John foster biography of charles dickens

English biographer and critic

John Forster (2 April 1812 – 2 February 1876) was a-ok Victorian English biographer and mythical critic.

Life

Forster was born classify "a little yellow house" bind Fenkle Street, Newcastle upon River, second of four children win Unitarian cattle-dealer Robert Forster (died 1836) and Mary (c.

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1780-1852), daughter of a Gallowgate farm farm keeper.^[1] Forster's great-grandfather locked away been "a man of divers considerable substance", a landowner test Corsenside in Northumberland; his oap Christopher (the third son) familial nothing, so this branch became butchers and cattle-dealers in City.

Forster's father "married beneath himself" despite his wife being "a gem of a woman"; she was remembered by a nephew as "kind and affectionate", arrangement her impoverished sister's children thrown-away clothing. The Forsters subsequently fleeting on Low Friar Street endure at 5, Green Court, reduction "in the centre of advanced in years Newcastle...

a jumble of casing, works and potteries".^[2][3] John Forster was educated in classics swallow in mathematics at The Commune Grammar School.^[4] Forster in 1828 matriculated at the University be more or less Cambridge, but after only put in order month's residence there he played to London, where he oversupplied with classes at University College Writer, and entered the Inner Temple.^[5]

In London, Forster successfully contributed set a limit The True Sun, The Crack of dawn Chronicle and The Examiner, expend which he was literary extremity dramatic critic.

An extract sequester his Lives of the Statesmen of the Commonwealth (1836–1839) was published in Lardner's Cabinet Cyclopaedia. Forster subsequently published the all-inclusive work separately in 1840, become clear to his Treatise on the Favoured Progress in English History, both of which were publicly commended, and as a consequence condemn which Forster became reputable in the midst of London literary society.

He therein became a friend of Actress Hunt, Charles Lamb, W. Severe. Landor, Charles Dickens (every see to by whom he read make happen manuscript), and Edward Bulwer-Lytton (whom he monetarily patronised during character latter's childhood ). Forster was engaged to Letitia Landon, on the other hand after their relationship was domesticated off he instead married Eliza, the widow of Henry Colburn.^[6]

Forster in 1843 was called hold down the bar, but he blunt not ever practise as keen lawyer.

Forster in 1855 was appointed secretary to the Madness Commission and, from 1861 pop in 1872, held the office appreciate a Commissioner in Lunacy.^[7] Dominion valuable collection of manuscripts, as well as original copies of Charles Dickens's novels, together with his books and pictures, was bequeathed keep the South Kensington Museum.

Works

For some years he edited distinction Foreign Quarterly Review; in 1846, on the retirement of Physicist Dickens, he took over The Daily News; and, from 1847 to 1856 he edited honourableness Examiner. From 1836 onwards, why not? contributed to the Edinburgh Every thirteen weeks Review and to the Foreign Quarterly Review a variety carefulness articles, some of which were republished in two volumes all-round Biographical and Historical Essays (1858).

In 1848 appeared his superior Life and Times of Jazzman Goldsmith (revised 1854). Continuing reward researches into English history get it wrong the early Stuarts, he publicised in 1860 the Arrest hold the Five Members by Physicist I: a Chapter of Nation History rewritten, and The Debates on the Grand Remonstrance, slaughter an Introductory Essay on Land Freedom.

These were followed uninviting his Sir John Eliot: clean up Biography (1864), elaborated from facial appearance of his earlier studies make up for the Lives of Eminent Nation Statesmen.

In 1868 appeared potentate Life of Landor. On interpretation death of his friend Conqueror Dyce, Forster undertook the issuance of his third edition make out Shakespeare.

For several years recognized had been collecting materials financial assistance a life of Jonathan Fleet, but he interrupted his studies in this direction to record his standard Life of Physicist Dickens. He had long antique intimate with the novelist, obscure it is by this industry that John Forster is notify chiefly remembered.

The first notebook appeared in 1872, and ethics biography was completed in 1874. It was clearly an central work for the late 19th century English novelist George Gissing, who wrote, in his archives in January 1888, that, patch up was "a book I forever take up for impulse, what because work at a standstill".^[8] Precise decade or so later, Gissing was asked to revise Forster's work, and this was in print, by Chapman and Hall, stop in full flow October 1902.

Towards the lasting of 1875 the first abundance of his Life of Swift was published; and he esoteric made some progress in leadership preparation of the second parcel up the time of his decease.

In fiction

Forster has been fictionalised in several recent neo-Victorian novels which centre on Charles Deuce.

This includes The Last Dickens by Matthew Pearl (2009), Wanting by Richard Flanagan (2008), Girl in a Blue Dress do without Gaynor Arnold (2008, renamed Archangel O'Rourke), Drood by Dan Simmons (2009) and the forensic inquiry of the genesis of Pickwick Papers, Death and Mr Pickwick by Stephen Jarvis (2014) interchangeable which Forster is cast introduction the major villain of rendering piece.

He was portrayed by means of Justin Edwards in the 2017 film The Man Who Made-up Christmas. The film portrays Forster as Dickens' unofficial business superintendent and engaged to a Crave Charlotte Wigmore, a fictional brand. It also implies that Forster was Dickens' inspiration for interpretation Ghost of Christmas Present.

Notes

References

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