Elia; and The Last Essays of Elia

Charles Lamb (1775 - 1834)

Elia and The Last Essays of Elia are two collections of essays written by Charles Lamb. The essays first began appearing in The London Magazine in 1820 and continued to 1825. They were very popular and were printed in many subsequent editions throughout the nineteenth century. The personal and conversational tone of the essays has charmed many readers.

Lamb himself is the Elia of the collection, and his sister Mary is "Cousin Bridget." Lamb took the name of Elia from an old Italian clerk at the South-Sea House in Lamb's time of employment there; that is, in 1791-1792. Many of these essays contain references to Lamb's contemporaries or events of his day, which may not strike as strong a chord in the heart of the contemporary listener.
- Summary by TriciaG

Genre(s): Humor, Essays

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 01 The South-Sea House Adrian Stephens
00:22:45
Play 02 Oxford in the Vacation KevinS
00:14:11
Play 03 Christ's Hospital Five and Thirty Years Ago Adrian Stephens
00:37:44
Play 04 The Two Races of Men Adrian Stephens
00:15:56
Play 05 New Year's Eve Adrian Stephens
00:17:40
Play 06 Mrs. Battle's Opinions on Whist Adrian Stephens
00:17:24
Play 07 A Chapter on Ears Adrian Stephens
00:14:35
Play 08 All Fools' Day Adrian Stephens
00:08:52
Play 09 A Quaker's Meeting Sandra Cullum
00:13:54
Play 10 The Old and the New Schoolmaster Sandra Cullum
00:24:55
Play 11 Valentine's Day Sandra Cullum
00:09:31
Play 12 Imperfect Sympathies Sandra Cullum
00:21:34
Play 13 Witches, and other Night-Fears Sandra Cullum
00:18:45
Play 14 My Relations Sandra Cullum
00:17:48
Play 15 Mackery End, in Hertfordshire Sandra Cullum
00:12:59
Play 16 Modern Gallantry Arden
00:08:49
Play 17 The Old Benchers of the Inner Temple Adrian Stephens
00:30:15
Play 18 Grace Before Meat Arden
00:14:39
Play 19 My First Play Adrian Stephens
00:12:31
Play 20 Dream-Children; A Reverie Arden
00:08:54
Play 21 Distant Correspondents Arden
00:13:01
Play 22 The Praise of Chimney-Sweepers Adrian Stephens
00:19:13
Play 23 A Complaint of the Decay of Beggars in the Metropolis Adrian Stephens
00:20:48
Play 24 A Dissertation upon Roast Pig Adrian Stephens
00:20:48
Play 25 A Bachelor's Complaint of the Behaviour of Married People Adrian Stephens
00:20:38
Play 26 On Some Old Actors Adrian Stephens
00:33:40
Play 27 On the Artificial Comedy of the Last Century Adrian Stephens
00:22:17
Play 28 On the Acting of Munden Alan Mapstone
00:06:26
Play 29 Preface, by a Friend of the late Elia colson
00:07:27
Play 30 Blakesmoor in H—shire Adrian Stephens
00:14:18
Play 31 Poor Relations Adrian Stephens
00:18:39
Play 32 Stage Illusion Arden
00:07:33
Play 33 To the Shade of Elliston Alan Mapstone
00:08:10
Play 34 Ellistoniana drwebber
00:14:43
Play 35 Detached Thoughts on Books and Reading Arden
00:14:14
Play 36 The Old Margate Hoy Adrian Stephens
00:22:11
Play 37 The Convalescent Arden
00:09:18
Play 38 Sanity of True Genius Yaelin Lee
00:08:38
Play 39 Captain Jackson drwebber
00:11:28
Play 40 The Superannuated Man Arden
00:16:14
Play 41 The Genteel Style in Writing Micfairy252
00:13:53
Play 42 Barbara S— Jennifer Henry
00:13:48
Play 43 The Tombs in the Abbey weezer
00:07:00
Play 44 Amicus Redivivus Adrian Stephens
00:12:46
Play 45 Some Sonnets of Sir Philip Sydney Adrian Stephens
00:21:57
Play 46 Newspapers Thirty-five Years Ago Arden
00:17:16
Play 47 Barrenness of the Imaginative Faculty in the Productions of Modern Art Arden
00:23:54
Play 48 Rejoicings upon the New Year's Coming of Age Arden
00:12:11
Play 49 The Wedding Paul Harvey
00:16:10
Play 50 The Child Angel: a Dream Paul Harvey
00:08:29
Play 51 A Death-Bed RomaSingh
00:03:36
Play 52 Old China drwebber
00:15:33
Play 53 Popular Fallacies: Fallacies 1-9 Adrian Stephens
00:22:59
Play 54 Popular Fallacies: Fallaices 10-12 Adrian Stephens
00:22:57
Play 55 Popular Fallacies: Fallacies 13-16 Adrian Stephens
00:28:26
Play 56 On Some of the Old Actors (London Magazine, Feb., 1822) Adrian Stephens
00:32:33
Play 57 The Old Actors (London Magazine, April, 1822) Matea Bracic
00:31:54
Play 58 The Old Actors (London Magazine, October, 1822) Matea Bracic
00:15:29