The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home (eBook, PDF) - Dickens, Charles
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The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home is a novella by Charles Dickens, published by Bradbury and Evans, and released 20 December 1845 with illustrations by Daniel Maclise, John Leech, Richard Doyle, Clarkson Stanfield and Edwin Henry Landseer. Dickens began writing the book around 17 October 1845 and finished it by 1 December. Like all of Dickens's Christmas books, it was published in book form, not as a serial. In July 1845, Dickens contemplated forming a periodical focusing on the concerns of the home. It was to be called The Cricket, but the plan fell through, and he transformed…mehr

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Produktbeschreibung
The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home is a novella by Charles Dickens, published by Bradbury and Evans, and released 20 December 1845 with illustrations by Daniel Maclise, John Leech, Richard Doyle, Clarkson Stanfield and Edwin Henry Landseer. Dickens began writing the book around 17 October 1845 and finished it by 1 December. Like all of Dickens's Christmas books, it was published in book form, not as a serial. In July 1845, Dickens contemplated forming a periodical focusing on the concerns of the home. It was to be called The Cricket, but the plan fell through, and he transformed his idea into a Christmas book in which he abandoned social criticism, current events, and topical themes in favour of simple fantasy and a domestic setting for his hero's redemption. The book was released on 20 December 1845 (the title page read "1846") and sold briskly into the New Year. Seventeen stage productions opened during the Christmas season 1845 with one production receiving Dickens's approval and opening on the same day as the book's release. Dickens read the tale four times in public performance. It has been dramatised in numerous languages and for years was more popular on stage than A Christmas Carol. Cricket is less explicitly Christian than some of Dickens's other Christmas books, and it has been criticised for its sentimentality, but contemporary readers were attracted to its depiction of the Victorian ideal of the happy home. John Peerybingle, a carrier, lives with his young wife Dot, their baby boy and their nanny Tilly Slowboy. A cricket chirps on the hearth and acts as a guardian angel to the family. One day a mysterious elderly stranger comes to visit and takes up lodging at Peerybingle's house for a few days. The life of the Peerybingles intersects with that of Caleb Plummer, a poor toymaker employed by the miser Mr. Tackleton. Caleb has a blind daughter Bertha, and a son Edward, who travelled to South America and is thought to be dead. The miser Tackleton is now on the eve of marrying Edward's sweetheart, May, but she does not love Tackleton. Tackleton tells John Peerybingle that his wife Dot has cheated on him, and shows him a clandestine scene in which Dot embraces the mysterious lodger; the latter, who is in disguise, is actually a much younger man than he seems. John is cut to the heart over this as he loves his wife dearly, but decides after some deliberations to relieve his wife of their marriage contract. Read the complete novel for further story....
Autorenporträt
Charles Dickens (1812–1870), an English writer and social critic, emerged as one of the most cherished novelists of the Victorian era. Serenaded for his acute insight into character and society, Dickens employed a blend of humor, vivid imagery, and trenchant social commentary. Born in Portsmouth, Dickens endured a challenging childhood, an experience vividly imprinted in his later writings. 'The Cricket on the Hearth,' published in 1845, is a novella that exemplifies Dickens's adeptness at intertwining the idyllic and the macabre. This lesser-known work, subtitled 'A Fairy Tale of Home,' diverges from the palpable social critique found in many of his novels, offering instead a charming domestic allegory infused with fantastical elements. Dickens's signature style—marked by rich characterization and an empathetic though sometimes satirical portrayal of Victorian life—is embroidered into this piece. The story explores themes of family, love, and the comforting presence of the titular cricket, believed to be a symbol of good fortune and happiness in the hearth and home. Though not as well-known as 'A Christmas Carol' or 'Great Expectations', 'The Cricket on the Hearth' reflects Dickens's literary craftsmanship and his perennial appeal as a storyteller. Critics and scholars frequently acknowledge his profound impact on the development of the English novel and his literary prowess in highlighting the societal issues of his time through a lens of both criticism and compassion (Dickens, Charles. 'The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home,' 1845).