The Fifth Form at St. Dominic’s
Encyclopedia
The Fifth Form at St. Dominic's (published 1881) is the best known of the school stories of late 19th century author Talbot Baines Reed
. The stories as well as the book were written for the Boy's Own Paper
and published by the Religious Tract Society
, with illustrations by Gordon Browne
.
Like other authors of public school stories, Reed had no experience of a public school education himself; consequently, the book lacked some of the realism of other comparable books like Tom Brown's Schooldays
and Eric, or, Little by Little
.
However, the book was written with great enthusiasm and it started a tradition of boarding school stories
in British juvenile fiction that lasted until the end of World War II or later.
Talbot Baines Reed
Talbot Baines Reed was an English writer of boys' fiction who established a genre of school stories that endured into the second half of the 20th century. Among his best-known work is The Fifth Form at St. Dominic's. He was a regular and prolific contributor to The Boy's Own Paper , in which most...
. The stories as well as the book were written for the Boy's Own Paper
Boy's Own Paper
The Boy's Own Paper was a British story paper aimed at young and teenage boys, published from 1879 to 1967.-Publishing history:The idea for the publication was first raised in 1878 by the Religious Tract Society as a means to encourage younger children to read and also instil Christian morals...
and published by the Religious Tract Society
Religious Tract Society
The Religious Tract Society, founded 1799, 56 Paternoster Row and 65 St. Paul's Chuchyard, was the original name of a major British publisher of Christian literature intended initially for evangelism, and including literature aimed at children, women, and the poor.The RTS is also notable for being...
, with illustrations by Gordon Browne
Gordon Browne
Gordon Frederick Browne was an English artist and children's book illustrator in the late 19th century and early 20th century....
.
Like other authors of public school stories, Reed had no experience of a public school education himself; consequently, the book lacked some of the realism of other comparable books like Tom Brown's Schooldays
Tom Brown's Schooldays
Tom Brown's Schooldays is a novel by Thomas Hughes. The story is set at Rugby School, a public school for boys, in the 1830s; Hughes attended Rugby School from 1834 to 1842...
and Eric, or, Little by Little
Eric, or, little by little
Eric, or, Little by Little is the title of a book by Frederic W. Farrar, first edition 1858. It was published by Adam & Charles Black, Edinburgh and London.The book deals with the descent into moral turpitude of a boy at a boarding school.The reads:...
.
However, the book was written with great enthusiasm and it started a tradition of boarding school stories
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in British juvenile fiction that lasted until the end of World War II or later.
External links
- E-text of The Fifth Form at St. Dominic's
- British Library: Children's Literature
- Search publishing histories: Copac: Academic & National Library Catalogue at the University of Manchester.
- Another website: British Library: Integrated Catalogue.
- Search: Library of Congress Online Catalog
- Search: National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections