Charles Reade

Charles Reade

Charles Reade (born June 8, 1814 in Ipsden , Oxfordshire , England , † April 11, 1884 in London ) was an English writer .

Life

Charles Reade was born to John Reade and his wife Anne Marie Scott-Waring at Ipsden House . His studies, which he in 1835 with the title of Bachelor graduated, he graduated at Magdalen College of the University in Oxford . In 1843 he became a lawyer, but because his practice was limited, he turned to literature and especially to the stage. In 1851 he was Vice President of Magdalen College, Oxford.

Reade began his literary career in London with dramas that, despite fluent dialogues, did not gain any major significance. Mostly in association with his friend Tom Taylor , he wrote plays, of which Masks and Faces (1852) was particularly successful. He was better known through the novel It Is Never Too Late to Mend (3 volumes, London 1856), in which he deals with the difficulties that released prison inmates face. This was followed by White Lies (3 volumes, London 1858) and a few smaller stories that were well received. From his socially critical stories, the historical novel The Cloister and the Hearth (1861) deserves special mention due to the lively depiction of late medieval Europe.

The Cloister and the Hearth

Hard Cash (3 volumes, London 1863) should be mentioned of Reade's later work , where the author depicts social grievances in English psychiatric clinics in very bright colors . With the drama Drink (1879), based on Émile Zola's novel L'Assommoir , he took up his dramatic activity again.

A realist in his contemporary and historical novels, Reade strived here and there, based on in-depth studies, for correct portrayal of customs and precise local painting not only on the basis of an aesthetic principle, but also in a decidedly instructive tendency. But he was not infrequently led to sensationalism by zeal for tendencies.

By the world famous quote: "Watch your thoughts, because they become words. Watch your words, because they become actions. Watch your actions, because they become habits. Watch your habits, because they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." is said to have used Charles Reade. In English-language literature, the quote is attributed to a Chinese proverb. It can be proven that Charles Reade helped spread the quote. He wrote it in English as follows:

"We sow a thought and reap an act; We sow an act and reap a habit; We sow a habit and reap a character; We sow a character and reap a destiny."

Works (selection)

Single issues

• Masks and Faces . 1852.
• Peg Woffington . 1853.
• Christie Johnstone .
• It Is Never Too Late to Mend . 1856.
• Autobiography of a Thief . 1858.
• Jack of All Trades .
• Love Me Little, Love Me Long . 1859.
• The Cloister and the Hearth . 1861.
• Hard cash . 1863.
• Griffith Gaunt . 1866.
• Foul play . 1869.
• Put Yourself in His Place . 1870.
• A Terrible Temptation . 1871.
• The Wandering Heir . 1873.
• A woman hater . 1877.
• A perilous secret . 1884.

Work editions

• The works . AMS Press, New York 1970

1. Hard cash. A matter-of-fact romance . 1970 (reprint of the London 1895 edition).
2. The double marriage or white lies . 1970 (reprint of 1896 edition).
3. Put yourself in his place . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
4. A perilous secret . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
5. Peg Woffington, Christie Johnstone . 1970 (reprinted from London 1895 edition).
6. Foul play . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
7. It is never too late to mend. A matter-of-fact romance . 1970 (reprint of the 1895 edition).
8. A terrible temptation. A story of the day . 1970 (reprint of the London 1895 edition).
9. Readiana. Comments of current events . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
10. The jilt and other stories. Good stories of man and other animals . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
11. The cloister and the hearth. A tale of the middle ages . 1970 (reprint of the London 1895 edition).
12. The autobiography of a thief and other histories . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
13. Love me little, love me long . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
14. A simpleton. A story of the day . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
15. A woman-hater . 1970 (reprint of the London 1896 edition).
16. Griffith Gaunt or Jeaulosy . 1970 (Reprinted by D. Ed. London 1896).
17. The course of true lover never did run smooth . 1970 (reprint of 1896 edition).

literature

• Wayne Burns: Charles Reade. A study of Victorian authorship . Bookman Publ., New York 1961.
• Malcolm Elwin: Charles Reade . Cape Press, London 1931.
• Richard Fantina: Victorian sensational fiction. The daring work of Charles Reade . Palgrave Macmillan, New York 2010, ISBN 978-0-230-62037-7 .
• Shu-Fang Lai: Charles Reade, George Meredith and Harriet Martineau as serial writers of Once a Week (1859-1865) . Publishing house, Lang, Frankfurt / M. 2008, ISBN 978-3-631-56205-5 (Anglo-American Studies; 32).
• Dianna Mullin Vitanza: Charles Reade. A revaluation . Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Ill. 1977 (dissertation).
• Elton E. Smith: Charles Reade . Twayne, publ., Boston, Mass. 1976, ISBN 0-8057-6660-X (Twayne's English Author's series; 186).
• Bernard Toulet: Le passé et le present in "l'œuvre romanesque" de Charles Reade . Université, Poitiers 1977 (dissertation).

Web links

Commons : Charles Reade  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikisource: Charles Reade  - Sources and full texts

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Who knows the source. Retrieved April 6, 2020 . 
2. ↑ Watch your thoughts ... Retrieved April 6, 2020 .