Charles Reade: a study of a literary reputation
department or school: Arts, Faculty of
department or school: English, Department of
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCV
creator: McGechaen, John
issued: 2012-03-21T16:14:19Z
issued: 1946
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: This essay seeks to explain why Charles Reade's fiction, which was once so popular, is no longer of interest to modern readers. By referring to the available material on the sale of his books, and by considering what reviewers in his own day said about them, an attempt is made to estimate his popularity with contemporary readers. His novels were melodramatic in style and sensational in content, for he exploited the social abuses common in England during the second half of the nineteenth century. Modern critics of the novel believe that Reade failed to turn his material into sound and probable fiction. His plots are weak and his characters poorly drawn. For this reason his books ceased to interest readers as soon as the abuses with which he dealt were corrected. A certain amount of agreement is shown to exist between the opinions of modern students of the novel and those of Reade's more discerning contemporary critics who, throughout his career, urged him to change his method of writing fiction. The shortcomings of his fictive theory are discussed and the inevitability of the eclipse of his fame is set forth in conclusion.
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/41643
note: t^*7 'fit CHARLES READE A STUDY OF A LITERARY. REPUTATION by JOHN.MoGECHAEN A Thesis submitted i n P a r t i a l Fulfilment of The Requirements, for. the |)egree of MASTER OF ARTS i n the Department of ENGLISH The University of B r i t i s h Columbia MAY,, 194-6. TABLE OF CONTENTS. Introduction Part One Charles Reads'3 method of writing f i c t i o n . Part Two The popularity of Reade's f i c t i o n i n h i 3 own day , Part Three Contemporary o r i t i o a l opinion of Charles Reade's f i o t i o n . . _ Part Four Later o r i t i o a l opinion of Charles Reade's f i o t i o n . _ Part Five The reasons for the eolipse of Charles Reade's "purpose" f i c t i o n . ABSTRACT This essay seeks to explain why Charles Reade's f i c t i o n , which was once so popular, i s no longer of interest to modern readers. By r e f e r r i n g to the available material on the sale of his hooks, and by considering what reviewers i n h i s own day said about them, an attempt i s made to estimate his popularity with contemporary readers. His novels were melo-dramatic i n style and sensational i n content, for he exploited the s o c i a l abuses common i n England during the second half of the nineteenthhcentury. Modern c r i t i c s of the novel believe that Reade f a i l e d to.turn h i s material into sound and probable f i c t i o n . His plots are weak and his characters poorly drawn. For t h i s reason his books ceased to interest readers as soon as the abuses with which he dealt were corrected. A c e r t a i n amount of agreement i s shown to exist between the opinions of modern students of the novel and those of Reade's more d i s -cerning contemporary c r i t i c s who, throughout his career, urged him to change his method of writing f i c t i o n . The shortcomings of h i s f i c t i v e theory are d i s -cussed and the i n e v i t a b i l i t y of the eclipse of his fame i s set fort h i n conclusion. •'CHARLES READE A STUDY OF A LITERARY REPUTATION 1. INTRODUCTION From the yea…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0302319
language: eng
degree discipline: English
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
scholar level: Graduate
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/41643