Comments on: The Cockney Novelists

By: Pauline Taylor

Pauline Taylor — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 17:02:29 +0000

Jonathon. Thank you, all extra info re James Greenwood is much appreciated and this ties in with my understanding that Mrs Beeton was a visitor to the home of James’ brother, Frederick Francis Greenwood. I wrote more about James and Francis on ‘At St Pancras Old Churchyard’ 28 June 2015.

Pauline.

By: ACHIM

ACHIM — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 10:45:42 +0000

A wonderful Artwork are these vintage Bookcovers!

Love & Peace
ACHIM

By: Jonathon Green

Jonathon Green — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 08:30:24 +0000

Pauline Taylor: The Oxford Dict. National Biography says this about Greenwood: Greenwood [...] established himself as a successful children's author. His adventure book for boys, Wild Sports of the World (1862), with accounts of big game and biographies of hunters, was published by Samuel Beeton, who went on to publish at least four more of Greenwood's books, first in serial form and later as novels. ‘King Lion’, a story that appeared anonymously in Beeton's Boy's Own Magazine in 1864, but was later attributed to Greenwood, was credited as an influence by Kipling. He worked with a succession of publishers and produced more than thirty children's novels until about 1890. His stories were often illustrated by Ernest Griset, an artist born in France but known as ‘the English Doré’, who specialized in depictions of animals. [Beeton was the husband of 'Mrs Beeton' of cookery fame]

By: Jonathon Green

Jonathon Green — Sun, 12 Jul 2015 08:24:03 +0000

David Lewis: The list makes no claims to comprehensiveness, and my interest in these writers arose, I must point out, as part of my researches for a history of slang. (Children of the Ghetto (1892) uses mainly standard English, plus a couple of Yiddishisms. It is also more overtly political than the titles I mentioned.) But your mention of Zangwill, whom I have read, makes me realize that none of the writers I mention feature the Jewish community. There are the poor Irish, but as yet the Jews don't seem to have established a role. This would change, and books on the East End Jewish community would start appearing in 1930s, but Zangwill, still looking at Jews as incomers, is an exception for the 1890s.

By: Pauline Taylor

Pauline Taylor — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 17:50:25 +0000

We still have decorated board books in our shop, we like them although they did fall out of favour a few years ago. Thanks for mentioning James Greenwood, he was my great grandfather’s cousin, and I believe that he wrote many adventure books as well so I am always on the look out for them.

By: Shawdiane

Shawdiane — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 15:22:08 +0000

Thank you for sharing these Book Cover Illustrations; how wonderful they are.
Now I am going to have to search hi and low for copies of these books. We have
an excellent 2nd hand book shop on our island who has books from 17th C,
and floors of first Eds from Victorian days, so I am hoping he will be able to
find some of these treasures or books of this calibre. I adore reading this type
of book on days when my brain needs a rest from the Intel challenging books
I usually read. I find it fascinating reading books written about the Cockney
World as it used to be, people were different then in their attitudes and you meet
some hairy but lovable characters.

By: aubrey

aubrey — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 10:17:51 +0000

I. Zangwill wrote about the hussle and bussel of the life of the jewish immigrants in and around Pettycoat Lane in the late 19th C. Viz: ‘Children Of The Ghetto’ and ‘King Of The Schnorrers’. These two books depicted a world within a world.

By: David Lewis

David Lewis — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 10:11:52 +0000

Very surprised not to see Israel Zangwill on the list. His ‘Children of the Ghetto’ fully matches what appear to be the criteria for the list (books written by someone from, and about, the East End). Was there any particular reason for its omission?

By: Yvonne Kolessides

Yvonne Kolessides — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 07:03:38 +0000

A wonderful start to my day..thank you

By: Barbara

Barbara — Sat, 11 Jul 2015 06:40:05 +0000

I really enjoyed this ‘fascinating read’ this morning. Just shows you should always question stereotypes, I was falling into the trap of lazy reading without thinking whenever I read ‘Cockney’ even though my Mother was born and bred in East Ham and I knew what wonderful, interesting people live there. Thanks Jonathon and the illustrative book covers are wonderful in their own right