Charles Maturin
An Irish clergyman by day who penned one of Gothic literature's most terrifying and influential novels by night.
1782–1824 (age 42)·Irish Protestant clergyman and writer·Birthday: September 25
Biography
Charles Robert Maturin lived a double life in early 19th-century Dublin. By day, he was a curate of St. Peter's Church, struggling to support a large family on a meager salary. By night, he wrote feverish, phantasmagoric novels and plays that plunged into madness, damnation, and the supernatural. His masterpiece, 'Melmoth the Wanderer,' is a sprawling, nested narrative about a man who sells his soul for extended life and wanders the earth seeking someone to take his bargain. Written with a desperate intensity, the novel's bleak power captivated a generation of Romantic writers across Europe. Despite the fame it brought him—including admiration from Sir Walter Scott and a young Honoré de Balzac—Maturin died in poverty, his Gothic visions ultimately proving more lucrative for his literary descendants than for himself.
#1 When Charles Was Born
The biggest hits of 1782
Charles's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1782Born
1787Started school
1795Became a teenager
1798Could drive
1800Could vote
1803Turned 21
1812Turned 30
1822Turned 40
1824Died at 42
Key Achievements
- Wrote 'Melmoth the Wanderer' (1820), a cornerstone of Gothic literature that influenced writers from Balzac to Oscar Wilde.
- His play 'Bertram' was a major success in London, championed by Lord Byron and staged by the famed actor Edmund Kean.
- Authored several other Gothic novels, including 'The Fatal Revenge' and 'The Albigenses.'
- His work directly inspired later literary figures, most notably Oscar Wilde, who adopted the name 'Sebastian Melmoth' after his release from prison.
Did You Know?
He was a great-uncle of Oscar Wilde, who was deeply fascinated by 'Melmoth the Wanderer.'
He was forced to publish his early novels under a pseudonym because his church disapproved of his literary pursuits.
Despite the success of his play 'Bertram,' he made very little money from it due to a poor publishing agreement.
He worked as a tutor before entering the clergy, and his financial struggles were a constant theme in his life.
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