Product DescriptionA Child of the Jago by Arthur MorrisonReview “Diana Maltz’s new Broadview edition of Arthur Morrison’s classic A Child of the Jago is superb in every respect. With a fine, wide-ranging introduction, helpful notes, and useful appendices identifying the many controversies in which Morrison’s work enveloped him, this Jago is destined to become the standard text for readers of this important novel. Broadview has done it again.” ― Dan Bivona, Arizona State University “Diana Maltz’s new edition from Broadview is itself a substantial intervention … [and] provides extensive scholarly scaffolding. The book opens with a thorough introduction covering biographical and contextual information … Appendices include the debates prompted by A Child of the Jago around the nature of realist fiction, writings on the world of the slum from contemporary researchers and reformers focusing especially on middle-class attitudes, childhood, women’s labor, and philanthropy, and a detailed glossary to assist with the slang that saturates Morrison’s writing. This material provides a veritable treasure trove for readers seeking avenues for further study.” ― Janine Utell, English Literature in Transition From AudioFileThis 1894 work by which its Victorian author is chiefly remembered concerns the degenerate condition of London's mean streets. Although Morrison styled his novel as realistic, it strikes moderns as sensational and turgid, a precursor to Upton Sinclair's THE JUNGLE, published only 11 years later. On this hissy tape, Peter Joyce narrates with righteous indignation and gives the characters an unctuous Dickensian quality. While the latter may not properly represent the author's intention, it does provide color that a more subdued approach would lack. In the end, the audio version is more satisfying than the relic it is based on. Y.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine--Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, MaineAbout the AuthorArthur Morrison was born on November 1, 1863. Morrison gave conflicting information about his background, and when he died his wife, on his instructions, burned all of his notebooks and papers. He died in December, 1945.From the Back Cover “Learn to read and write, learn all you can, learn cunning, spare nobody and stop at nothing. … Do your devilmost … for the Jago’s got you!” Dicky Perrott, growing up in the notoriously criminal enclave of the Jago, listens and learns. Compelled by his family’s circumstances to provide for his mother and siblings, he sharpens his skills as a boy thief. Along the way, he navigates the Jago’s topsy-turvy ethics, vacillating between the rival messages of his mentors, a devious local fence and a righteous slum priest. Relentless in its bleakness and violence, A Child of the Jago captures the desperate struggle for survival in 1890s East London. This Broadview Edition provides the literary, socio-historical, and philosophical contexts vital to readers’ understanding and appreciation of the novel. Historical appendices include materials on eugenics, hooliganism, women’s sweated labor, cultural philanthropy, and the debate over the novel’s accuracy. From the PublisherFounded in 1906 by J.M. Dent, the Everyman Library has always tried to make the best books ever written available to the greatest number of people at the lowest possible price. Unique editorial features that help Everyman Paperback Classics stand out from the crowd include: a leading scholar or literary critic's introduction to the text, a biography of the author, a chronology of her or his life and times, a historical selection of criticism, and a concise plot summary. All books published since 1993 have also been completely restyled: all type has been reset, to offer a clarity and ease of reading unique among editions of the classics; a vibrant, full-color cover design now complements these great texts with beautiful contemporary works of art. But the best feature must be Everyman's