Recente publikaties
Claire Tomalin
The Invisible Woman
The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens
London: Viking, 1990
66,10
In the new biography of Charles
Dickens by Peter Ackroyd we are led to
believe that it is very well possible that
Ellen (Nelly) Ternan never in fact was
Dickens's mistress, while in the present
book under review, Claire Tomalin
makes it very difficult to believe that
she wasn't. But then if we take with a
grain of salt what the Rev. Benham,
Gladys Storey and Sir Henry Dickens
are said to have known or are alleged
to have said, there is at best only
circumstantial evidence either way.
Perhaps the only real advantage in our
one day learning the truth will be
silencing of all gossip for the future.
But having said that, it must be
acknowledged that Claire Tomalin has
not only done a remarkable piece of
detective work, but has also added
much to our knowledge, particularly of
the theatre world of Dickens's time. The
book is divided into three parts, the
first of which deals in general with this
world and as it relates to the Ternan
family, all of whom acted on the stage.
Nell/s mother and grandmother were
both professional actresses of some
ability; so were her two elder sisters;
she herself less so; and her father, who
disappears early from the scene, the
least successful. By theatre standards
they were a sober family, of good
morals and good reputation.
The second part ushers in Charles
Dickens from the first meeting with the
family in a professional capacity,and
deals largely with his relationship with
Nelly. It is quite clear that Dickens's
separation from his wife, Catharine,
coincides significantly with Nelly's
leaving the stage, settling in with her
mother and being supported by
Dickens. In 1860, unemployed and just
turned 21, she acquired the Ampthill
Square house as her own property.
Eventually her two sisters also leave the
stage, and for both of them marriage
provided the moment - the eldest,
Fanny, marrying Tom Trollope, brother
of the novelist and friend of Dickens.
There are factual details enough, but
what one would really like to have are
more details from the Ternan side, of
the inner life. We have Dickens
confiding his feelings, his plans and his
hopes to whomever, but from Nelly,
alas, nothing. So that she remains
something of a enigma, a blank, in this
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