moved to Suffolk.
From 1957 he gave lectures further afield, in Japan, Switzerland, Australia, and the USA. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1968, and received many literary honours in succeeding years. He was knighted in 1980, and was President of the Royal Society of Literature from 1983 to 1988. His remaining years were affected by ill health, and he died of a stroke at a nursing home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 31 May 1991, aged 77.
His writing, which has a strongly satirical vein, expresses his concern with preserving a liberal humanistic outlook in the face of fashionable doctrinaire temptations. Several of his works were adapted for television. He was Professor of English Literature at the University of East Anglia from 1966 to 1978, and jointly helped to establish their creative writing course at masters level in 1970, which was then a groundbreaking initiative in the United Kingdom.
Wilson was born in Bexhill, Sussex, England, to an English father and South African mother. He was educated at Westminster School and Merton College, Oxford, and in 1937 became a librarian in the British Museum's Department of Printed Books, working on the new General Catalogue. During World War II, he worked in the Naval section Hut 8 at the code-breaking establishment, Bletchley Park, translating Italian Naval codes.
The work situation was stressful and led to a nervous breakdown, for which he was treated by Rolf-Werner Kosterlitz. He returned to the Museum after the end of the War, and it was there that he met Tony Garrett (born 1929), who was to be his companion for the rest of his life.
Wilson's first publication was a collection of short stories, The Wrong Set (1949), followed quickly by the daring novel Hemlock and After, which was a great success, prompting invitations to lecture in Europe.
He worked as a reviewer, and in 1955 he resigned from the British Museum to write full-time (although his financial situation did not justify doing so) and moved to Suffolk.
From 1957 he gave lectures further afield, in Japan, Switzerland, Australia, and the USA. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1968, and received many literary honours in succeeding years. He was knighted in 1980, and was President of the Royal Society of Literature from 1983 to 1988. His remaining years were affected by ill health, and he died of a stroke at a nursing home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 31 May 1991, aged 77.
His writing, which has a strongly satirical vein, expresses his concern with preserving a liberal humanistic outlook in the face of fashionable doctrinaire temptations. Several of his works were adapted for television. He was Professor of English Literature at the University of East Anglia from 1966 to 1978, and jointly helped to establish their creative writing course at masters level in 1970, which was then a groundbreaking initiative in the United Kingdom.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 6, 2019
This is an outstanding biography of Charles Dickens and one that I will be referencing again and again as I continue to read through Dickens' works.
This bio is so well researched and moves through Dickens life as he writes his novels so the reader understands what was going on and influencing Dickens at the time of writing. Wilson also discusses how the novels were received by the first reading public and goes into how the books are received in modern times (this biography was published in 1970 so that is modern times).
There are numerous gorgeous paintings, photographs, and sketches throughout the book.
I really admire Dickens and find him to be one of the greatest writers of all time. I wish I didn't but I admit that I do judge him a bit for his treatment of his wife after being married to her for so many years and the subsequent estrangement that followed with some of his children.
This bio is so well researched and moves through Dickens life as he writes his novels so the reader understands what was going on and influencing Dickens at the time of writing. Wilson also discusses how the novels were received by the first reading public and goes into how the books are received in modern times (this biography was published in 1970 so that is modern times).
There are numerous gorgeous paintings, photographs, and sketches throughout the book.
I really admire Dickens and find him to be one of the greatest writers of all time. I wish I didn't but I admit that I do judge him a bit for his treatment of his wife after being married to her for so many years and the subsequent estrangement that followed with some of his children.
June 16, 2018
This was a very well written biography of Dickens. It follows through his family history, the possible affects it had on his writings and as it goes through his life it also has the books there in timeline. I like that within the chapters it is subtitled and you can easily just look up about the book you may want more information on. A good read for Dickens fans.
January 15, 2024
Preface: Dickens was a not very good man who was a part-time conjurer and hypnotist who publicly separated from his wife and abused his children.
Also Preface: Dickens was a devout Christian and anyone who says otherwise is a bigot.
Okay, Angus 🤭, I believe you, really 😆.
Also Preface: Dickens was a devout Christian and anyone who says otherwise is a bigot.
Okay, Angus 🤭, I believe you, really 😆.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews