Baldwin, Stanley E. Charles
Kingsley (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1934).
This is a book length treatment of Kingsley's life and works.
After chapters providing a brief biography, a discussion of the background
of the novels, and a consideration of the influence of Carlyle and Maurice,
Baldwin devotes separate chapters to each of the novels: Yeast, Alton
Locke, Two Years Ago, Hypatia, Westward Ho!, and Hereward the Wake.
Baldwin is measured in his assessment, though he still finds much to praise
in Kingsley's diverse literary endeavors. Nevertheless, he considers Kingsley
the man as more prominent than his literature. "Some men's writings
are the greatest part of them, and posterity studies their lives through
a spirit of curiosity excited by their works. In a sense this is
true of Kingsley, but in a truer sense many are reading Kingsley's literary
works because of the indelible impression his personality made upon his
fellow men, for whom, in all his activities, he labored. His life
in itself was a poem of deep lyric passion" (194).
Full Book Treatment;
Overview;
Carlyle;
Maurice;
Yeast;
Alton
Locke; Two Years Ago; Hypatia;
Westward
Ho!; Hereward the Wake.
Chitty, Susan. The Beast and the Monk: A Life
of Charles Kingsley (New York: Mason/Charter, 1975).
For this excellent book-length biography of Kingsley Chitty had access
to three hundred love letters from Kingsley to Fanny that had hithertoo
not been viewed by anyone outside the family, as well as to a locked diary
kept by Fanny in Nice during her year's separation from Kingsley in 1843.
The latter contained some revealing, sexually charged drawings. Chitty
declares that it is because of these new sources "that the present biography
can claim to give a fuller and more intimate picture of Kingsley than any
that has till now appeared" (17).
Full Book Treatment;
Overview;
Sexuality;
Social
and Political Views.
Colloms, Brenda. Charles Kingsley: The Lion
of Eversley (London: Constable, 1975).
This is a book-length biography that examines the myriad sides to Kingsley's
life. Colloms concludes that if the abundantly gifted Kingsley had
been more single-minded, more ambitious, and less sensitive, he might have
attained a more prominent position in literary history or in the Church
or in science.
Overview;
Full
Book Treatment.
Kendall, Guy. Charles Kingsley and His Ideas
(London: Hutchinson, 1947).
This book-length treatment of Kingsley in addition to providing a biographical
account focuses in particular on his diverse views and ideas.
Overview;
Full
Book Treatment; Social and
Political Views.
Marmo, Macario. The Social Novel of Charles
Kingsley (Salerno: Di Giacomo, 1937).
In this book length study of Kingsley’s life, personality, views, and
works Marmo focuses in particular on the art as well as the social implications
of Kingsley’s social novels. He concludes that Kingsley the man was
more significant than his poetry and novels. His very diverse deeds
and objectives were greater than the art of his literary works. Above
all, Marmo contends, Kingsley was a vehement opponent of democracy as well
as of rampant laissez-faire competition. In summing up Marmo
declares “But now that this selfish democratic system has reached its crisis
and civilization is centering again round Rome, we must recognize in Kingsley
an ideal Pioneer; for Charles Kingsley denounced the foul competitive
system at the time of its birth, and remained all his life the assertor
of the Collectivist Ideal and the monitor of Co-operation as the one remedy
for unbridled competition” (114).
Overview;
Full
Book Treatment; Novels.
Martin, Robert Bernard. The Dust of Combat:
A Life of Charles Kingsley (London: Faber and Faber, 1959).
A full book biography of Kingsley with excellent critical analyses
of his writings, practical works and his multifarious views and ideas.
Contains good illustrations.
Full Book Treatment;
Overview;
Social
and Political Views.
Pope-Hennessey, Una. Canon Charles Kingsley:
A Biography (New York, Macmillan, 1949).
A book-length biography.
Full Book Treatment;
Overview;
Social
and Political Views.
Thorp, Margaret Farrand. Charles Kingsley
1819-1875 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1937).
A well-documented book-length biography and analysis of Kingsley's
diverse ideas and views. Contains a good bibliography of Kingsley's
own writings.
Full Book Treatment;
Overview;
Social
and Political Views.
Uffelman, Larry K. Charles Kingsley (Boston:
Twayne, 1979).
In this book length study Uffelman focuses on Kingsley's literary achievement.
Chapter I provides an overview in which Kingsley's works are presented
chronologically. In subsequent chapters they are grouped thematically.
Uffelman declares that Kingsley, though a writer of some attractive lyrics
and ballads, was a minor poet. His main claim was as a novelist.
Though much of what he wrote was literature with a purpose, Uffelman considers
"that the impact of that literature is due not so much to its purpose as
to its presentation" (136).
Overview;
Full
Book Treatment; Novels;
Poetry.
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