The Novels of Benjamin Disraeli
The novels of Benjamin Disraeli are a product of the romantic and aristocratic tendencies of their author's personality. They are characterized by a sense of detachment from the common realities of life and a fascination with the exceptional and the exotic. The early novels, such as Vivian Grey and Venetia, are marked by a strong Byronic influence and a focus on the emotional lives of their protagonists. The later novels, including Coningsby and Sybil, are more concerned with politics and social reform, reflecting Disraeli's growing involvement in public life. Throughout his fiction, Disraeli displays a keen sense of observation and a mastery of dialogue, but his plots are often implausible and his characters lack depth.
By Edmund Gosse · First published 1919 · Genre: Biography, Literary Criticism, Historical · 9,724 words
First lines
It is not easy for a man whose sovereign ambition is seen to be leading him with great success in a particular direction to obtain due credit for what he accomplishes with less manifest success in another. There is no doubt that Disraeli as an author has, at all events until very lately, suffered from the splendour of his fame as a politician. But he was an author long before he became a statesman, and it certainly is a little curious that even in his youth, although he was always commercially successful with his books, they were never, as we say, "taken seriously" by the critics. His earliest novels were largely bought, and produced a wide sensation, but they were barely accepted as contributions to literature. If we look back to the current criticism of those times, we find such a book as _Dacre_, a romance by the Countess of Morley, which is now absolutely forgotten, treated with a dignity and a consideration never accorded to _The Young Duke_ or to _Henrietta Temple_.
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The Novels of Benjamin Disraeli is listed on Textopian as an essay by Edmund Gosse, dated 1919 CE.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: Edmund Gosse
- Date: 1919 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Biography, Literary Criticism, Historical
- Length: 9,724 words
- Structure: 1 section, 90 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Genres
- Biography — The book provides a detailed account of Benjamin Disraeli's life and his novels.
- Literary Criticism — The book offers critical analysis and interpretation of Disraeli's novels.
- Historical — The book discusses the historical context of Disraeli's novels.
Tags
Literary Criticism · 19th Century Literature · British Literature · Victorian Era · Novel Analysis · Biographical Study · Historical Context · Political Fiction · Romance Novels · Social Commentary · Cultural Analysis · Author Biography