''The Monthly Review'' (1749–1845) was an English periodical founded by
Ralph Griffiths
Ralph Griffiths (c.1720 – 28 September 1803) was an English journal editor and publisher of Welsh extraction. In 1749, he founded London's first successful literary magazine, the ''Monthly Review'' (1749–1845), and remained its editor un ...
, a
Nonconformist
Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to:
Culture and society
* Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior
*Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity
** ...
bookseller. The first periodical in England to offer
reviews
A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indic ...
, it featured the novelist and poet
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith (10 November 1728 – 4 April 1774) was an Anglo-Irish novelist, playwright, dramatist and poet, who is best known for his novel ''The Vicar of Wakefield'' (1766), his pastoral poem ''The Deserted Village'' (1770), and his pl ...
as an early contributor. Griffiths himself, and likely his wife Isabella Griffiths, contributed review articles to the periodical. Later contributors included Dr.
Charles Burney
Charles Burney (7 April 1726 – 12 April 1814) was an English music historian, composer and musician. He was the father of the writers Frances Burney and Sarah Burney, of the explorer James Burney, and of Charles Burney, a classicist a ...
,
John Cleland
John Cleland (c. 1709, baptised – 23 January 1789) was an English novelist best known for his fictional '' Fanny Hill: or, the Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure'', whose eroticism led to his arrest. James Boswell called him "a sly, old malcont ...
,
Theophilus Cibber
Theophilus Cibber (25 or 26 November 1703 – October 1758) was an English actor, playwright, author, and son of the actor-manager Colley Cibber.
He began acting at an early age, and followed his father into theatrical management. In 1727, Alex ...
,
James Grainger
James Grainger (c. 1721–1766) was a Scottish doctor, poet and translator. He settled on St. Kitts from 1759 until his death of a fever on 16 December 1766. As a writer, he is best known for his poem ''The Sugar Cane'', which is now valued as an ...
,
Anna Letitia Barbauld
Anna Laetitia Barbauld (, by herself possibly , as in French, Aikin; 20 June 1743 – 9 March 1825) was a prominent English poet, essayist, literary critic, editor, and author of children's literature. A " woman of letters" who published in mu ...
,
Elizabeth Moody
Elizabeth Moody (1737 Kingston upon Thames - 1814) was a British poet, and literary critic.
Life
Elizabeth Greenly was the daughter of a wealthy lawyer, who died when she was 13, but left a legacy for her family.
A book-lover from an early age, s ...
, and
Tobias Smollett
Tobias George Smollett (baptised 19 March 1721 – 17 September 1771) was a Scottish poet and author. He was best known for picaresque novels such as ''The Adventures of Roderick Random'' (1748), ''The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle'' (1751) a ...
—who would go on to establish the ''Monthly''
's competitor in 1756, ''
The Critical Review
''The Critical Review'' was a British publication appearing from 1756 to 1817. It was first edited by Tobias Smollett, from 1756 to 1763. Contributors included Samuel Johnson, David Hume, John Hunter, and Oliver Goldsmith.
Early years
The ...
''.
William Kenrick William Kenrick may refer to:
*William Kenrick (Member of Barebone's Parliament), MP for Kent (UK Parliament constituency)
*William Kenrick (writer) (1725–1779), English novelist, playwright and satirist
*William Kenrick (nurseryman) (1795&nda ...
, the "superlative scoundrel", was editor from 1759 to 1766.
Publishing history of the ''Monthly Review''
*Volumes 1–81, May 1749–Dec. 1789;
* v. 1–108, Jan. 1790–Nov. 1825;
*new ser., v. 1–15, Jan. 1826–Dec. 1830;
*new ser., v. 1–45, Jan. 1831–Dec. 1844. (The 4-month volumes in this series are numbered I, II, and III on the title page, restarting at I each January, but some libraries and indexes number the volumes continuously from 1831.)
Many libraries have incorrectly cataloged the periodical as the ''London Monthly Review''.
[Ward, William S. Index and Finding List of Serials Published in the British Isles 1789–1832. Lexington: University of Kentucky Press, 1953.]
Format
Each issue of the ''Monthly'' was divided into two sections: longer reviews of several pages were in the front section, short reviews of lesser works were featured in the back Monthly Catalogue, divided by genre headings.
See also
*
List of nineteenth-century British periodicals
This is a list of British periodicals established in the 19th century, excluding daily newspapers.
The periodical press flourished in the 19th century: the ''Waterloo Directory of English Newspapers and Periodicals'' plans to eventually list o ...
*
List of eighteenth-century British periodicals
This list of 18th-century British periodicals excludes daily newspapers.
*'' The Tatler'' (1709—1711)
*'' The Female Tatler'' (8 July 1709—31 March 1710). Thrice weekly; 115 issues
*''The Spectator'' (1711–1714). Founded by Joseph Addis ...
*
List of eighteenth century journals
This list of 18th-century journals covers published academic journals from a variety of fields, that were current and printed between 1700 and 1799. It also includes journals that, although initially published before 1700, were current and in pr ...
References
External links
Online scans of nearly all Monthly Review volumes
1749 establishments in Great Britain
Defunct literary magazines published in the United Kingdom
History of Great Britain
Magazines published in London
Magazines established in 1749
Magazines disestablished in 1845
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