Charles Dickens and Georgina Hogarth : a curious and enduring relationship / Christine Skelton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Skelton, Christine, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Novelists, English--19th century--Biography.

Novelists, English.

Novelists, English--19th century--Family relationships.

Novelists, English--Family relationships.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xii, 298 pages) : charts, plates; digital file(s).

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Manchester, England : Manchester University Press, [2023]

Language Note:

In English.

System Details:

data file

Summary:

Charles Dickens called his sister-in-law Georgina Hogarth his 'best and truest friend'. Georgina saw Dickens as much more than a friend. They lived together for twenty-eight years, during which time their relationship constantly changed. The sister of his wife Catherine, the sharp and witty Georgina moved into the Dickens home aged fifteen. What began as a father-daughter relationship blossomed into a genuine rapport, but their easy relations were fractured when Dickens had a mid-life crisis and determined to rid himself of Catherine. Georgina's refusal to leave Dickens and his desire for her to remain in his household led to rumours of an affair and even illegitimate children. He left her the equivalent of almost #1 million and all his personal papers in his will. Georgina's commitment to Dickens was unwavering but it is far from clear what he did to deserve such loyalty. There were several occasions when he misused her in order to protect his public reputation.Why did Georgina betray her once much-loved sister? Why did she fall out with her family and risk her reputation in order to stay with Dickens? And why did the Dickenses' daughter Katey say it was 'the greatest mistake ever' to invite a sister-in-law to live with a family?

Contents:

Front Matter

Dedication

Contents

Illustrations

Acknowledgements

A note on language

The Dickens family tree

The Hogarth family tree

Introduction

1 The Hogarths and Dickens become in-laws

2 Friends and flirting (1836-42)

3 Dickens and his 'little Pet' (1842-7)

4 A 'lively young damsel' (1848-51)

5 Dickens's mid-life crisis (1852-7)

6 Loyalty and disloyalty (1857-8)

7 'Poor Miss Hogarth' (1858-63)

8 'His own decision will be the best' (1864-70)

9 'A hard, hard trial' (1870-1917)

10 Aftermath

Who's who

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Plates

Notes:

Description based on publisher-supplied metadata and e-publication viewed on May 10, 2023.

<p>Introduction<br>1 The Hogarths and Dickens become in-laws<br> 2 Friends and flirting (1836-42)<br>3 Dickens and his 'little Pet' (1842-7)<br>4 A 'lively young damsel' (1848-51)<br>5 Dickens's mid-life crisis (1852-7) <br>6 Loyalty and disloyalty (1857-8)<br>7 'Poor Miss Hogarth' (1858-63)<br>8 'His own decision will be the best' (1864-70)<br>9 'A hard, hard trial' (1870-1917) <br>10 Aftermath<br><i>Index</i></p>

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781526166074

1526166070

9781526166098

1526166097

OCLC:

1381122778