Thomas of Reading (1612) by Thomas Deloney

Book Review

Thomas of Reading (1612) 

by Thomas Deloney

Replaces: Cecilia by Fanny Burney

  The original 1001 Books list adhered closely to the idea that the novel was basically invented in 18th century England, giving short shrift to everything written before the 18th century, whether written inside or outside of England.  Thus, the revised 1001 Books list includes titles from outside Europe, and titles from Spain, German and France written before 1800, all of which shows that while the modern industry of the novel did emerge out of England in the 18th century, the form of the novel was source from many places.  The tradition also extends back inside England- Thomas of Reading is an example of an Elizabethan "novel"- published after Shakespeare died but before his "first folio" in 1623 cemented his status as the writer of the English language world.  Shakespeare's exclusion from the 1001 Books list is puzzling, I can only justify it on the grounds that he did not write "books" but "plays," since the 1001 Books list doesn't contain any other plays- even by included authors like Samuel Beckett- who is one of the most frequently selected writers in the original edition.

 The copy of Thomas of Reading I located was a 1912 edition of Thomas Deloney's works, in an olive green library bonding- apparently from 1912 itself.   The works contain a lengthy essay of Deloney's status in the development of the Elizabethan Novel.   In this edition- which is still standard, I think- the introduction is written by Francis Oscar Mann.  Mann identifies Deloney as being from Norwich, subsequently scholars have decided that he was from London, not Norwich, and that he was a silk weaver.  Besides the "old timey" language- closer to Chaucer than Shakespeare.

   The "plot" is scatter shot, reflecting the subheading, "Or The Sixe Worthy Yeomen of the West."  The best tale is the yeomen/cloth merchant who is murdered by a couple who run a road side in with a trick bed that spins around so that the target is dumped into a cauldron of boiling water from a dead sleep. The other five tales didn't stick out as much.  The original, 17th century orthography is maintained- it makes reading difficult but not impossible.