Hubert Crackanthorpe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hubert Montague Crackanthorpe (born Hubert Montague Cookson) (May 12, 1870 – c. November 1896) was a Victorian British writer who created works mainly in the genres of the essay, short story, and novella. He also wrote limited amounts of literary criticism. After dying early and under mysterious circumstances, his name is now little known and has all but vanished from conventional literary biographies of the period. Crackanthorpe is usually associated with the literary movement of realism. His literary legacy consists largely of three volumes of short stories he managed to publish during his lifetime; contemporary opinions of his talent as a writer varied widely, though one of his works was published with an appreciation by none other than Henry James.
Contents |
[edit] Private life
Crackanthorpe changed his surname in 1888 along with his father, in order to inherit a legacy. In 1893, he married Leila Macdonald, another writer. The couple relocated to France, where they shared a literary life. Leila was financially prosperous and soon came into a large inheritance. However, the marriage ended on very bad terms in 1896, owing principally to fact that the Crackanthorpes were ill-suited for the institution of marriage.
[edit] Literary work
Over the years, Crackanthorpe had been associated with an avant-garde literary magazine known as the Yellow Book. Though there is evidence that Crackanthorpe's family tried to hide his association with the Yellow Book, some of the pieces Crackanthorpe published in that journal were ultimately collected in what is generally remembered as his most significant work, Sentimental Studies and a Set of Village Tales (1895). After its publication, Crackanthorpe continued to publish short stories in various periodicals.
Crackanthorpe's literary technique is reminiscent of that of a contemporary of his, Guy de Maupassant. They both share a passion for detailed psychological portrayals. Crackanthorpe's eye for detail reveals a talent for conveying descriptions of scenes and situations that are rich in substance and texture. In an attempt to convey an additional layer of realism, some of Crackanthorpe's characters speak in rural British dialects.
[edit] The mystery of his passing
The state of his marriage to Leila began to disintegrate rapidly after 1895. Leila miscarried in 1896 because of a venereal infection she contracted from Hubert; after this, she left Hubert and traveled to Italy. Finally left to his own philandering devices, Hubert promptly began an affair with a woman named Sissie Welch. After a few months, Hubert managed a reunion with Leila. Leila was now living in Paris with a lover of her own. Hubert and Leila thus set up house once more with their respective lovers in tow. Despite the rather high-minded attitudes behind this attempt at reconciliation, the situation did not last long, and Leila left Hubert on November 4, 1896.
Hubert Crackanthorpe was never seen alive again after his wife left him for the second time. Leila walked out the door of the Crackanthorpes' Paris home and boarded a boat for London in December 1896. Hubert's body was found in the Seine on Christmas Eve; it is unknown whether he was a victim of foul play, or if he had succumb to a suicidal impulse. In subsequent years the aristocratic Crackanthorpe family were eager that the story of Hubert Crackanthorpe did not come prominently to public attention.
[edit] References
- David Crackanthorpe, Hubert Crackanthorpe and English Realism in the 1890s (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1977).
- Wendell Harris, "Hubert Crackanthorpe as Realist," English Literature in Transition, 6, no. 2 (1963): 76-84.
- Lionel Johnson, "Hubert Crackanthorpe," Academy, 52 (1897): 428-429.
- William Peden, "Hubert Crackanthorpe: Forgotten Pioneer," Studies in Short Fiction, 7 (Fall 1970): 539-548.
[edit] Works
- Wreckage: Seven Studies (London: Heinemann, 1893; New York: Cassell, 1894).
- Sentimental Studies and a Set of Village Tales (London: Heinemann, 1895; New York: Putnam, 1895).
- Vignettes: A Miniature Journal of Whim and Sentiment (London & New York: John Lane, 1896; New York: Bruno Chapbooks, 1915).
- Last Studies (London: Heinemann, 1897).
- The Light Sovereign: A Farcical Comedy in Three Acts (London: Harland, 1917).
