Charles Reade (8 June 1814 – 11 April 1884) was a British novelist and

dramatist A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

, best known for '' The Cloister and the Hearth''.

Life

Charles Reade was born at

Ipsden Ipsden is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire, about southeast of Wallingford. It is almost equidistant from Oxford and Reading, Berkshire. Parish church The Church of England parish church of Saint Mary the ...

, Oxfordshire, to John Reade and Anne Marie Scott-Waring, and had at least four brothers. He studied at

Magdalen College, Oxford Magdalen College (, ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by William of Waynflete. Today, it is the fourth wealthiest college, with a financial endowment of £332.1 million as of 2019 and one of the s ...

, taking his B.A. in 1835, and became a fellow of his college. He was subsequently dean of arts and vice-president, taking his degree of D.C.L. in 1847. His name was entered at

Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. (The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn.) Lincoln ...

in 1836; he was elected Vinerian Fellow in 1842, and was called to the bar in 1843.Edwards, P.D. "Charles Reade." ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.'' He kept his fellowship at Magdalen all his life but, after taking his degree, he spent most of his time in London.

William Winwood Reade William Winwood Reade (26 December 1838 – 24 April 1875) was a British historian, explorer, novelist and philosopher. His two best-known books, the universal history ''The Martyrdom of Man'' (1872) and the novel ''The Outcast'' (1875), were i ...

, the influential historian, was his nephew.

Writings

Reade began his literary career as a dramatist, and he chose to have "dramatist" stand first in the list of his occupations on his tombstone. As an author, he always had an eye to stage effect in scenes and situations as well as in dialogue. His first comedy, ''The Ladies' Battle'', appeared at the

Olympic Theatre The Olympic Theatre, sometimes known as the Royal Olympic Theatre, was a 19th-century London theatre, opened in 1806 and located at the junction of Drury Lane, Wych Street and Newcastle Street. The theatre specialised in comedies throughout m ...

in May 1851. It was followed by ''Angela'' (1851), ''A Village Tale'' (1852), ''The Lost Husband'' (1852), and ''

Gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

'' (1853). But Reade's reputation was made by the two-act comedy, ''

Masks and Faces ''Masks and Faces'' is a 1917 British silent biographical film directed by Fred Paul and starring Johnston Forbes-Robertson, Irene Vanbrugh and Henry S. Irving. The film depicts episodes from the life of the eighteenth-century Irish actress P ...

'', in which he collaborated with

Tom Taylor Tom Taylor (19 October 1817 – 12 July 1880) was an English dramatist, critic, biographer, public servant, and editor of ''Punch'' magazine. Taylor had a brief academic career, holding the professorship of English literature and language a ...

. It was produced in November 1852, and later was expanded into three acts. By the advice of the actress, Laura Seymour, he turned the play into a prose story which appeared in 1853 as ''

Peg Woffington Margaret Woffington (18 October 1720 – 28 March 1760), known professionally as Peg Woffington, was an Irish actress and socialite of the Georgian era. Peg and Peggy were a common pet name for those called Margaret until the late 20th centu ...

''. The same year he wrote '' Christie Johnstone'', a close study of Scottish fisher folk. In 1854 he produced, in conjunction with

, ''Two Loves and a Life'', and ''The King's Rival'', and, unaided, ''

The Courier of Lyons ''The Courier of Lyons'' is a play by the English writer Charles Reade, which was first performed in 1854. He based it on the 1796 Courrier de Lyon case in Revolutionary France, drawing inspiration from a previous play based on the case by the Fr ...

'' (well known under its later title, ''The Lyons Mail'') and his adaptation of

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 ...

's ''Peregrine Pickle''. In the next year appeared ''Art'' (1855), afterwards known as ''Nance Oldfield''. It is never too late to mend - Weir Collection

He made his name as a novelist in 1856, when he published '' It Is Never Too Late to Mend'', a novel written to reform abuses in prison discipline and the treatment of criminals. The truth of some details was challenged, and Reade defended himself vigorously. Five more novels followed in quick succession: ''The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth'' (1857), ''White Lies'' (1857), ''Jack of all Trades'' (1858), ''The Autobiography of a Thief'' (1858), and ''Love Me Little, Love Me Long'' (1859). ''White Lies'' started as a translation of

Auguste Maquet Auguste Maquet (; 13 September 1813 – 8 January 1888) was a French author, best known as the chief collaborator of French novelist Alexandre Dumas, père, co-writing such works as ''The Count of Monte Cristo'' and ''The Three Musketeers''. ...

's play ''Le Château de Grantier.'' After managers declined the manuscript, Reade adapted the story, weaving it into a novel which was serialised in ''

The London Journal ''The London Journal; and Weekly Record of Literature, Science and Art'' (published from 1845 to 1928) was a British penny fiction weekly, one of the best-selling magazines of the nineteenth century. It was established by George Stiff, publish ...

'' and published in three volumes the same year. He produced an adaptation of this on stage as ''The Double Marriage'' in 1867. In 1861 Reade published what would become his most famous work, based on a few lines by the medieval humanist Erasmus about the life of his parents. The novel began life as a serial in ''Once a Week'' in 1859 under the title "A Good Fight", but when Reade disagreed with the proprietors of the magazine over some of the contentious subject matter (principally the unmarried pregnancy of the heroine), he abruptly curtailed the serialisation with a false happy ending. Reade continued to work on the novel and published it in 1861, thoroughly revised and extended, as '' The Cloister and the Hearth''. It became recognised as one of the most successful historical novels. Returning from the 15th century to contemporary English life, he next produced '' Hard Cash'' (originally published as ''Very Hard Cash'') (1863), in which he highlighted the abuses of private

lunatic asylum The lunatic asylum (or insane asylum) was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital. The fall of the lunatic asylum and its eventual replacement by modern psychiatric hospitals explains the rise of organized, institutional psychiatry ...

s. Three more such novels followed: ''Foul Play'' (1869), in which he exposed the iniquities of ship-knackers, and paved the way for the labours of

Samuel Plimsoll Samuel Plimsoll (10 February 1824 – 3 June 1898) was a British politician and social reformer, now best remembered for having devised the Plimsoll line (a line on a ship's hull indicating the maximum safe draught, and therefore the minimum fr ...

; ''

Put Yourself in His Place ''Put Yourself in His Place'' is a 1912 American silent short drama based on an 1870 English novel by Charles Reade. The film was adapted and directed by Theodore Marston, and stars William Garwood and Marguerite Snow in the lead roles. Pl ...

'' (1870), in which he dealt with trade unions; and ''A Woman-Hater'' (1877), in which he continued his commentary on trade unions while also tackling the topic of women doctors. ''The Wandering Heir'' (1875), of which he also wrote a version for the stage, was suggested by the

Tichborne Case The Tichborne case was a legal ''cause célèbre'' that captivated Victorian England in the 1860s and 1870s. It concerned the claims by a man sometimes referred to as Thomas Castro or as Arthur Orton, but usually termed "the Claimant", to be t ...

. Reade also published three elaborate studies of character: ''

Griffith Gaunt ''Griffith Gaunt, or Jealousy'' is an 1866 sensation novel by Charles Reade. A best-selling book in its day, it was thought by Reade to be his best novel, but critics and posterity have generally preferred '' The Cloister and the Hearth'' (1861 ...

'' (1866), ''

A Terrible Temptation ''A Terrible Temptation: A Story of the Day'' is an 1871 sensation novel by Charles Reade. It first appeared serially in ''Cassell's Magazine'' in England from March 4 to August 26, 1871.(17 August 1871)A Terrible Temptation (review) ''The N ...

'' (1871), ''A Simpleton'' (1873). He rated the first of these as his best novel. At intervals throughout his literary career, he sought to gratify his dramatic ambition, hiring a theatre and engaging a company for the production of his plays. An example of his persistence was seen in the case of ''Foul Play''. He wrote this in 1869 in combination with

Dion Boucicault Dionysius Lardner "Dion" Boucicault (né Boursiquot; 26 December 1820 – 18 September 1890) was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the ...

with a view to stage adaptation. The play was more or less a failure; but he produced another version alone in 1877, under the title of ''A Scuttled Ship'', which was a notable failure. His greatest success as a dramatist attended his last attempt—''Drink''—an adaptation of

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

's ''L'Assommoir'', produced in 1879, and made into the film ''

Drink A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoothies a ...

'' in 1917. In that year his friend Laura Seymour, who might have been his mistress and had kept house for him since 1854, died. Reade's health failed from that time. On his death, he left behind him a completed novel, ''A Perilous Secret'', which showed he was still skilled in the arts of weaving a complicated plot and devising thrilling situations. Reade was an amateur of the violin, and among his works is an essay on

Cremona Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of th ...

violins with the title, "A Lost Art Revived." Reade is buried alongside Laura Seymour, in the churchyard of St. Mary's Church,

Willesden Willesden () is an area of northwest London, situated 5 miles (8 km) northwest of Charing Cross. It is historically a parish in the county of Middlesex that was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Willesden in 1933, and has formed ...

, in north-west London. Reade subtitled a number of his novels "A matter-of-fact romance"; this referred to his practice of basing his novels largely on newspaper cuttings, which he began collecting for this purpose in 1848. He also conducted his own research, observing prisons personally, for example, as well as borrowing at times heavily from other novelists' works. He admitted the public freely to the secrets of his method of composition: he spoke about his method in his prefaces, he introduced himself into one of his novels, as Dr Rolfe in ''A Terrible Temptation'', and in his will, he left his workshop and his accumulation of materials open for inspection for two years after his death. The collection was extensive and well-organized, and he had planned to use it as a basis for an unrealized work in "the wisdom and folly of nations," dealing with social, political and domestic details. Reade's novels were popular, and he was among England's highest-paid novelists. However, many libraries refused to carry his works on the grounds that they were indecent.

Reputation

Reade 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 ReadeOrwell, George. "Charles Reade." http://www.george-orwell.org/Charles_Reade/0.html—but during the 19th century Reade was one of Britain's most popular novelists. He was not highly regarded by critics. The following assessment by Justin McCarthy, writing in 1872, is typical:

A strong, healthy air of honest and high purpose breathes through nearly all the stories. An utter absence of cant, affectation, and sham distinguishes them. A surprising variety of descriptive power, at once bold, broad, and realistic is one of their great merits. Mr. Reade can describe a sea-fight, a storm, the forging of a horseshoe, the ravages of an inundation, the trimming of a lady's dress, the tuning of a piano, with equal accuracy and apparent zest. . . . Mr. Reade wants no quality which is necessary to make a powerful story-teller, while he is distinguished from all mere story-tellers by the fact that he has some great social object to serve in nearly everything he undertakes to detail. More than this I do not believe he is, nor, despite the evidences of something yet higher which were given in 'Christie Johnstone' and 'The Cloister and the Hearth,' do I think he ever could have been. He is a magnificent specimen of the modern special correspondent, endowed with the additional and unique gift of a faculty for throwing his report into the form of a thrilling story. But it requires something more than this, something higher than this, to make a great novelist whom the world will always remember. Mr. Reade is unsurpassed in the second class of English novelists, but he does not belong to the front rank. His success has been great in its way, but it is for an age and not for time.

The author

George Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitar ...

summed up Reade's attraction as "the same charm as one finds in R. Austin Freeman's detective stories or Lieutenant-Commander Gould's collections of curiosities—the charm of useless knowledge," going on to say that

Reade was a man of what one might call penny-encyclopaedic learning. He possessed vast stocks of disconnected information which a lively narrative gift allowed him to cram into books which would at any rate pass as novels. If you have the sort of mind that takes a pleasure in dates, lists, catalogues, concrete details, descriptions of processes, junk-shop windows and back numbers of the ''Exchange and Mart,'' the sort of mind that likes knowing exactly how a medieval catapult worked or just what objects a prison cell of the eighteen-forties contained, then you can hardly help enjoying Reade.

During his career, the prolific Reade was involved in several literary feuds involving accusations of plagiarism. He strongly defended himself, but invoked standards on literary borrowing that are looser than those of today. Reade is frequently discussed in studies of evolving attitudes toward plagiarism. Reade is credited with the quote: "Sow a thought, and you reap an act; Sow an act, and you reap a habit; Sow a habit, and you reap a character; Sow a character, and you reap a destiny". These days it is often adapted to:

"Mind your thoughts for they become your words; mind your words for they become your actions; mind your actions for they become your habits; mind your habits for they become your character; mind your character for it becomes your destiny."

(This was used in the film, '' The Iron Lady'' (2011), spoken by

Meryl Streep Mary Louise Meryl Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Often described as "the best actress of her generation", Streep is particularly known for her versatility and accent adaptability. She has received numerous accolades throu ...

playing

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

, the former Prime Minister.) Reade's newspaper cuttings, notebooks and correspondence are held a
The London Library.

Marriage and family

Reade and his late wife had an adopted daughter. He cut off relations with her after she eloped at age sixteen with an actor. After her husband abandoned her, she worked as an actress for a number of years. She performed 2000 times in a production of Reade's '' It Is Never Too Late to Mend.'' She wound up destitute in a workhouse in Kent.

Allusions

Ira Gershwin Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs in the English language of the 2 ...

's lyric "It’s never too late to Mendelssohn...", which appears in both ''

Oh, Kay! ''Oh, Kay!'' is a musical with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and a book by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. It is based on the play ''La Présidente'' by Maurice Hennequin and Pierre Veber. The plot revolves around the adventur ...

'' and ''

Lady in the Dark ''Lady in the Dark'' is a musical with music by Kurt Weill, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and book and direction by Moss Hart. It was produced by Sam Harris. The protagonist, Liza Elliott, is the unhappy female editor of a fictional fashion magazine ...

'', is a play on the title of Reade's book.

John Betjeman Sir John Betjeman (; 28 August 190619 May 1984) was an English poet, writer, and broadcaster. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death. He was a founding member of The Victorian Society and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, ...

's poem "In Willesden Churchyard" includes a reference to "Laura Seymour's grave-/ 'So long the loyal counsellor and friend'/Of that Charles Reade whose coffin lies with hers/Was she his mistress?" followed by a long imagined passage about their possible relationship.

Works

* ''Gold!'' (1853, play) * ''

'' (1852, play) * ''

'' (1853, novel) * '' Christie Johnstone'' (1853, novel) * ''

'' (1854, play. Also known as ''The Lyons Mail'') * ''Clouds and Sunshine and Arts'' (1855) * '' It Is Never Too Late to Mend'' (1856, novel) * ''The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth'' (1857) * ''White Lies'' (1857, novel) * ''The Box Tunnel'' (1857, short story. Only published in book form in America) * ''Autobiography of a Thief'' (1858, novelette about a train robbery) * (novelette about the elephant Mademoiselle D'Jeck) * ''Love Me Little, Love Me Long'' (1859, novel) * ''A Good Fight and Other Tales'' (1859) * ''The Eighth Commandment'' (1860) * '' The Cloister and the Hearth'' (1861) * '' Hard Cash'' (1863, novel) * ''

; or, Jealousy'' (1866, novel) * '' Foul Play'' (1869, novel) * ''

'' (1870, novel) * ''

'' (1871, novel) * ''Shilly-Shally'' (1872, unauthorized stage adaptation of

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...

's ''

Ralph the Heir ''Ralph the Heir'' is a novel by Anthony Trollope, originally published in 1871. Although Trollope described it as "one of the worst novels I have written",Trollope, Anthony (1883).''An Autobiography'', chapter 19. Retrieved 2010-05-19. it was w ...

'')Super, R. H. (1988)
''The Chronicler of Barsetshire''.
University of Michigan Press
pp. 308–12.
Retrieved 19 May 2010. * ''A Simpleton'' (1873) * ''The Wandering Heir'' (1873) * ''Trade Malice'' (1875) * ''A Woman Hater'' (1877) * ''Golden Crowns'' (1877) * ''Drink'' (1879) *''

The Lyons Mail ''The Lyons Mail'' is a 1931 British historical mystery adventure film directed by Arthur Maude and starring John Martin Harvey, Norah Baring, and Ben Webster. It was based on the 1877 play ''The Lyons Mail'' by Charles Reade which in turn was ...

'' (1877) * ''Single Heart and Double Face'' (1884, novel) * ''A Perilous Secret'' (1884, novel)

Notes

References

* Diamond, Michael (2003). ''Victorian Sensation, Or, the Spectacular, the Shocking, and the Scandalous in Nineteenth-Century Britain.'' London: Anthem , pp. 209–211,236–239 * Reade, Charles L., and Compton Reade (1887)
''Charles Reade, Dramatist, Novelist, Journalist: A Memoir.''
London: Chapman and Hall. * The entry contains a detailed assessment of his methods by the anonymous author. * *

External links

* * * * Charles Reade Collection. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
Charles Reade Collection
at the

Harry Ransom Center The Harry Ransom Center (until 1983 the Humanities Research Center) is an archive, library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in the collection of literary and cultural artifacts from the Americas and Europe for the pur ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Reade, Charles 19th-century English novelists Victorian novelists 1814 births 1884 deaths Alumni of Magdalen College, Oxford Fellows of Magdalen College, Oxford Members of Lincoln's Inn English male dramatists and playwrights English male novelists 19th-century English dramatists and playwrights English historical novelists Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages