Oliver Madox Hueffer
Oliver Madox Hueffer, born on January 9, 1876, in London, was a British novelist and journalist known for his humorous and whimsical writing style. He was the son of Francis Hueffer, an influential editor, and Catherine Madox Brown, an artist, which placed him in a family deeply rooted in the arts. His grandfather, Ford Madox Brown, was a noted painter, and the family had connections to prominent figures such as Dante Gabriel and Christina Rossetti. After the death of their father, Hueffer and his brother, author Ford Madox Ford, were raised by their grandfather.
Hueffer attended the prestigious University College London, where he earned a B.A., and he later married violinist Zoë Pyne. He began his career as a journalist, writing arts columns for the Manchester Guardian, while also publishing novels under the pseudonym "Jane Wardle." His works often featured themes of mistaken identities and class distinctions, gaining popularity among both British and American audiences. Although some critics acknowledged the charm and brilliance of his writing, his fame was relatively short-lived, and he is not frequently discussed in contemporary literary circles.
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Oliver Madox Hueffer
Writer
- Born: January 9, 1876
- Birthplace: London, England
- Died: June 21, 1931
Biography
Oliver Madox Hueffer was born Oliver Franz Hueffer on January 9, 1876, in London, England. His parents were Francis Hueffer, an editor at both the New Quarterly Magazine and the London Times, and Catherine Madox Brown Hueffer, an artist. The family had a rich history and involvement in the arts. Hueffer’s grandfather, Ford Madox Brown, was a widely esteemed painter, and the family was also connected to the famous artists Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Christina Rossetti. Brown helped to raise Hueffer and his brother, Ford, after their father’s death in 1889, and in apparent gratitude both brothers adopted the middle name Madox.
Hueffer and his brother, the novelist Ford Madox Ford, both attended the boarding school Praetorius as boys, and both went on to University College of London, where Hueffer earned a B.A. He married violinist Zoë Pyne on March 2, 1897. He experimented with a variety of occupations, publishing a some short plays before taking a position as a journalist in 1903 writing a daily arts column.
While working for the Manchester Guardian, Hueffer began to write novels under the pen name “Jane Wardle.” His novels were humorous, even silly books; one of his favorite fictional strategies was to employ disguises or mistaken identities in developing his plots. These strategies allowed him to handle more serious issues, such as class distinctions and national identities.
Hueffer was popular with both the British and American public and critics, although the critics seemed to sometimes take him less than seriously, possibly due to the humorous nature of his work. One of his early novels, The Artistic Temperament, went into a third printing, and reviewers typically characterized Hueffer’s fiction as whimsical, delightful, and even brilliant. Hueffer’s period of fame was short-lived, however, and his work is rarely the subject of public or critical consideration today.