The Cricket on the Hearth facts for kids
Frontispiece of second edition, 1846
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| Author | Charles Dickens |
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| Illustrator | Daniel Maclise John Leech Richard Doyle Clarkson Stanfield Edwin Landseer |
| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novella |
| Publisher | Bradbury and Evans |
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Publication date
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20 December 1845 |
| Media type | |
| Preceded by | The Chimes |
| Followed by | The Battle of Life |
| Text | The Cricket on the Hearth at Wikisource |
The Cricket on the Hearth: A Fairy Tale of Home is a short novel, also called a novella. It was written by the famous author Charles Dickens. The book was published by Bradbury and Evans on December 20, 1845. It featured beautiful illustrations by artists like Daniel Maclise and John Leech.
Dickens started writing this story in October 1845 and finished it by December of the same year. Unlike some of his other works, The Cricket on the Hearth was released as a complete book, not in parts over time. Dickens described the story as "quiet and domestic," meaning it was about home life and felt peaceful.
The book is divided into sections called "Chirps." This is similar to how his other Christmas stories, like A Christmas Carol, had special names for their chapters. The Cricket on the Hearth is the third of five special Christmas books Dickens wrote. It came after A Christmas Carol (1843) and The Chimes (1844). It was followed by The Battle of Life (1846) and The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain (1848).
Contents
The Story Behind the Book
In 1845, Charles Dickens thought about starting a magazine. This magazine would focus on topics about home and family life. He even thought about calling it The Cricket. However, this plan did not work out. Instead, he decided to turn his ideas into a Christmas book.
In this book, Dickens chose to write about simple fantasy and home life. He did not focus on social problems or current events. The book was released on December 20, 1845, and quickly became very popular. Many people bought it, and it sold well into the new year.
The Cricket on the Hearth was also very popular on stage. Seventeen different plays based on the book opened during the Christmas season of 1845. One of these plays even opened on the same day the book was released. Dickens himself read parts of the story in public four times. For many years, this story was even more popular as a play than A Christmas Carol.
Some people have said that The Cricket on the Hearth is very sentimental. This means it tries to make readers feel strong emotions, especially happy or sad ones. However, readers at the time loved how it showed the ideal of a happy Victorian home.
Main Characters
Here are some of the important characters you will meet in the story:
- John Peerybingle: He is a carrier, which means he delivers goods. He is described as a strong, honest, and kind man.
- Mrs. Mary Peerybingle (Dot): She is John Peerybingle's wife. She is a cheerful and loving person.
- Caleb Plummer: An older, poor man who makes toys for a living. He works for Tackleton.
- Bertha Plummer: She is Caleb Plummer's daughter. Bertha is blind, but she is very kind and imaginative.
- Edward Plummer: Caleb Plummer's son. He has been away and returns home in the story.
- Tackleton: He is a toy merchant. He is known for being stern, grumpy, and sarcastic. People sometimes call him "Gruff and Tackleton."
- May Fielding: A good friend of Mrs. Peerybingle.
- Mrs. Fielding: May's mother. She is described as a small, easily annoyed, and complaining old lady.
- Tilly Slowboy: She is Mrs. Peerybingle's nursemaid. She is a bit clumsy but means well.
- The baby: This is the child of Dot and John. The baby is an important part of their family life.
How the Book Was Received
The Cricket on the Hearth was a huge success when it came out. It sold so well that two editions were quickly printed. Most reviews were positive. However, not everyone loved it. One reviewer in The Times newspaper felt it was not as good as Dickens's earlier works.
But many famous writers enjoyed it. William Makepeace Thackeray, another well-known author, loved the book. He called it a "good Christmas book" full of sweetness. He also said that the story was more like a fairy tale than a completely realistic story.
Dickens's description of Bertha, the blind girl, was very important. In Victorian times, many people believed that disabilities were passed down in families. Because of this, it was not always socially accepted for blind people to marry. In stories, blind characters were often used to create drama. Bertha's portrayal in the book is similar to how Dickens described Laura Bridgman. Laura was a deaf and blind girl he met at the Perkins Institution for the Blind in Boston, Massachusetts.
Today, scholars do not study The Cricket on the Hearth as much as some of Dickens's other books. However, some experts, like Andrew Sangers, believe it is similar to plays by Shakespeare. They think it shows what people liked in the 1840s and tells us something about Dickens himself.
Plays and Movies Based on the Book
The Cricket on the Hearth has been turned into many different plays and movies.
- Stage Plays: A successful play called The Cricket on the Hearth was created by Albert Richard Smith in 1845. Another popular play was Dot, A Drama in Three Acts by Dion Boucicault. This play was first performed in New York in 1859. It was performed many times in Britain and America for the rest of the 1800s. Famous actors like Henry Irving starred in it. The play also helped start the career of American actor Joseph Jefferson.
- Operas: The story has also been made into at least two operas. An opera by Karl Goldmark called Das Heimchem am Herd first opened in Berlin in 1896. Another opera, Il grillo del focolare, by Riccardo Zandonai, premiered in Turin in 1908.
- Films: There have been several silent film versions of the story from America. One was directed by D. W. Griffith in 1909. Another was made in 1923. There was also a silent Russian film in 1915 and a silent French film in 1922.
- Radio and TV: A 25-minute radio play based on the book was broadcast on NBC in 1945. In 1967, Rankin/Bass Productions made a 50-minute animated TV show. The story was told by the Cricket himself. Famous actors like Roddy MacDowall voiced the characters. This cartoon focused mainly on Caleb and Bertha, leaving out some other characters like John and Dot. The animation was done by Television Corporation of Japan. Rankin/Bass also made other animated Dickens adaptations, like A Christmas Carol.
See also
In Spanish: El grillo del hogar para niños
