Charles Garvice (24 August 1850 – 1 March 1920) was a prolific British writer of over 150 romance novels, who also used the female pseudonym Caroline Hart. He was a popular author in the United Kingdom and the United States, and his work was translated around the world. He was ‘the most successful novelist in England’, according to Arnold Bennett in 1910. He published novels selling over seven million copies worldwide by 1914, and since 1913, he was selling 1.75 million books annually, a pace which he maintained at least until his death. Despite his enormous success, he was poorly received by literary critics, and is almost forgotten today.
Early life Charles Andrew Garvice was born on 24 August 1850 in or near Stepney, London, England. His parents were Mira Winter and Andrew John Garvice.
Career Garvice got his professional start as a journalist. His first novel, Maurice Durant (1875), was marginally successful in serialized form, but when published as a novel, it was a "dismal failure". He concluded it was too long and too expensive for popular sales - this early experience taught him about the business side of writing. He would spend the next 23 years writing serialized stories for the periodicals of George Munro. Magazine stories included A Modern Juliet, Woven in Fate's Loom, On Love's Altar, His Love So True, and A Relenting Fate. The unexpected success of Just a Girl (1895) in America brought him attention in the UK and encouragement to resume his career as a novelist - from then on, every novel he published became a best-seller in England. He reworked many of his magazine stories as novels, and by 1913, Garvice was selling 1.75 million books annually, a pace which he maintained at least until his death. Garvice published over 150 novels, selling over seven million copies worldwide by 1914. Just a Girl was filmed in 1916. According to Garvice's agent Eveleigh Nash, Garvice's books were as "numerous in the shops and on the railway bookstalls as the leaves of Vallombrosa." He was 'the most successful novelist in England', according to Arnold Bennett in 1910.
In 1904, capitalizing on his wealth as a best-selling author, Garvice bought a farm estate in Devon, where he wanted to work the land in "the genuine, dirty, Devonshire fashion." Like the characters in his novels, he romantically dreamed of a life happily ever after and lord of a country manor. He wrote about it in his one non-fiction book A Farm in Creamland.
Critical reception Garvice's novels were formulaic, predictable melodramas. They usually told the story of a virtuous woman overcoming obstacles and achieving a happy ending. He could crank out twelve or more novels a year, but "Little beyond the particulars of the heroines' hair color differentiates one from another," says modern critic Laura Sewell Matter, who found his stories "boring". Likewise contemporary critics were almost unanimous in their disregard, but he was hard to ignore because of his best-selling status. As the London Times wrote in his obituary:
"It cannot be said that his work was of a high order; but criticism is disregarded by his own frank attitude towards the possibility of the permanence of his literary reputation. His answer to a captious friend who seemed solicitous to disabuse him on this score was merely to point with a gesture to the crowds on the seaside beach reading. "All my books," he said, "they are all reading my latest." It was a true estimate.
In contemplating why his novels were so popular, Laura Sewell Matter said: "[Garvice] endured more public ridicule [by critics] than any decent human being deserves. What [Thomas] Moult and other critics failed to acknowledge, but what Garvice knew and honored, are the ways so many of us live emotionally attenuated states, during times of peace as well as war. Stories like the one Garvice wrote may be low art, may not be art at all. They may offer consolation or distraction rather than provocation and insight. But many people find provocation enough in real life, and so they read for something else. One cannot have contempt for Garvice without also having some level of contempt for common humanity, for those readers - not all of whom can be dismissed as simpletons - who may not consciously believe in what they reading, but who read anyway because they know: a story can be a salve."
Personal life Until recently, not much has been known about Garvice's personal life. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography said "Little...is known of his family origins and personal life. Obscurity envelops [him]." John Sutherland in the Companion to Victorian Literature said, "Little is known of Garvice's life." In 2010, English freelance author and editor Steve Holland did an exhaustive search of baptismal records, genealogy databases and census records to build a picture of his early life.
W. Somerset Maugham, who met him at The Garrick, described Garvice as "a modest, unassuming, well-mannered man. I am convinced that when he sat down to turn out another of his innumerable books, he wrote as one inspired, with all his heart and soul."
In 1872, Garvice married Elizabeth Jones and had two sons and six daughters. Garvice suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on 21 February 1920 and was in a coma for eight days until his death on 1 March 1920. Garvice is buried in Richmond Cemetery.
Selected bibliography Garvice was particularly popular in the United States, producing over 150 novels, 25 of which were written under the pseudonym Caroline Hart.
As Charles Garvice Maurice Durant. London: A. Smith, 3 vols., 1875. New York: Ogilvie, n.d. as The Eyes of Love, in 2 vols., (New Eagle series 347). New York: Street & Smith, n.d. as The Hearts of Youth, (New Eagle series 348). New York: Street & Smith, n.d. Twixt Smile and Tear. New York: G. Munro, 1887. ’’Heart for Heart’’. New York: A. L. Burt Company, 1897. Her Ransom. (Chimney Corner series 31). New York: F. M. Lupton, n..d. Eagle Library 50). New York: Street & Smith, February 1898. as Her Ransom; or, Paid For!, Chicago: M. A. Donohue, n.d. Claire. (Chimney Corner series 33). New York: F. M. Lupton, c.1890. as Claire; or, The Mistress of Court Regina, (Charles Garvice 2). New York: J. S. Ogilvie, 1898. New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1899. Lorrie; or, Hollow Gold. (Chimney Corner series 51). New York: F. P. Lupton, n.d. (Eagle Library 85). New York: Street & Smith, 1898. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910. Her Heart's Desire. (Chimney Corner series 58). New York: F. M. Lupton, n.d. (Eagle Library 41). New York: Street & Smith, 1897. London: Sands, 1900. Leslie's Loyalty; or, His Love So True. (Chimney Corner series 62). New York: F. M. Lupton, 189?. New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1898. Chicago: M. A. Donohue, 1900. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1911. (New Eagle series 17). New York: Street & Smith, n.d. as His Perfect Trust, (Eagle Library 69). New York: Street & Smith, c. 1898. as His Perfect Trust, in 2 vols., Cleveland: Arthur Westbrook, c.1910. as Her Love So True, Cleveland: Arthur Westbrook, 1910. Out of the Past. (Eagle Series #79). New York: Street & Smith, October 29, 1900. A Passion Flower. (Chimney Corner series 68). New York: F. M. Lupton, n.d. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910. Sweet Cymbeline. (Chimney Corner series 74). New York: F. M. Lupton, n.d. London: Newnes, 1911. (New Eagle series 102). New York: Street & Smith, n.d. A Wilful Maid. (Chimney Corner series 88. New York: F. M. Lupton, n.d. (Eagle series 95). New York: Street & Smith, n.d. London: Newnes, 1911. as Phillippa; or. The Wilful Maid, Chicago: M. A. Donohue, 1900. Lady Norah; or, The Earl’s Heir. (Chimney Corner series 97). New York: F. M. Lupton, n.d. as The Earl's Heir; or, Lady Norah, (New Eagle series 231), New York: Street & Smith, n.d. Chicago: M. A. Donohue, n.d. as The Earl's Daughter. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910. Leola Dale's Fortune. (Chimney Corner series 105). New York: F. M. Lupton, n.d. (New Eagle series 223). New York: Street & Smith, 1901. London: Hutchinson, 1910. The Lady of Darracourt. (Chimney Corner series 127). New York: F. M. Lupton, n.d. (Eagle series) New York: Street & Smith, 1902. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1911. Stella Newton. New York: F. M. Lupton, n.d. Married at Sight. (Laurel Library). New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1889. Elaine. (Laurel Library). New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1890. London: Newnes, 1911. Shadow of Her Life. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1890. Jeanne; or, Barriers Between. (Chimney Corner series 143). New York: F. M. Lupton, c. 1890. as Jeanne; or, Love’s Triumph. (New Eagle series 267). New York: Street & Smith, 1902. Who Was the Heir?. (Chimney Corner series 148). New York: F. M. Lupton, 1890. Better Than Life. (Seaside Library 11). New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1891. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910. as Better Than Life; or, Her Bitter Cup. (Eagle series 531). New York: Street & Smith, n.d. On Love's Altar. New York: Munro, 1892. London: R. E. King, 1908. as A Wasted Love; or On Love’s Altar. (Eagle Library 24). New York: Street & Smith, 1897. as A Wasted Love; or On Love’s Altar [with Florry's Lesson]. Chicago: M. A. Donohue, 1904. as A Wasted Love; or, On Love’s Altar (Hart series), by Caroline Hart. Cleveland: Arthur Westbrook, n.d. A Life's Mistake. (Laurel Library 19). New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1892. London: Hutchinson, 1910. Once in a Life. New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1892. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910. as Once in a Life; or, The Secret of Her Heart. New York: A. L. Burt, n.d. Paid For!. New York: Munro, 1892. London: Hutchinson, 1909. In Cupid's Chains. New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1893. London: Sands, 1902. as In Cupid’s Chains; or, A Slave For Life, (New Eagle series 557). New York: Street & Smith, 1908. Twas Love's Fault. New York: A. L. Burt, 1893. as ‘Twas Love’s Fault; or, A Young Girl’s Trust, (New Eagle series 548). New York: Street & Smith, n.d. Queen Kate. New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1894. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1909. as Queen Kate; or, A Wilful Lassie, (Eagle series 553). New York: Street & Smith, n.d. The Outcast of the Family. New York: A. L. Burt, 1894. as An Outcast of the Family. London: Sands, 1900. His Guardian Angel; or, Wild Margaret. Chicago: M. A. Donahue, 1894. London: Newnes, 1911. Only One Love. (Alert Library 167). Chicago: M. A. Donahue, n.d. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1910. Stella's Fortune; or, Love the Conqueror. Chicago: M. A. Donohue, n.d. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1912. New York: Street & Smith, n.d. as The Sculptor's Wooing, New York: Ogilvie, n.d. A Woman’s Soul; or, Doris. (Alert Library 162). Chicago: M. A. Donohue, n.d. as A Woman’s Soul: Behind the Footlights, (Railroad series 62). New York: J. S. Ogilvie, 1900. A Wounded Heart; or, Sweet as a Rose. Chicago: M. A. Donahue, n.d. as Sweet as a Rose. London: Hutchinson, 1910. Just a Girl; or, The Strange Duchess. New York: A. L. Burt, 1895. as The Mistress of Court Regina, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1897. London: Hutchinson, 1909. as Just a Girl, illus. Warwick Goble. London: James Bowden, 1898. as An Innocent Girl, New York: Munro, 1898. The Marquis. (Laurel Library 21). New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1895. The Price of Honour (as Charles Gibson). Cleveland: Arthur Westbrook, n.d. She Loved Him. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1895. London: Hutchinson, 1909.. as Her Right to Love; or, She Loved Him (Hart series). (as Caroline Hart). Cleveland: Arthur Westbrook, n.d. By Devious Ways. New York: Grosset & Dunlap, 1896. A Coronet of Shame. (Laurel Library 30). New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1896. London: Sands & Co., 1900. His Love So True. New York: Munro, 1896. Heart for Heart; or. Love’s Queer Pranks. New York: A. L. Burt, 1897. Sydney. A Wilful Young Woman. (Eagle series 70). New York: Street & Smith, c. 1897. The Story of a Passion. (Laurel Library 33). New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1898. London: Hutchinson, 1908. A Modern Juliet; or, The Unknown Future (Laurel Library 39). New York: G. Munro's Sons, 1898.