Charles Lamb

WrittenbyclergymanAlfredAinger(1837–1904),this1882biographyofwriterCharlesLamb(1775–1834)isthetwenty-firstbookinthefirstseriesof'EnglishMenofLetters'.CharlesLambbeganpublishinghispoetryinthelate1790s.BothheandhissisterMary(1764–1847),whohadbeenreleasedintoCharles'careafterkillingtheirmotherinafitofinsanityin1796,beganwritingforchildrenwiththeencouragementofWilliamGodwin,theirworksincludingtheTalesfromShakespeare(1807)forwhichtheyarebestknown.Lambwasalsowidelyregardedforhisskillasanessayist,andparticularlyforhisEssaysofElia.AingerdevotedmuchofhiscareertoLamb'slifeandwritings,includingasix-volumeeditedcollectionofLamb'swork.HisbiographyfocusesonLamb'sliteraryoutputandhisplaceasacriticaswellastheeventsofthewriter'slife.