Forster, John

Forster, John, 1812–76, English biographer and critic. He was influential as literary and dramatic critic of the London Examiner. His Lives of the Statesmen of the Commonwealth (5 vol., 1836–39) established his reputation as a biographer. He is best known for his excellent Life of Charles Dickens (3 vol., 1872–74). In addition he wrote lives of Goldsmith (1848), Landor (1869), and Swift (Vol. I only, 1875).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: English Literature, 19th cent.: Biographies