Fame and Failure 1720–1800: The Unfulfilled Literary LifeAdam Rounce presents a colourful and unusual history of eighteenth-century British literature, exploring ideas of fame through writers who failed to achieve the literary success they so desired. Recounting the experiences of less canonical writers, including Richard Savage, Anna Seward and Percival Stockdale, Rounce discusses the inefficacy of apparent literary success, the forms of vanity and folly often found in failed authorship, and the changing perception of literary reputation from the beginning of the eighteenth century to the emergence of Romanticism. The book opens up new ways of thinking about the nature of literary success and failure, given the post-Romantic idea of the doomed creative genius, and provides an alternative narrative to critical accounts of the famous and successful. |
Contents
An author to be let | 28 |
The exemplary failure of Dr Dodd | 69 |
Anna Sewards cruel times | 109 |
Percival Stockdales alternative literary history | 154 |
Conclusion | 194 |
Notes | 208 |
| 237 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Anna Seward argument Artificial Bastard artistic Ashmun attempt authorship Boswell Boswell’s Boyse celebrity Chatterton Chesterfield claims contemporary Cowper D’Israeli death difficult Dodd’s Dunciad edition eighteenth century envy Eyam failed figure final financial find finding first fulfilment genius Gentleman’s Magazine Grub Street Hayley Hayley’s Horace Walpole Howson idea influence injustice Jane Porter Johnson’s criticism judgement Kairoff lack Lady Macclesfield Lectures less Letters Lichfield literary failure literary fame literary world literature Lives London Macaroni Parson man’s Memoirs Milton moral nature never offers passions Percival Stockdale poem poet poetic poetry Pope Pope’s posterity posthumous praise published reader Reflections Richard Savage Romantic Samuel Boyse Samuel Johnson satire Savage’s Scott seems sense sensibility sentimental Shakespeare shows significant Singing Swan sonnet specific Stockdale’s success suggests superficial talents taste Thomas Thomas Chatterton Thomas Sedgwick thought Tracy University Press vanity verse Walpole Warton whilst William Dodd William Hayley writing