# The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft — Character guide

> Key figures in The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft by George Gissing.

- [Henry Ryecroft](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/henry_ryecroft.md): Ryecroft has traded the goad of anxious toil for a small independence in the English countryside, where a week without writing feels like an unfamiliar luxury. The penholder that calloused his forefinger still lies on th
- [William Shakespeare](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/shakespeare.md): Frequently referenced as a literary touchstone and source of inspiration.
- [Charles Dickens](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/dickens.md): Referenced as a novelist whose characters and style are discussed.
- [Samuel Johnson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/samuel_johnson.md): Quoted and admired as a moralist and literary figure.
- [Marcus Aurelius](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/marcus_aurelius.md): Philosopher-king whose Stoic writings are reflected upon.
- [Goethe](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/goethe.md): German poet and thinker cited for his views on nature and art.
- [Homer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/homer.md): Epic poet whose works are alluded to in reflections on literature.
- [Edward Gibbon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/gibbon.md): Historian referenced for his work on the Roman Empire.
- [Odysseus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/odysseus.md): Homeric hero referenced in literary allusions.
- [Alfred, Lord Tennyson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters/tennyson.md): Poet quoted and admired for his verse.

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_private_papers_of_henry_ryecroft_se/characters