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222:"The Cloister and the Hearth" is Charles Reade's greatest work—and, I believe, the greatest historical novel in the language… there is portrayed so vigorous, lifelike, and truthful a picture of a time long gone by, and differing in almost every particular from own, that the world has never seen its like. To me it is a picture of the past more faithful than anything in the works of
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70:", but when Reade disagreed with the proprietors of the magazine over some of the subject matter (principally the unmarried pregnancy of the heroine), he curtailed the serialisation with a false happy ending. Reade continued to work on the novel and published it in 1861, thoroughly revised and extended, as
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of a small town. Gerard and
Margaret no longer live as a man and wife, but nevertheless see each other several times a week. A few years pass, Gerard's son grows up and is sent to a private school. After a decade reunited, Margaret catches the plague and dies; Gerard re-enters the monastery and dies
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of
Rotterdam, a major historical figure. Indeed, little is actually known about Erasmus' actual parentage (apparently illegitimate), though his parents were in reality named Margaret Roger and Gerard. Reade was apparently using his imagination to fill in some historical gaps in Erasmus' background.
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as well as to earn money for the support of his family. Margaret awaits his return in
Holland and in the meantime gives birth to his son. As Gerard is the favourite of his parents, his two lazy and jealous brothers decide to divert him from Holland and receive a larger share of fortune after their
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Doyle compliments the quantity of minute detail giving the feeling of daily life in the 1500s, from a clean Dutch home to a slovenly medieval German Inn to conflicted pre-Renaissance Rome. He incidentally mentions clothing, hobbies, morals, attitudes, and popular outlook at the end of the Middle
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parents' death. They compose and dispatch a letter to Gerard informing him falsely that
Margaret has died. Gerard believes the news and, stricken by grief, gives himself to a dissolute life and even attempts suicide. After being saved from death by chance, he takes vows and becomes a
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wrote, "Since
Charles Reade's books are published in cheap editions one can assume that he still has his following, but it is unusual to meet anyone who has voluntarily read him. In most people his name seems to evoke, at most, a vague memory of 'doing'
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may be read as anti-Catholic, as it presents
Catholic discipline regarding the celibate priesthood as an obstacle preventing Margaret's and Gerard's love from continuing to be consummated.
163:… the imperfections, the irritating and superficial tricks of manner, are so obtrusive that they catch the eye… His style can be abrupt, jerky, and incoherent to an exasperating extent …
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98:. Later Gerard preaches throughout Europe and, while in Holland, discovers that Margaret is alive. He is afraid of temptation and to shun Margaret becomes a
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If the crowd runs after the false, it must neglect the true. The intolerable "Romola" is praised; the admirable "Cloister and the Hearth" is waived aside.
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in Austin, Texas, there is a document list of Doyle's 18 favourite things. When asked who his favourite heroine in fiction was, he replied, "Margaret" in
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often describes the events, people and their practices in minute detail. Its main theme is the struggle between man's obligations to family and to
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praised the novel as Reade's "one beautiful book", after which he "wasted the rest of his life in a foolish attempt to be modern.". Conversely,
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45:. Set in the 15th century, it relates the travels of a young scribe and illuminator, Gerard Eliassoen, through several European countries.
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Not being able to do this, I dismissed the ambition as ‘beneath the thinking mind. So does a half-blind man dismiss shooting and golf.’
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I do not know where I can find a book in which the highest qualities of head and of heart go together as they do in this one.
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as a school holiday task," going on to write, "Reade wrote several dull books, and
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I know no scene in fiction which affects me so powerfully as the death of
Margaret.
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shortly after. He is buried with a lock of
Margaret's hair on his chest.
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is one of them," after which he praised his modern productions
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about the life of his parents, the novel began as a serial in
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also considered the novel his favourite work of fiction.
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Married to
Margaret Brandt, Gerard sets off to Rome from
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Works originally published in Once a Week (magazine)
41:(1861) is an historical novel by the British author
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414:http://www.george-orwell.org/Charles_Reade/0.html
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142:In the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Archive at the
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278:(UK, 1913) was a silent film, directed by
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56:Based on a few lines by the humanist
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159:Ages. On the downside he mentions
66:magazine in 1859 under the title "
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636:British novels adapted into films
412:Orwell, George. "Charles Reade."
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626:Novels set in the 15th century
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197:, discussing his masterpiece
31:The Cloister & the Hearth
543:It Is Never Too Late to Mend
262:It Is Never Too Late to Mend
29:advertising a US edition of
551:The Cloister and the Hearth
450:public domain audiobook at
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47:The Cloister and the Hearth
38:The Cloister and the Hearth
16:1861 novel by Charles Reade
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611:English historical novels
308:. Munsey's Magazine, 1898
230:In "The Decay of Lying,"
304:Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
621:Novels by Charles Reade
376:Reade, Charles (1861).
352:Machen, Arthur (1927).
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203:(in his autobiography
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631:Novels about siblings
583:A Terrible Temptation
355:The Islington Mystery
328:"Harry Ransom Center"
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132:Arthur Conan Doyle
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232:Oscar Wilde
209:Cloister. ‘
88:burgomaster
63:Once a Week
600:Categories
312:3 February
286:References
575:Foul Play
559:Hard Cash
361:6 October
256:Hard Cash
250:Foul Play
93:Dominican
452:LibriVox
337:13 April
505:(1852)
402:. 1889.
382:Library
116:Erasmus
84:Holland
58:Erasmus
586:(1871)
578:(1869)
570:(1866)
562:(1863)
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518:Novels
511:(1854)
380:(1930
259:, and
183:Romola
100:hermit
51:Church
495:Plays
224:Scott
104:vicar
96:friar
363:2017
339:2017
314:2015
214:Sir
78:Plot
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