The immortal dinner : a famous evening of genius & laughter in literary London, 1817

Bibliographic Information

The immortal dinner : a famous evening of genius & laughter in literary London, 1817

Penelope Hughes-Hallett

(Penguin non-fiction)(Penguin books)

Penguin Books, 2001

Other Title

The immortal dinner : a famous evening of genius and laughter in literary London, 1817

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Note

"First published by Viking 2000"--T.p. verso

Description and Table of Contents

Description

This text celebrates this unique gathering, setting it against a backdrop of change, reflected in the preoccupations of the diners as they sat on that memorable winter's evening drinking toasts, and expatiating on their deepest convictions. This was a time when the contemporary world of literary London society was to be seen at its extraordinary gifted best. The Elgin Marbles controversy still raged; Mrs Siddons performed Lady Macbeth in her drawing room to a distinguished audience; Humphry Davy, great electro-chemist, composed passable verse, and Joseph Ritchie, young physician and would-be poet, prepared to explore the river Niger with a copy of Keats' "Endymion" in his pocket. A compelling and immediate picture emerges of these rare spirits, much of it in their own words, taken from their letters and diaries and those of their friends. The author takes us straight into the rich world of the immortal dinner and reveals gusts who are not merely figures from history, but are startlingly modern, earthly and sympathetic.

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Details

  • NCID
    BA53958910
  • ISBN
    • 0140273697
  • Country Code
    uk
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    London
  • Pages/Volumes
    xvi, 336 p., [16] p. of plates
  • Size
    20 cm
  • Parent Bibliography ID
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