Recollections of The Life of John O'Keeffe : Written by Himself : Two Volumes in One

O'Keeffe, John

Published by Benjamin Blom, New York & London, 1969

About this Item

facsimile reprint in one combined volume of the 2 volume 1826 edition. no dust jacket, slight wear to cover, binding firm, square. pages clean and tight, a beautiful copy. 2 v. in 1. port. xii, 407, viii, 428 p. 21 cm.John O'Keeffe (1747-1833) was an Irish playwright who began his career as an actor in 1764. His first significant success as a writer was the play The Son-in-Law in 1779, and he was later called 'our English Moliere' by essayist William Hazlitt. He moved to London in 1781 - around the same time that his marriage broke down - and wrote a string of successful comic operas and dramatic works, including Wild Oats (1791). However, he suffered from failing eyesight and was nearly blind at the height of his fame. He dictated this memoir, published in two volumes in 1826, to his daughter, Adelaide (1776-1865). In Volume 1, O'Keeffe recounts his childhood in Ireland, his first trip to London in 1762, where he saw the legendary actor and theatre producer David Garrick (1717-79) on stage, and the beginning of his own dramatic career upon returning to Dublin. In Volume 2, O'Keeffe recounts his years in London, discussing many of his plays and giving a glimpse into theatre life in Georgian England, before moving on to his subsequent retirement and the complications surrounding the publication of his collected works.

Seller Inventory # 170798

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Recollections of The Life of John O'Keeffe : Written by Himself : Two Volumes in One
• Publisher: Benjamin Blom, New York & London
• Publication Date: 1969
• Language: English
• Binding: Cloth
• Edition: Reprint
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Seller catalogs:
  • Biography