William Makepeace Thackeray

Broschiertes Buch

Catherine (Esprios Classics)

A Story

Beschreibung

Catherine: A Story was the first full-length work of fiction produced by William Makepeace Thackeray. Thackeray's original intention in writing it was to criticize the Newgate school of crime fiction, exemplified by Bulwer-Lytton and Harrison Ainsworth, whose works Thackeray felt glorified criminals. Thackeray even included Dickens in this criticism for his portrayal of the good-hearted streetwalker Nancy and the charming pickpocket, the Artful Dodger, in Oliver Twist. Ainsworth's Jack Sheppard portrayed a real-life prison breaker and thief from the eighteenth century in flattering terms. In contrast, Thackeray sought out a real-life criminal whom he could portray in as unflattering terms as possible. He settled on Catherine Hayes, another eighteenth-century criminal, who was burned at the stake for murdering her husband in 1726.

Autor

Born in Calcutta, British India, in 1811, William Makepeace Thackeray was sent to England for schooling after his father's death in 1815. He attended Charterhouse School, which he later satirized as "Slaughterhouse" in his works, and briefly studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, before leaving to travel Europe. During his travels, he met literary figures like Goethe in Weimar.After squandering his inheritance on gambling and unsuccessful ventures, Thackeray turned to journalism and writing to support himself. He contributed to publications such as Fraser's Magazine, The Times, and Punch, where his satirical pieces gained popularity. His personal life was marked by tragedy when his wife, Isabella Shawe, suffered from mental illness, leading to her long-term institutionalization.Thackeray's literary career reached its pinnacle with the publication of Vanity Fair in 1847-1848, a novel that offered a scathing critique of British society. He continued to write notable works like Pendennis and The History of Henry Esmond, solidifying his reputation as a leading novelist of the Victorian era. Despite declining health, he remained active in literature until his death in 1863.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Blurb, Inc.
• Seitenzahl: 178
• Erscheinungstermin: 3. Juli 2024
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 10mm
• Gewicht: 268g
• ISBN-13: 9798210395320
• Artikelnr.: 64199236