Charles Kingsley, Hereward the Wake

Julia Wiedemann (Katholische Universität Eichstatt)

Ed. by Grace Moore, University of Otago
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.07: English Writing and Culture of the Victorian Period, 1837-1901.
Vol. editors: Gillian Fenwick (University of Toronto), Jessica Gossling (Goldsmiths College, University of London)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1866

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Novel

Resources

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Charles Kingsley’s last historical novel

Hereward, the Wake: The Last of the English

originally appeared in serial form in the monthly magazine

Good Words

from January to December 1865. In 1866, it was published in two volumes by Macmillan. The novel focuses on the historical figure Hereward, who belonged to the Anglo-Danish community and who, as a leader of local resistance, began to fight the Norman invaders after the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The reaction to the novel in the press was mixed. While some reviewers praised Hereward as Kingsley’s best work (cf. The Athenaeum, 14 April 1866, p. 493) and as one of the best historical novels of the times (cf. The British Quarterly Review, 1866, vol. 44, issue 87, pp. 256-258), others attacked Kingsley for his portrayal of excessive

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2209 words

Citation: Wiedemann, Julia. "Hereward the Wake". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 July 2022 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=4816, accessed 24 November 2024.]

Charles Kingsley, Hereward the Wake

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