Charles Lamb

About the Author

Charles Lamb (1775–1834) and Mary Lamb (1764–1847) were siblings and key literary figures in the English Romantic Movement. Charles was considered one of the greatest essayists in English letters for his imaginative and witty prose published under the pseudonym of “Elia,” and Mary wrote poetry and prose that have enjoyed a renewed scholarly interest with the rise of women’s studies. In 1807, they published their most enduring work, Tales from Shakespeare, prose versions of twenty Shakespeare plays adapted for young readers, with Mary handling the romances and comedies and Charles tackling the tragedies. Since then, it has been translated into dozens of languages and has never been out of print.