If you stroll down the aisles of a bookstore (or hop online) you’ll likely come across some spectacularly bold titles. There are those that proclaim Miguel de Cervantes invented fiction, or that William Shakespeare invented the human. Perhaps you’ll see that 1177 B.C. was the year that civilization collapsed, or that Oct. 31,1517 was the day that Martin Luther changed the world.
There’s some truth in all of these assertions. Yet such claims can still seem exaggerated, if only because it’s so easy to call to mind a plethora of other people, dates, and events which also seem to have altered the world.
Indeed, the century in which Charles Dickens lived seemed to spew out seismic events one after the other. Before the century was even half over, the Napoleonic Wars had ravaged much of the world, Europe found itself a hotbed of revolutions, and the Industrial Revolution continued full steam ahead.
In other words, the year 1851 has quite a lot to prove in order for it to be considered a seminal year in a century that was full of them.
Enter Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, Oxford scholar and author of The Turning Point: 1851—A Year that Changed Charles Dickens and the World. In this unique biography, the case is made that 1851 changed Dickens “both personally and creatively.” The famous writer lost two family members, struggled to keep his marriage afloat, and began work on an ambitious novel (eventually to be titled Bleak House).
On the world stage, events were also in motion. London hosted The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, drawing in six million visitors over the course of six months. Attendees saw objects from all over the world, but especially on display was the power and innovation of Great Britain.
It seems clear that 1851 was an eventful year. But was it a “turning point” for both Charles Dickens and the world? As with any book that makes grand claims, we should request some particularly convincing arguments. Douglas-Fairhurst does his best, but in the end readers may feel more inclined to think of 1851 as an eventful year rather than a turning point.
But one thing is certain: Charles Dickens was a 19th-century busy bee, workhorse, dynamo, what have you. He wrote voluminously (novels, letters, articles); oversaw the publication of Household Words; co-founded Urania Cottage; and played a pivotal role in The Guild of Literature and Art. The year 1851 found him engaged in all of these demanding roles, and Douglas-Fairhurst gives us the scoop about each of them.
One aspect of Dickens that really comes through in this biography is the novelist’s “unusually active role in everyday household matters.” Had Charles Dickens been born in our own era, he might have found himself the host of a popular DIY television show or the founder of a glossy magazine on interior design. In any event, Dickens was hyper-attuned to his surroundings. From the people he saw in the streets to the meticulous way he directed theatrical productions (another interest of his), few things escaped his attention.
It’s no wonder it’s so easy to be interested in the life of Charles Dickens. Indeed, many of us grew up enjoying his most popular stories, perhaps especially A Christmas Carol. Dickens is probably one of those few historical figures for which nearly everyone can say at least a thing or two.
From that perspective, The Turning Point could be of interest to many. But those who do find themselves turning the pages of this intriguing biography may wish that its author was more selective in imparting his vast and scholarly knowledge.
Case in point is when Douglas-Fairhurst discusses “the only literary collaboration” between Dickens and his wife, a publication entitled What Shall We Have for Dinner? Full of recipes, the book “came at a time when a growing middle class had led to an increased demand for published guides of many kinds,” including “recipe books.” Douglas-Fairhurst goes on to inform us of culinary scenes in some of Dickens’ novels, playfully pointing out, for instance, that David Copperfield could have benefited from such a recipe book when preparing for a dinner party. This is enjoyable stuff to read.
But like other sections of the book, the amount of detail can become wearisome. Concerning What Shall We He Have For Dinner?, we learn that “out of 166 separate Bills of Fare, Water Cresses appears 40 times, Toasted Cheese 42 times and Macaroni a stomach-challenging 56 times.” A couple pages prior, we’re given an inventory of Dickens’ kitchen: “fifty-four dinner plates, twenty soup plates and two tureens, together with three dessert services and a further two dinner services.” Such details are welcome when used sparingly, but Douglas-Fairhurst serves them up often.
Fortunately, when the trivial is largely absent, Douglas-Fairhurst’s energetic prose shines. His passion for Dickens is especially evident when he writes about Bleak House, a novel that he suggests helped “change the future of the novel.” But like other assertions in the book, this one also feels unnecessarily strong.
Indeed, despite the erudition and lucid writing found on nearly every page, we just don’t hear enough persuasive reasons to believe that 1851 was a turning point. Yes, the most populous city in the world played host to an international exhibition; yes, Dickens worked on Bleak House during a tumultuous time in his life. But these events often feel merely contemporaneous rather than wondrously and intricately intertwined.
Nonetheless, The Turning Point has much to offer. For much of the book we feel as if we are walking alongside Charles Dickens or peering over his shoulder. This “slow biography” from Douglas-Fairhurst is a refreshing break from the door-stopper tomes which attempt to cover every major event of a subject’s life. And when it comes to a man as productive as Dickens, inhabiting his life and environs over the course of twelve months feels just about right.
Spectatio 