Charles River in the Arts

The Charles River has appeared in numerous books, movies, songs and poems. Here is a sampling:

Books

The Charles, by Arthur Bernon Tourtellot. Illustrated by Ernest J. Donnelly. New York: Farrar & Rinehart, Inc. 1941.

A historical fiction that describes the Charles’ crucial role in the development of early Boston and the forming of the United States. [more]

The Blithedale Romance, by Nathanial Hawthorne. First published circa 1852.

In the conclusion of The Blithedale Romance, the character Zenobia drowns in the Charles River. [more]

The Handmaid's Tale, a science fiction novel by Margaret Atwood. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart. 1985.

Characters walk along the Charles River parklands to have private conversations. The Hyatt Hotel is the site of a bordello. [more]

The Fourth Hand, a novel by John Irving. New York: Random House. 2001.

The novel describes contemplative walks along the Charles River while the character uses a lacrosse stick to pick up his dog’s droppings. [more]

The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner. New York: Jonathan Cape & Harrison Smith. 1929.

The character Quentin, a student at Harvard, loads his jacket with flatirons and commits suicide by jumping off a bridge into the Charles after dishonor is brought to his sister. [more]

The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath. (USA): Heinemann, 1963.

The protagonist, Esther, briefly considers committing suicide by jumping into the Charles off of a bridge. [more]

Inventing the Charles River, Karl Haglund, published jointly by The MIT Press and the Charles River Conservancy, Cambridge MA 2003. Introduction written by Renata von Tscharner, founder and President of the Charles River Conservancy.

Karl Haglund's long interest in urban planning and landscape design led him to writing this history of the Charles River Basin, creating a great resource through its rich text and extensive use of full-color illustrations that help to document the many changes over the years. The book is 463 pages with 450 illustrations. [more]

Short Stories & Poems

“To the River Charles.” H. W. Longfellow. Ballads and Other Poems, 1842. Excerpt:

Thou hast taught me, Silent River!
  Many a lesson, deep and long;
Thou hast been a generous giver;
  I can give thee but a song. 
[full poem]

El Encuentro (The Meeting), by Jorge Luís Borges. The Aleph and other stories, 1933-1969, Edited and translated by Norman Thomas di Giovanni in collaboration with the author. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1970.

A short story in which a mature Borges sits on the bank of the River Charles and comes faces to face with a younger version of himself. He determines that in the past he must have had the encounter during a dream and dismissed it as fantasy, though later accepting it as real.

Movies

The Charles River parklands are picturesque, there’s no question about it. From the Esplanade and Longfellow Bridge to leafy college campuses and the stunning Boston skyline, they’re instantly recognizable. Hollywood has acknowledged their captivating beauty and romantic potential in numerous feature films.

Canoeing on the Charles River, a short, silent, black and white documentary. Edison Manufacturing Company, 1904.

Bachelor No. 2. Dir: Howard Deutch. Actors: Kate Hudson, Dane Cook, Alec Baldwin, Jason Briggs. 2009.

Scheduled to hit theaters in 2009, stars of this romantic comedy Hudson and Cook filmed a jogging scene along the banks of the Charles River in fall 2007.

Once Around. Dir: Lasse Hallström. Actors: Holly Hunter, Richard Dreyfus, Gena Rowlands. 1991.

Main characters can be found sharing a moment on the Longfellow Bridge.  

Harvard Man. Dir: James Toback. Actors: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Adrian Grenier. 2001.

Shot in part on the Charles River Parklands. [more]

Good Will Hunting. Dir: Gus Van Sant. Actors: Robin Williams, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Minnie Driver. 1997.

Shots of Will Hunting riding in the T over the Longfellow Bridge. [more]

Love Story. Dir: Arthur Hiller. Actors: Ali MacGraw, Ryan O’Neal, Tommy Lee Jones. 1970.

Main character Oliver Barrett IV asks for Jennifer Cavilleri’s hand in marriage at the Weeks footbridge. [more]

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Dir: Michael Gondry. Actors: Jim Carey, Kate Winslet, Elijah Wood, Kirsten Dunst. 2004.

Featured a prominent scene on the frozen Charles River. [more]

The River Wild. Dir: Curtis Hanson. Actors: Meryl Streep, David Straithairn, Kevin Bacon, John C. Reilly, Benjamin Bratt. 1994.

Opens with Streep rowing under the Watertown Bridge (Galen Street, Rt. 16) proceeding east past the Perkins School for the Blind Chapel tower and on to Boston. [more]

Songs

The Standells: “Dirty Water.” Composed by Ed Cobb. 1966 on Tower/ Capitol Records. Excerpt:

Yeah, down by the river
Down by the banks of the river Charles (aw, that's what's happenin' baby)
That's where you'll find me
…
Well I love that dirty water
Oh, Boston, you're my home
[lyrics ]

Todd Rundgren. “Boat on the Charles.” Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren. (1971)

Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren is the second album by American singer-songwriter/musician Todd Rundgren, released in 1971.

Boat on the Charles
Bird on a wire outside my window pane
Its started to rain
Buses in line just seven blocks away
[lyrics ]

Sources

• Wikipedia
• Henry Longfellow Poems
• Spring 2005 CRC newsletter
• The Internet Movie Database