Charles Lamb

Walter Copeland JerroldProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 152K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Charles Lamb by Walter JerroldAuthor: Jerrold, Walter, 1865-1929,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Mar 13, 2006

Editor's review

This is a biographical work on the English essayist Charles Lamb, in which Walter Jerrold traces Lamb's life, friendships, and literary career in clear narrative, while setting such representative works as Essays of Elia in their historical context. Compared with weighty academic biographies, it reads more like a critical biography for general readers: well organized and plainly written, it serves as an accessible introduction to Lamb and his literary circle. The book links personal experience with literary style, helping readers understand the life circumstances behind Lamb's humorous and genial tone. For readers seeking a systematic understanding of English prose in the Romantic period, it offers a reliable background framework; reading it alongside Lamb's own essays deepens the experience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers who want to learn about Charles Lamb's life and creative background
English majors studying English prose of the Romantic period
General readers who enjoy author biographies and wish to approach works through the author's life

Not a good fit for

Researchers seeking the latest scholarship or detailed textual and bibliographical analysis
Readers who only want Lamb's original works and are not interested in biographical background

Reading tips

Read a few representative Essays of Elia first, then the corresponding chapters of the biography
Chart the milestones of Lamb's life in chronological order and take brief notes
After reading, review Lamb's prose style and reflect on how his life experience shaped it

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a work by Lamb himself?

No. It is a biographical work on Charles Lamb by Walter Jerrold, introducing his life and literary achievements. It is secondary literature about Lamb, not a collection of his own essays.

Can I understand it without having read Lamb's works?

Yes. The book is mainly a life narrative and provides background on Lamb's major works, making it suitable as an introduction. Reading a few of Lamb's original essays first will make it more rewarding.

Is this edition the original English text?

This e-book comes from Project Gutenberg, and the text is in English. Chinese readers can use it as English reading material for a biography or alongside Chinese translations of Lamb's works.

Comments

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About the author

Walter Copeland Jerrold Author · English · 1865–1929

Walter Copeland Jerrold (1865–1929) was a British writer, biographer and newspaper editor, born in Liverpool and long resident in London. He served as deputy editor of The Observer and edited classic texts for the Everyman's Library, devoting much effort to making English literature accessible to general readers. His biographies include Michael Faraday, Man of Science and Charles Lamb, works marked by careful sourcing and a plain, readable style. He also wrote travel books for Blackie's "Beautiful England" series, of which Hampton Court is an example, focusing on historic buildings and local scenery. Overall, his writing combined scholarship with popular appeal, and he left a modest mark in biography and regional cultural writing. Public information is limited, and many details of his life remain unclear.