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Esther Summerson
Esther Summerson is a character in ''Bleak House'', an 1853 novel by Charles Dickens. She also serves as one of the novel's two narrators; half the book is written from her perspective. It is the only example of a double narrative in Dickens and the first person female voice may have been influenced by the example of Charlotte Brontë's ''Jane Eyre'', published in 1847. As a baby, she was brought up by Miss Barbary, a woman she knew as her godmother; this woman was in reality the sister of her unmarried mother, the future Lady Dedlock, and thus Esther's aunt, "in fact if not in law." When her aunt dies suddenly, Esther's care is taken over by the philanthropist, John Jarndyce, who arranges for Esther to receive a sound education as a future governess. When Ada Clare and Richard Carstone, two wards in Chancery, need a home, John Jarndyce welcomes them to Bleak House, his home near St Albans. Esther joins the establishment as Ada's companion and the family's housekeeper. Over the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hablot Browne
Hablot Knight Browne (10 July 1815 – 8 July 1882) was an English artist and illustrator. Well-known by his pen name, Phiz, he illustrated books by Charles Dickens, Charles Lever, and Harrison Ainsworth. Early life Of Huguenot ancestry, Hablot Knight Browne was born in England, in Lambeth (near London) on Kennington Lane. He was the fourteenth of Catherine and William Loder Browne's fifteen children. According to his biographer Valerie Browne Lester, Phiz was in fact the illegitimate son of his putative eldest sister Kate and Captain Nicholas Hablot of Napoleon's Imperial Guard. There is some uncertainty regarding the exact date of birth. 10 July 1815 is the date given by Valerie Browne Lester, his great-great-granddaughter. John Buchanan-Brown in his book ''Phiz!: Illustrator of Dickens' World'' says 12 July 1815. The date on his Christening record of 21 December 1815 at St Mary's Church, Lambeth, Surrey, England gives 11 June 1815, as does the ''Encyclopædia Britannica Elevent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bleak House
''Bleak House'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, first published as a 20-episode serial between March 1852 and September 1853. The novel has many characters and several sub-plots, and is told partly by the novel's heroine, Esther Summerson, and partly by an omniscient narrator. At the centre of ''Bleak House'' is a long-running legal case in the Court of Chancery, ''Jarndyce and Jarndyce'', which comes about because a testator has written several conflicting wills. In a preface to the 1853 first edition, Dickens claimed there were many actual precedents for his fictional case. One such was probably the ''Thellusson v Woodford'' case in which a will read in 1797 was contested and not determined until 1859. Though many in the legal profession criticised Dickens's satire as exaggerated, this novel helped support a judicial reform movement which culminated in the enactment of legal reform in the 1870s. There is some debate among scholars as to when ''Bleak House'' is set. The Englis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime and, by the 20th century, critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories are widely read today. Born in Portsmouth, Dickens left school at the age of 12 to work in a boot-blacking factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. After three years he returned to school, before he began his literary career as a journalist. Dickens edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed readings extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, for education, and for other social ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itself from the la, novella, a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ''novellus'', diminutive of ''novus'', meaning "new". Some novelists, including Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Ann Radcliffe, John Cowper Powys, preferred the term "romance" to describe their novels. According to Margaret Doody, the novel has "a continuous and comprehensive history of about two thousand years", with its origins in the Ancient Greek and Roman novel, in Chivalric romance, and in the tradition of the Italian renaissance novella.Margaret Anne Doody''The True Story of the Novel'' New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1996, rept. 1997, p. 1. Retrieved 25 April 2014. The ancient romance form was revived by Romanticism, especially the histori ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) certified the global eradication of the disease in 1980, making it the only human disease to be eradicated. The initial symptoms of the disease included fever and vomiting. This was followed by formation of ulcers in the mouth and a skin rash. Over a number of days, the skin rash turned into the characteristic fluid-filled blisters with a dent in the center. The bumps then scabbed over and fell off, leaving scars. The disease was spread between people or via contaminated objects. Prevention was achieved mainly through the smallpox vaccine. Once the disease had developed, certain antiviral medication may have helped. The risk of death was about 30%, with higher rates among babies. Often, those who survived had extensive scarring of their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bleak House (1920 Film)
''Bleak House'' is a 1920 British silent drama film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Constance Collier, Berta Gellardi, and Helen Haye. It is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1853 novel ''Bleak House''. It was one of many silent film versions of Dickens' stories. Cast *Constance Collier - Lady Dedlock *Berta Gellardi - Esther Summerson *Helen Haye - Miss Barbay *E. Vivian Reynolds - Tulkinghorne *Norman Page - Guppy *Clifford Heatherley - Bucket *Ion Swinley - Captain Hawdon *A. Harding Steerman - Sir Leicester Dedlock *Anthony St. John - Jo *Teddy Arundell Teddy Arundell (1873 in Devon – 5 November 1922, in London) was a British film actor of the silent era. Selected filmography * ''The Lyons Mail'' (1916) * ''Justice'' (1917) * ''Nelson'' (1918) * '' The Swindler'' (1918) * ''The Splendid Cowar ... - George *Beatrix Templeton - Rachel References External links * * 1920 films British historical drama films British silent feature films 1920s English-langu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bleak House (1959 TV Serial)
''Bleak House'' is the first BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1853 novel of the same name. It was adapted by Constance Cox as an eleven-part series of half-hour episodes first transmitted from 16 October 1959. Unlike most television series of the 1950s, the complete serial survived and, in 2017, was released to DVD by Simply Media. Cast *Andrew Cruickshank as John Jarndyce *Diana Fairfax as Esther Summerson *Colin Jeavons as Richard Carstone *Elizabeth Shepherd as Ada Clare *Iris Russell as Honoria, Lady Dedlock *Timothy Bateson as William Guppy * John Phillips as Mr. Tulkinghorne * David Horne as Sir Leicester Dedlock * Richard Pearson as Inspector Bucket *Malcolm Knight as Jo *Eileen Draycott as Mrs. Rouncewell *Jerome Willis as Mr. Woodcourt *Michael Aldridge as Mr. George *Nora Nicholson as Miss Flite *Annette Carell as Mlle. Hortense *Angela Crow as Charley Archive Status All episodes were originally either broadcast live or recorded on 405 line black and white videotape ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suzanne Burden
Suzanne Burden (born 1958) is a British actress. A graduate of RADA, she has appeared on television, and occasionally in films, since the early 1980s. She gained attention as Esther Summerson in ''Bleak House'' (1985). In 1989, she played Patricia Matthews in ''Poirot'' (episode "The Third Floor Flat"), and Joyce Blount in '' Campion'' (episode "Police at the Funeral"). Her leading roles have included ''You, Me and It'' (1993), ''A Mind to Murder'' (1995),''The Vet'' (1995–96), the children's series '' Microsoap'' (1998–2000). She played Rebecca Plunkett in ''Midsomer Murders'' "A Talent for Life" (2003) and Sarah in ''Fear, Stress and Anger'' (2007). She appeared in the series again in "The Great and the Good" (2009) as Zukie Richardson. Burden has also appeared on stage. At the Chichester Festival Theatre, in the 2006 season, she played Lydia Cruttwell in Terence Rattigan's '' In Praise of Love'' and the following year she was Maria in ''Twelfth Night'' and Lady Macduff in ' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bleak House (1985 TV Serial)
''Bleak House'' is a BBC television drama first broadcast in 1985. The serial was adapted by Arthur Hopcraft from the Charles Dickens novel ''Bleak House'' (1853). The series was the second adaptation of ''Bleak House'' by the BBC (the first being in 1959). It ran for eight episodes and starred Diana Rigg as Lady Dedlock, with Denholm Elliott in the role of John Jarndyce. In the United States, the series ran under the ''Masterpiece Theatre'' series umbrella. A notable plot omission in this version is the story of Caddy Jellyby and the Turveydrop family. As opposed to the standard of videotape for studio-based scenes and film for location-based scenes, the series was shot entirely on 16mm colour film. Cast *Robin Bailey – Sir Leicester Dedlock *Suzanne Burden – Esther Summerson *Denholm Elliott – John Jarndyce *Philip Franks – Richard Carstone *Lucy Hornak – Ada Clare * T. P. McKenna – Harold Skimpole *Chris Pitt – Jo *Diana Rigg – Lady Dedlock *Sylvia Coler ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bleak House (2005 TV Serial)
''Bleak House'' is a fifteen-part BBC television drama serial adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel of the same name, which was originally published in 1852–53 as itself a print serialisation over 20 months. Produced with an all-star cast, the serial was shown on BBC One from 27 October to 16 December 2005, and drew much critical and popular praise. It has been reported that the total cost of the production was in the region of £8 million. Written by Andrew Davies, the serial was produced by Nigel Stafford-Clark and directed by Justin Chadwick and Susanna White. Plot The longstanding estate battle of ''Jarndyce v Jarndyce'' hangs over the heads of many conflicting heirs, confused by multiple wills. Possible beneficiary John Jarndyce of Bleak House welcomes orphaned cousins Ada Clare and Richard Carstone—also potential heirs—as his wards, and has hired Esther Summerson as a housekeeper and companion for Ada. Honoria, Lady Dedlock, the wife of the imperious baronet Si ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anna Maxwell Martin
Anna Maxwell Martin (born Anna Charlotte Martin; 27 May 1977),Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1984–2006 listed birth name as ''Anna Charlotte Martin''; Registration year 1977; Registration District Beverley, Yorkshire sometimes credited as Anna Maxwell-Martin, is a British actress. She won two British Academy Television Awards, for her portrayals of Esther Summerson in the BBC adaptation of ''Bleak House'' (2005) and N in the Channel 4 adaptation of '' Poppy Shakespeare'' (2008). She is also known for her roles as DCS Patricia Carmichael in BBC One crime drama '' Line of Duty'' (2019–present) and Kelly Major in ''Code 404'' (2020–present). Since 2016, Maxwell Martin has starred in the BBC comedy ''Motherland'', for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. Her theatre work includes the role of Lyra Belacqua in the production of ''His Dark Materials'' (2003–2004) at the National Theatre. Early life and educatio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dickensian (TV Series)
''Dickensian'' is a British drama television series that premiered on BBC One from 26 December 2015 to 21 February 2016. The 20-part series, created and co-written by Tony Jordan, brings characters from many Charles Dickens novels together in one Victorian London neighbourhood, as Inspector Bucket investigates the murder of Ebenezer Scrooge's partner Jacob Marley. Production ''Dickensian'' was commissioned by Danny Cohen and Ben Stephenson. The executive producers are Polly Hill and Tony Jordan, and the production company behind the series is Red Planet Pictures. Red Planet Pictures's Alex Jones vowed to lobby HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to relax the tax-relief rules for ''Dickensian''; tax relief is only given for dramas longer than 30 minutes and each episode of ''Dickensian'' lasts 30 minutes. In April 2016, the BBC confirmed that they had cancelled the show after one series. Cast The cast includes the following: Episodes Re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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