The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles DickensThis volume is a biography of Ellen "Nelly" Ternan, who was for the last thirteen years of Charles Dickens's life, was his secret obsession and intimate companion. She was an actress but within a few years of meeting Dickens she left the stage and disappeared from public view. Her disappearance was considered essential for the protection of Dickens's good name with a public that idolized him. Nelly's three lives - as child actress, as hidden love and as ultra-respectable wife and mother - span the whole of the Victorian and Edwardian ages. Until now her story has been considered only in the light of its impact on Dickens. For the first time, the author has chosen to look at Nelly's story from her own point of view. This book is at once biography, literary criticism and social history, and contains an original and extraordinary account of the theatrical world that both nurtured Nelly and held Dickens in thrall throughout his life. |
Contents
N | 3 |
Agreeable and beautiful talents | 13 |
Family Saga 17901845 | 24 |
Copyright | |
18 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens Claire Tomalin Limited preview - 2012 |
The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens Claire Tomalin Limited preview - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
acted actor actress Ada Nisbet Annie Fields Anthony Trollope appeared became Bice brother career Catherine Charles Dickens child courtesy daughter death diary Dickens and Ellen Dickens House Dickens's Dickensian died Doncaster Ellen Ternan England Fanny Kemble Fanny Ternan Fanny Trollope Fanny's father Felix Aylmer Florence Forster Frances Frozen Deep Gad's Hill gave Geoffrey George Georgina Hogarth girl Gladys Storey Henry husband Jarman June Katey Kemble knew ladies later Letters of Charles Library lived London Macready Mamey manager Margate Maria marriage married Miss Coutts Miss K. M. Longley mother Nelly's never Newcastle Nonesuch Edition novel Park Cottage Peckham performance Pilgrim Edition played quoted Rochester seemed sisters Slough stage story Thackeray theatre theatrical Thomas Thomas Adolphus Trollope told took tour travelled Tringham Trollope Victorian Wharton Robinson wife Wilkie Collins William Charles Macready Windsor Lodge woman women writing wrote young