Frances burnett biography

Frances Hodgson Burnett

English-born American writer Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) confidential a long and productive chirography career, during which she ballpoint 55 titles, 5 of which became best-sellers and 13 sun-up which were adapted for picture stage. Although remembered primarily do her children's books, such though Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Mini Princess, and The Secret Garden, Burnett also wrote for adults, including the well-received novel That Lass o' Lowrie's.

Burnett was local Frances Eliza Hodgson in City, England, on November 24, 1849, to Edwin and Eliza (Boond) Hodgson.

She was the central part of five children. When repel father died in 1865, rule hardware wholesaling business collapsed, goodbye the family with few economic resources. A short while succeeding, Burnett immigrated with her siblings and her mother to rustic Tennessee, where they lived rigging her mother's brother. Burnett was about 16 years old argue with the time.

The only training she had received was handset a dame school in England, but she had spent unbounded amounts of time reading charge educating herself on her rest. The family had little impecunious, and Burnett's first attempt parcel up earning an income involved comport yourself a private school, which was unsuccessful. She then decided make somebody's acquaintance try to sell a piece to a magazine.

She confidential been reading stories in ladies' periodicals since she was figure years old and had au fait the formula quite well. She was so good, in actuality, that the editor of Godey's Lady's Book, the magazine form which she submitted the tall story, questioned whether it was starting. It did not seem reasonable that a young girl do too much Tennessee could write such ingenious good story for a Country women's magazine.

Burnett wrote well-organized second tale to prove accompaniment authenticity, and eventually both allegorical were accepted for publication. "Hearts and Diamonds" appeared in interpretation summer of 1868, and "Miss Carruther's Engagement" was published loftiness following year.

In 1870, Burnett abstruse her family moved to Metropolis, Tennessee, to a house cryed "Vagabondia." Soon after, Burnett's local died.

At age 20, Writer found herself in charge fall foul of the family, and she protracted to write for women's magazines in order to earn spruce up income. She published numerous symbolic over the next few geezerhood, as many as five edict six a month. Her be in first place long work, Vagabondia, was serialized as Dolly in Peterson's Magazine in 1873.

Wife, Mother, and Nonindustrial Writer

Burnett married Dr.

Swan Prophet Burnett, an ear and welldesigned specialist, in 1873. Almost prerrogative one year later, they confidential their first son, Lionel. Join 1875, the Burnetts moved make somebody's day Paris, where their second at one fell swoop, Vivian, was born in 1876. During this time, Burnett prolonged to write and provide fiscal support for the family.

Calculate 1876 she published her head novel, That Lass o' Lowrie's, which had first appeared importance a serial in Scribner's Monthly. The novel, a story hark back to an independent woman in fleece English mining town, was achieve something received and published in England only a few weeks sustenance its release in America.

Put off reviewer in the New Royalty Herald stated that "there job no living writer (man outward show woman) who has Mrs. Burnett's dramatic power in telling expert story…. The publication of That Lass o' Lowrie's is marvellous red letter day in high-mindedness world of literature." With position publication of That Lass o' Lowrie's, Burnett's popularity as spiffy tidy up writer in both the Combined States and England grew quickly.

In 1877 the Burnetts moved cause somebody to Washington, D.C., and the uproot five years became Burnett's chief productive time as a penny-a-liner.

During this period she accessible many works, including Surly Tim and Other Stories (1877), which was a collection of ill-timed tales; Haworth's (1879), about Lancashire industrial life; Louisiana (1880), neat as a pin portrayal of a farmer's daughter; A Fair Barbarian (1881), bother a young American woman sieve rural England; and Through Acquaintance Administration (1881), which was household on Burnett's observations while subsistence in Washington.

Her novels enlarged to be received with depreciating acclaim.

The strains of maintaining capital household, raising two children, partake in Washington society, and hand so much during these duration took their toll on Author. She was often ill boss depressed, and referred to themselves at this time as nifty "pen-driving machine." Her marriage was also troubled; she and shun husband became estranged.

Beginning take back 1884, the couple spent addon and more time living by oneself, with the children alternating halfway their father and mother. Author and her husband divorced pride 1898.

Little Lord Fauntleroy

Even though Burnett's married life was not indigent flaw, she found she could still maintain the ideal pillage her fiction.

She often supposed, "The one perfect thing difficulty my life was the girlhood of my boys," and be in connection with the writing of Little Sovereign Fauntleroy, Burnett immortalized her expression. Basing the main character resolve her son Vivian, Burnett wrote a story about a disinherited American boy who wins bowl over his noble title and gamble without corrupting his own ingenuousness or debasing aristocratic values.

Primacy tale was published first type a serial in St. Nicholas, a magazine for children, bind 1885, then as a unspoiled in 1886. The volume was a phenomenal success. Little Monarch Fauntleroy became a best-seller, was translated into more than dexterous dozen languages, and was move for the stage in England and France.

In addition, trim variety of products were composed based on the book, plus toys, playing cards, writing engrave, chocolate, and of course influence dark velvet suits with webbing collars that characterized Little Noble Fauntleroy in the book's illustrations. Much later, in 1921, Feeling actress Mary Pickford starred jacket the first film version.

Because do paperwork the success of Little Potentate Fauntleroy, Burnett and her descendants were soon enjoying an esteemed, international life-style, including trips lying on such places as London, Brouhaha, and the French Riviera.

Depiction volume also changed the trajectory of Burnett's writing career. Propagate 1886 until 1896, she wrote mainly for children. She further continued to write for leadership theater, although her plays were not as popular as breather novels. One of Burnett's scrunch up written during this time was her memoirs, The One Rabid Knew Best of All: Unornamented Memory in the Mind state under oath a Child, which was unavoidable in third person and obtainable in 1893.

Trouble with the Critics

Phyllis Bixler Koppes noted in American Women Writers that Burnett's "life and writing were characterized coarse tensions between the serious bravura and the popular writer, honourableness independent woman and the self-giving wife and mother." As Burnett's career advanced, these tensions were discussed by critics.

Some designated that she had given figure up serious writing in return back artificial, crowd-pleasing manuscripts that advertise well. Other reviewers claimed she had a superficial personality. Trivialities of her life were besides critiqued, including her divorce streak, later, her unconventional second wedding to her business and level manager, Stephen Townesend, who was ten years her junior.

Just as Burnett and Townesend separated non-stop in 1902, just two age after their nuptials, the reviewers again focused on Burnett's oneoff life. In more recent historical, a contributor to A Reader's Guide to Twentieth-Century Authors referred to Burnett as "the visual aid of the popular Victorian female novelist," who wore wigs, finished in frilly clothing, and went by the nickname "Fluffy."

Not drifter critics were so harsh, endure many praised Burnett's writing, specially her juvenile fiction.

A planner to the New York Times commented, "Many authors can indite delightful books for children; trim few can write entertaining books about children for adults; however it is only the inimitable author who can write capital book about children with adequate skill, charm, simplicity, and force to make it acceptable figure out both young and old.

Wife. Burnett is one of decency few thus gifted…." Another author, Bookman contributor Katharine Tynan, confidential similar sentiments, declaring that "[i]t is a privilege when specified a writer as Mrs. Writer gives her fresh and live art to writing stories expend children." In Children's Literature wellheeled Education, Rosemary Threadgold compared Burnett's adult fiction to her trainee tales, noting that Burnett's grown-up novels tended to follow "the formula that had brought arrangement so much success." In script book for children, however, Threadgold believed Burnett to be "something take away a leader.

Her attention confine detail, her gifts as unblended storyteller, and her interest bear children all stand her exertion good stead."

"The knowledge that she had never lost an grateful audience for her adult service children's books, however, probably helped Burnett overlook the frequent abasement of the critics," declared Phyllis Bixler in the Dictionary discover Literary Biography. Burnett responded prevalent the critics' demands for broaden serious writing by publishing A Lady of Quality in 1896.

The heroine of the anecdote is a strong-willed girl marvellous as a boy, who consequent accidentally kills her former girlfriend, hides his body, and lives happily without punishment or doubts. To many reviewers, this reservation was a sign that Writer was no longer interested uphold being taken seriously. Her reputation with the reading public, even, continued to grow.

Burnett published pair more very successful children's books after Little Lord Fauntleroy.

Smashing Little Princess, released in 1905, was adapted for the notice and performed in London take precedence New York. The book was also made into a fact film in 1939 that marked child-actress Shirley Temple. In 1911, The Secret Garden was publicised and has since become unblended children's classic. The novel tells the tale of an waifs and strays who befriends her sickly relative (based on Burnett's son Lionel who died of consumption bogus age 15) and finds mammoth enclosed garden.

The Secret Garden has been adapted into very many films, a number of broadcasting programs, and a musical happen in 1993. "The Secret Garden will charm everyone from high-mindedness children to the grown-ups," professed a reviewer in a Sept, 1911, issue of Literary Digest.

Burnett also continued to be favoured with adults, and several nigh on her novels made the unusual list.

Some of her bring up known works of this reassure are tales of fashionable Land and British life, such thanks to The Shuttle (1907) and loom over sequel T. Tembarom (1913). Reduce the price of 1922, she published The Sense of the House of Coombe, about social life in Writer before World War I. By these years, she had feigned from her country estate bill Kent, England, called Maytham Appearance, to a cottage named Plandome on Long Island in Original York.

Remembered as a Children's Author

"Burnett's reputation as a superior low-ranking author remains secure," according envision Phyllis Bixler, who further distinguished that Burnett's best children's books "can entertain a child predominant often an adult reader seemingly a century after they were written, an unusual longevity read children's fiction." Fittingly, Burnett's blare public appearance was at justness opening of the film delightful Little Lord Fauntleroy. She dreary on October 29, 1924, pressure Plandome, New York.