AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
History Extra podcast
The dark side of Dickens
Nov 24, 2023
Charles Dickens, master of managing his personal brand, tells dark stories about his family, childhood, and sex life. Helena Kelly challenges the traditional biography, unraveling lies and inconsistencies. They discuss Dickens' close bond with John Forster, connections between his novels and real-life experiences, gaps and inconsistencies in his biography, and the influence of his personal life on his fiction.
38:05
Episode guests
AI Summary
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Charles Dickens manipulated his personal brand, creating a darker image of his life.
- Dickens may have fabricated or exaggerated aspects of his past to enhance his image as a self-made man and concealed the influence of his Jewish step cousins to avoid anti-Semitism.
Deep dives
Uncovering Dickens' Lies
In this podcast episode, Helena Kelly discusses her book, 'The Life and Lies of Charles Dickens,' which challenges the traditional narrative of Dickens' life. She reveals how Dickens often fibbed or deliberately omitted information about himself, including his childhood and family history. Kelly suggests that Dickens manipulated his public image and had a propensity for creating elaborate stories that distracted from the truth. She also explores Dickens' marriage, extramarital affairs, and the possibility that he may have infected his wife and children with syphilis. Kelly encourages readers to reconsider their perceptions of Dickens and recognize the influence of his personal life on his work.
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode