Dickens: Public Life & Private Passions (Hardcover)

~ Peter Ackroyd (Author) "Charles Dickens was from the beginning as much a child of his time as of his natural parents, John and Elizabeth Dickens..." (more)
Key Phrases: Charles Dickens, Ellen Ternan, Maria Beadnell (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In this stunning new illustrated biography, Peter Ackroyd introduces us to the public and private life of one of Britain's best loved literary giants, Charles Dickens.

Dickens's own story is one of rags to riches; from bankruptcy, prison and enforced child labor in his youth to a life of fame and fortune in adulthood, yet one that was overshadowed by guilt and secrecy. His life seems to echo the plots of his epic novels: indeed he was strongly influenced by personal experience and his stories brim with references to the places and characters he knew and the preoccupations that haunted his life.

At a remarkably young age, Dickens achieved the public respectability, wealth and international fame he had craved during his impoverished childhood. However, his road to personal happiness was a far less successful one. Scarred by the memory of his father's bankruptcy, he experienced continued anxieties over money and he often found himself supporting members of his family financially. Dickens, a writer who celebrated domestic harmony and familial affection in his work, had also to brave the shame of public anger when he separated from his wife of over twenty years for his secret mistress, Ellen Ternan.

As a strong supporter of social reform, Dickens's writings frequently addressed issues of contemporary concern. In Dickens - Public Life and Private Passion, Peter Ackroyd highlights the reality of life in the Victorian era and the great landmarks and events of the time, all of which were to be profound influences on Dickens's life and work.

Dickens was a mercurial character, with enormous vitality, wit and humor, yet he also lived a sense of loss and longing that constantly reiterated itself in his work. He died having achieved success and riches he aspired to, while still harboring the deep sadness he had experienced all is life. Illustrated with contemporary images and photographs, Ackroyd presents a fascinating introduction to his best-loved and his time.

About the Author

Peter Ackroyd, the world authority on Charles Dickens, is a renowned author of fiction and non-fiction. His best-selling biographies include 'Dickens' and 'London'. Ackroyd's novel 'Hawksmoor' won the Whitbread Award for fiction. Publisher's Weekly called Peter Ackroyd "a master biographer with a seductive prose style" Ackroyd's other books include The Plato papers: A Prophecy, Milton in America, Chatterton, and The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Hylas Publishing (March 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592580025
• ISBN-13: 978-1592580026
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #346,904 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the same book, October 22, 2003

By	Judith C. Kinney (Westerville, OH USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book I read is not the same one reviewed by some others. I read the 2003 edition, which has only about 200 pages. It is beautifully produced on thick, glossy paper and lavishly illustrated. There are no episodes in which Dickens meets his characters or dead authors.

I read the Edgar Johnson bio years ago and loved it. Ackroyd's book, at least this edition, doesn't seem to go into as much detail. He does, however, gush (as a previous reviewer said) and presents Dickens as a tormented soul who could not be still and neither a loving husband nor a loving father.

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars This will not do., March 8, 2004

By A Customer

I read only the first 100 pages before abandoning this. Ackroyd writes in an irritating punchy style with many 1-word sentences to show emphasis. This aggressive style was offensive, and at time condescending. It also was distracting. The story is supposed to be about Dickens, after all. The author is prolix, self-indulgent and more interested in establishing his own originality than that of Dickens. Less rhetoric and a steadier narrative are called for, with much less high-flown speculations. Can anyone recommend a good biography of Dickens?