author
Herman Charles Merivale
1839–1906
A Victorian man of letters who moved from the law into the theater, he wrote plays, novels, poems, and criticism with a lively, versatile touch. He also published under the playful pseudonym Felix Dale.
1 Audiobook
My Experiences in a Lunatic Asylum By a Sane Patient
by Herman Charles Merivale
About the author
Born in London on January 27, 1839, he was educated at Harrow, Balliol College, Oxford, and the Inner Temple. After spending years in the legal profession, he turned fully toward literature and the stage following his father's death, building a career as a dramatist, poet, novelist, and critic.
His work ranged widely, from farces and burlesques to fiction and literary studies. He was also known by the pseudonym Felix Dale, and his life in letters included editing and criticism as well as original creative work.
Merivale died in 1906. Though not as widely remembered now as some of his contemporaries, he stands out as one of those energetic Victorian writers who moved easily between literature and the theater.