Hubert Crackanthorpe

Hubert Montague Crackanthorpe (born Hubert Montague Cookson) (May 12, 1870 – c. November 1896) was a Victorian British writer who created works mainly in the genres of the essay, short story, and novella. He also wrote limited amounts of literary criticism. After dying early and under mysterious circumstances, his name is now little known and has all but vanished from conventional literary biographies of the period. Crackanthorpe is usually associated with the literary movement of naturalism. His literary legacy consists largely of three volumes of short stories he managed to publish during his lifetime; contemporary opinions of his talent as a writer varied widely, though one of his works was published with an appreciation by none other than Henry James.

Private life

Crackanthorpe changed his surname in 1888 along with his father, in order to inherit a legacy. In 1893, he married Leila Macdonald, another writer. The couple relocated to France, where they shared a literary life. They travelled together from France to Italy, reaching the Amalfi Coast (Salerno) but the journey ended with a litigation. Leila was financially prosperous and soon came into a large inheritance. However, the marriage ended on very bad terms in 1896, because the Crackanthorpes were ill-suited for the institution of marriage.

Literary work

Over the years, Crackanthorpe had been associated with an avant-garde literary magazine known as the "Yellow Book"; there is evidence that Crackanthorpe's family tried to hide his association with the "Yellow Book". Some of the pieces Crackanthorpe published in the "Yellow Book" were collected in "Sentimental Studies and a Set of Village Tales" (1895). After its publication, Crackanthorpe continued to publish short stories in various periodicals.

Crackanthorpe's literary technique is reminiscent of his contemporary, Guy de Maupassant. They both shared a passion for detailed psychological portraits. Crackanthorpe had a talent for describing scenes in a style rich with substance and texture. To create an additional layer of realism, some of Crackanthorpe's characters speak in rural British dialects.

The mystery of his passing

The state of Crackanthorpe's marriage to Leila began to disintegrate rapidly after 1895. Leila miscarried in 1896 because of a venereal infection she contracted from Hubert; after this, she left Hubert and traveled to Italy. Finally left to his own philandering devices, Hubert promptly began an affair with a woman named Sissie Welch. After a few months, Hubert managed a reunion with Leila. Leila was now living in Paris with a lover of her own. Hubert and Leila thus set up house once more with their respective lovers in tow. Despite the rather liberal attitudes behind this attempt at reconciliation, the situation did not last long, and Leila left Hubert on November 4, 1896.

Hubert Crackanthorpe was never seen alive again after his wife left him for the second time. Leila walked out the door of the Crackanthorpes' Paris home and boarded a boat for London in December 1896. Hubert's body was found in the Seine on Christmas Eve; it is unknown whether he was a victim of foul play, or if he succumbed to a suicidal impulse. In subsequent years the aristocratic Crackanthorpe family was eager to keep the story of Hubert Crackanthorpe from coming to public attention.

References

* David Crackanthorpe, Hubert Crackanthorpe and English Realism in the 1890s (Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1977).
* Wendell Harris, "Hubert Crackanthorpe as Realist," English Literature in Transition, 6, no. 2 (1963): 76-84.
* Lionel Johnson, "Hubert Crackanthorpe," Academy, 52 (1897): 428-429.
* William Peden, "Hubert Crackanthorpe: Forgotten Pioneer," Studies in Short Fiction, 7 (Fall 1970): 539-548.

Works

* Wreckage: Seven Studies (London: Heinemann, 1893; New York: Cassell, 1894).
* Sentimental Studies and a Set of Village Tales (London: Heinemann, 1895; New York: Putnam, 1895).
* Vignettes: A Miniature Journal of Whim and Sentiment (London & New York: John Lane, 1896; New York: Bruno Chapbooks, 1915).
* Last Studies (London: Heinemann, 1897).
* The Light Sovereign: A Farcical Comedy in Three Acts (London: Harland, 1917).

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