Oxford Literary Festival; 3

My final event at the literary festival this year was a just as full garden marquee for Claire Tomalin, Dickens' most recent biographer. It was great to hear from Claire herself why she loves Dickens and why she decided to write about him. Tomalin began her talk by suggesting that the best way to meet Dickens was to 'hear his own voice' and so she read a letter that he had written to his sister, and then analysed it. It was a bit like an English lesson; what did this word show about his personality and why did he choose to write this part? Yet it was fascinating. His 'tremendous spirits' and 'energy' are apparent in every turn of phrase and Tomalin gave amusing evidence for these traits by describing his dandy-like appearance, his love of clothes and parties and his long curly locks. Dickens walked around London at night to expel this energy, walks that gave him inspiration and insight, invaluable for his future works. Tomalin also emphasised the performer-side of Dickens' personality, which was cultivated during his days as a parliamentary reporter and continued throughout his career when he began to tour and give readings of his books. He was a man of obsessions; he ordered the world around him, most notably he would rearrange the furniture to suit him to hotel rooms. Tomalin presented Dickens as rather eccentric; he wrote with a quill pen and took his friends of visits to prisons as a 'treat' such as the event of his daughter Katie's christening. These pockets of anecdotes gave another dimension to Dickens' writing. When asked by an audience member what new perspective Tomalin herself thought that her biography brought to the arena, she responded with the emphasis that she had placed on Dickens' relationship with John Forster, a relationship that I had no idea was so influential. Tomalin dedicated the latter part of her speech to enlightening the audience of this influence, it was at Forster's suggestion for example that David Copperfield be written in the first person. 

Biographies are an interesting genre. We don't need to know about the author to appreciate their work, or understand or enjoy it. Tomalin herself admitted this in response to another question from the audience. However, she also said that while we do not need to know, the human being is inquisitive. Lives are interesting. There is no doubt that all lives are, and one does not need to be a famous author or social reformer to provoke this interest. I will concede in this case that even I am intrigued by the life of the author. Who has read Great Expectations and hasn't been enchanted by the brain that created it and the experiences he had? Maybe a biography is as great a tribute a fan of an author can give? I however believe that there is no greater tribute to Dickens than reading his books; they truly are the work of a genius and one does not need to know that he worked in a blacking factory to see that.