Charles Reade (1814–1884)
Author of The Cloister and the Hearth
About the Author
Charles Reade, 1814 - 1884 Charles Reade was born at Ipsden, Oxfordshire, on June 8, 1814. He entered Magdalen College, at Oxford, earning his B.A. in 1835, and became a fellow of the college. He was subsequently dean of arts, and vice-president of Magdalen College, earning his degree of D.C.L. in show more 1847. His name was entered at Lincoln's Inn in 1836; he was elected Vinerian Fellow in 1842, and was called to the bar in 1843. He kept his fellowship at Magdalen all his life, but after earning his degree, he spent the greater part of his time in London. His first comedy, The Ladies' Battle, appeared at the Olympic Theatre in May 1851. It was followed by Angela (1851), A Village Tale (1852), The Lost Husband (1852), and Gold (1853). But Reade's reputation was made by the two-act comedy, Masks and Faces, in which he collaborated with Tom Taylor. It was produced in November 1852. He made his name as a novelist in 1856, when he produced It's Never Too Late to Mend, a novel written with the purpose of reforming abuses in prison discipline and the treatment of criminals. Five minor novels followed in quick succession, The Course of True Love never did run Smooth in 1857, Jack of all Trades in 1858, The Autobiography of a Thief in 1858, Love Me Little, Love Me Long in 1859, and White Lies in1860, dramatized as The Double Marriage. In 1861, his masterpiece, The Cloister and the Hearth, was published, relating the adventures of the father of Erasmus. At intervals throughout his literary career he sought to gratify his dramatic ambition, hiring a theatre and engaging a company for the representation of his own plays. His greatest success as a dramatist was his last attempt, Drink, an adaptation of Zola's L'Assommoir, produced in 1879. Reade's health began to fail not long after, and he died in April of 1884, leaving behind him a completed novel, A Perilous Secret. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: The Who-When-What Book published 1900
Public Domain
Works by Charles Reade
A Good Fight ... The original version of The Cloister and the Hearth. With an introduction by Andrew Lang (1910) 3 copies
Peg Woffington and other stories 3 copies
Delphi Complete Works of Charles Reade (Illustrated) (Series Four Book 17) (English Edition) (2015) 2 copies
Ein gefährliches Geheimnis 1 copy
The Works of Charles Reade, Vol. 7: A New Edition in Nine Volumes, Illustrated With One Hundred and Twelve Full-Page… (2015) 1 copy
Love Stories, Volume 2 1 copy
The Greatest Novels of Charles Reade: Historical Novels & Victorian Romances: The Cloister and the Hearth, Griffith… (2021) 1 copy
The Gold Diggers 1 copy
Hard Cook, 2 vols. 1 copy
The Cloister in the Hearth 1 copy
THE CLOISTER AND THE HEARTH. 1 copy
The Works of Charles Reade, Volume V: Put Yourself in His Place; The Wandering Heir; The Picture 1 copy
The Works of Charles Reade, Volume IX: Good Stories; Good Stories of Man and Other Animals; Readiana 1 copy
The Knightsbridge Mystery 1 copy
Adventures of Gerard 1 copy
The Loss of the "Agra" 1 copy
S&S Little Classics 1 copy
Love and money 1 copy
A Simpleton, and, White Lies 1 copy
Hard Cash (Vol. 1) 1 copy
Klasztor i milosc-1 1 copy
The Works of Charles Reade, vol. 5: Put Yourself in His Place / The Wandering Heir / the Picture 1 copy
Charles Reade's novels 1 copy
John cento mestieri 1 copy
Associated Works
Murder by Gaslight: Victorian Tales — Contributor — 3 copies
Great Short Stories of the Nineteenth Century: First Series — Contributor — 2 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Reade, Charles
- Birthdate
- 1814-06-08
- Date of death
- 1884-04-11
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- England
UK - Birthplace
- Ipsden, Oxfordshire, England, UK
- Place of death
- London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- London, England, UK
- Education
- University of Oxford (Magdalen College)
- Occupations
- novelist
playwright - Relationships
- Reade, W. Winwood (nephew)
Dickens, Charles (friend)
Collins, Wilkie (friend) - Awards and honors
- Fellow, Magdalen College, Oxford University
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 90
- Also by
- 15
- Members
- 1,213
- Popularity
- #21,166
- Rating
- 3.5
- Reviews
- 17
- ISBNs
- 316
- Languages
- 2
- Favorited
- 3
Rather like that other Victorian historical novel, "Lorna Doone", the story is vivid and compellingly told, and well worth reading even today.
Courage, mon ami, le diable est mort!… (more)