Tom Hood

author

Tom Hood

1835–1874

A witty Victorian humorist and playwright, he followed his famous father into a life of letters while making his own mark as an editor, illustrator, and novelist. His work moved easily between light verse, comic writing, and popular fiction.

2 Audiobooks

Practical Guide to English Versification With a Compendious Dictionary of Rhymes, an Examination of Classical Measures, and Comments Upon Burlesque and Comic Verse, Vers de Société, and Song-writing

Practical Guide to English Versification With a Compendious Dictionary of Rhymes, an Examination of Classical Measures, and Comments Upon Burlesque and Comic Verse, Vers de Société, and Song-writing

by Tom Hood

Fairy Realm: A Collection of the Favourite Old Tales Told in Verse

Fairy Realm: A Collection of the Favourite Old Tales Told in Verse

by Tom Hood

About the author

Born in Wanstead, Essex, on January 19, 1835, Tom Hood was the only surviving son of the poet and humorist Thomas Hood. He was educated at University College School and Louth Grammar School, later attending Pembroke College, Oxford, where he completed the examinations for a B.A. though he did not take the degree.

He built a varied literary career as a humorist, playwright, author, illustrator, and editor. Among his early books was Pen and Pencil Pictures (1857), and his best-known novel was Captain Master's Children (1865). He also worked in journalism and comic publishing, and became closely associated with the lively Victorian magazine world.

Although his father's name was a large one to inherit, Tom Hood earned a readership of his own through bright, accessible writing and a gift for light, entertaining commentary. He died on November 20, 1874, still relatively young, leaving behind a body of work that reflects the playful and energetic side of nineteenth-century English literature.