The surprising friendship of Longfellow and Dickens

Longfellow literally started a Charles Dickens fan club.

Longfellow created an exclusive club called the Five of Clubs where he and his friends bonded over Charles Dickens and adopted fictional personas.

When 19th-Century Poets Formed a Fan Club

Victorian binge-reading was just like modern TV.

Dickens released serialized monthly chapters across years, giving readers episodic storytelling and early access copies before the final installment.

How Victorians Binged Charles Dickens Novels

A 10-mile walk in freezing Boston winter.

After an instant mutual spark upon meeting, Longfellow gave Dickens a grueling ten-mile tour across Boston during winter.

The 10-Mile Boston Walk That Sealed Their Bromance

Hearing that Longfellow was traveling abroad for rest, Dickens immediately wrote demanding he stay nowhere else but his home.

Charles Dickens' Touching Letter to Longfellow

They only knew each other for 4 days before this happened

Despite having spent a total of only four days together, Charles Dickens invited American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to stay at his home for an entire European holiday.

Becoming Best Friends in Just Four Days

Charles Dickens and Longfellow broke into a castle

When Charles Dickens and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow arrived at Rochester Castle only to find it closed, they decided to scale the walls and break in anyway.

The Time Dickens and Longfellow Broke into a Castle

Edgar Allan Poe called this book career suicide

After visiting America, Dickens penned a scathing critique of the country and slavery, sparking nationwide outrage and a vicious review from Edgar Allan Poe.

Why Edgar Allan Poe Roasted Charles Dickens

A Christmas Carol was written in 6 weeks to save his career

Deep in debt and facing declining book sales, Dickens rushed out A Christmas Carol in just six weeks, saving his career just in time for the holidays.

How Desperation Created A Christmas Carol

The only American poet honored in Westminster Abbey

After rising to fame on opposite sides of the Atlantic, Charles Dickens and Henry Longfellow ended up reunited at Westminster Abbey, where Longfellow stands as the sole American poet represented.

How Dickens and Longfellow Reunited in Westminster Abbey

[02:16] When 19th-Century Poets Formed a Fan Club
[03:16] How Victorians Binged Charles Dickens Novels
[05:17] The 10-Mile Boston Walk That Sealed Their Bromance
[07:03] Charles Dickens' Touching Letter to Longfellow
[07:53] Becoming Best Friends in Just Four Days
[10:06] The Time Dickens and Longfellow Broke into a Castle
[11:26] Why Edgar Allan Poe Roasted Charles Dickens
[13:17] How Desperation Created A Christmas Carol
[15:52] How Dickens and Longfellow Reunited in Westminster Abbey

The surprising friendship of Longfellow and Dickens

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