London: Author Charles Dickens was a heavy drinker with a violent temper, and he cheated constantly behind his wife’s back, a new book has revealed.
As an impoverished youngster living in London, he walked the city``s seedy streets which overflowed with crooks and drunken floozies rolling in the gutter.
And the high-flying author loved nothing more than getting down and dirty with the capital’s low-life.
The darker side of the gifted novelist was revealed by biographer Claire Tomalin his in new book, Charles Dickens: A Life.
Londoner Claire has spent the past 15 years studying the literary figure famed for novels such as A Christmas Carol, Oliver Twist and A Tale Of Two Cities.
She said Dickens had more than one personality — capable of extraordinary kindness towards strangers but shocking cruelty to those closest to him.
“He was a really good man but at the same time he could be very cruel — a tyrant,” the Sun quoted Claire as saying.
In 1836, at the age of 24, he married 20-year-old Catherine Hogarth who, over the next 15 years, gave birth to ten children.
In return, Dickens complained she was fat and that he found her unattractive. He was developing a violent temper, which he increasingly took out on his wife and children.
“The obsessive nature of his work had a terrible effect on his home life. He spread darkness all around him,” Claire said.
“Catherine was desperately unhappy but she accepted it because she loved him and because he was successful.
“He almost certainly used prostitutes. Many men did in the 19th Century. They thought they needed regular sex to maintain ``sexual hygiene,” she revealed.
He even turned his attentions to her 15-year-old sister, Georgina, inviting her to live with the family in 1842. She stayed even after the breakdown of the marriage.
During a trip to Manchester, the 45-year-old Dickens met 18-year-old Ellen “Nelly” Ternan.
The affair caused a public outcry. His wife was humiliated but Dickens began to live a double life.
He built a wall across the middle of their bedroom, cutting Catherine off completely. It was very ironic because at that point Nelly wouldn``t sleep with him."
He installed her in a secret love nest, Windsor Lodge in Peckham, where the two of them lived under assumed names.
Claire reveals the author was also addicted to cigars and alcohol.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.