The Last of a Long Line
The Last of a Long Line is a novella by Charles Dickens that tells the story of an elderly man named John Caldwell, who is the last surviving member of a once-prominent family. The story follows John's reflections on his life and the decline of his family's fortunes as he approaches death.
By Charles Dickens · First published 1839 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Social Criticism, Drama · 15,302 words
First lines
Sir Roger Rockville of Rockville was the last of a very long line. It extended from the Norman Conquest to the present century. His first known ancestor came over with William, and must have been a man of some mark, either of bone and sinew, or of brain, for he obtained what the Americans would call a prime location. As his name does not occur in the Roll of Battle Abbey, he was, of course, not of a very high Norman extraction; but he had done enough, it seems, in the way of knocking down Saxons, to place himself on a considerable eminence in this kingdom. The centre of his domains was conspicuous far over the country, through a high range of rock overhanging one of the sweetest rivers in England. On one hand lay a vast tract of rich marsh land, capable, as society advanced, of being converted into meadows; and on the other, as extensive moorlands, finely undulating, and abounding with woods and deer.
What this Textopian page supports
The Last of a Long Line is listed on Textopian as a novel by Charles Dickens, dated 1839 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novel
- Author: Charles Dickens
- Date: 1839 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Social Criticism, Drama, Bildungsroman
- Length: 15,302 words
- Structure: 1 section, 175 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Last of a Long Line by Charles Dickens
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Last of a Long Line?
- How does this novel by Charles Dickens fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Historical Fiction — Charles Dickens' books typically fall under the Historical Fiction genre, demonstrating the social and personal aspects of a specific time period, usually in Victorian England.
- Social Criticism — Dickens' works often engage in social criticism, examining the societal norms and values of their time.
- Drama — The narrative style and conflict-driven plot found in most of Dickens' novels suggest a Drama classification.
- Bildungsroman — If 'The Last of a Long Line' follows a character's moral and psychological growth throughout the novel, it aligns with the Bildungsroman genre, a common theme in many of Dickens' writings.
Tags
historical fiction · family saga · inheritance · social class · Victorian era · drama · identity · legacy · conflict · redemption · loss · betrayal