Charles Dickens Books

My 8 year old is getting into graphic classics this year. He really likes these; he can read one in an afternoon. What's funny though, he can give you at least a Cliff Notes type review (telling me they have hit all the high notes in this very brief graphic version), and it's really sparked his interest in classic literature. Oliver Twist was particularly well done in this series.

Oliver Twist is a classic! If you don't know already, it's about a 19th century orphan who lives a disturbingly difficult life in a British workhouse. Mr. Bumble treats him poorly, and so does nearly every other adult figure in his life.

Oliver runs away at the age of 12 and ends up staying with some young thieves and pickpockets. They are not happy when Oliver is reluctant to get involved with their criminal activities. He is injured in a failed bank robbery, and is befriended and helped by the kindly Mr. Brownlow. This begins a chain of events which leads to the truth behind Oliver's troubled past and to a resolution of his sad story.

This is a great read. I recommend it as a good place to start to get familiar with the tantalizing tales of Charles Dickens.

I thought this book was wondeful. I enjoyed it to no end. If there is anyone out there who has not read any of Dicken's work before, this is definitely the one to start with. Don't listen to all of those idiots who say it is weak or untidy. It is not, it is just wonderful.

I am a language arts teacher and my 8th grade class listened to this fine audio CD as we read along. The narration is excellent. My only warning concerning the book and audio CD is that one of the characters, Charles Bates, is regularly referred to as "Master Bates", which teenagers find hilarious.

Early Dickens has alays been my favorite, and John Bowen's book is an excellent companion to those wildly energetic first novels. The exciting and thought provoking chapter on Oliver Twist alone is worth the price of the book and will send you back to re-read the novel with a greater appreciation of Dickens' genius.

As Our Mutual Friend is one of my favorite books, I was prepared to be very critical of this book on tape. And I was well rewarded. David Timson's voice is pleasent and he does each charater with different voices in order that one may tell them apart without Timson needing to read who is speaking. The box contains 28 CDs each in a cardboard sleeve with the first words of each track printed on it. Complete and unabridged.

This book is about a man named Mr.Pickwick.Mr.Pickwick is not a rich man but he still goes on in life.What Mr.Pickwick does is he trys to help out his friends.He is a man not a kid like some may think.The book is trying to create a positively good man.He works in a newspaer publishing place with very little pay.This book is about never giving up.

I found this book at my library and it was very helpful to me in studying A Tale of Two Cities in my Englsih class. It has many articles about the book and eahc one covers a different theme or character in a ot of detail. I showed it to my teacher and she agreed that it is a very valuable book for students and said she will make sure all her students know about the book.

Charles Dickens (1812-1870) is the greatest Victorian novelist. However, many readers do not turn to his shorter fiction to while away an hour or so of reading pleasure! These short gems will entertain you as the master British storyteller weaves his spell of enchantment.
The 400 page book published by Penguin English Classics includes:
Tales of the Supernatural;
The Story of a Goblin who stole a sexton is a spooky tale about a grouchy gravedigger who is stolen by Goblins on a Christmas Eve long ago.
Other stories in this section include "The Baron of Grozgwig" who learned through a ghostly apparation to enjoy the good things of life.
A Confession in the Time of Charles II is the first person narrative of a murderer who describes how his crime was discovered.
To Be Read at Dusk is a ghost story set in Switzerland. The Signalman at Mugby Junction is a harrowing tale of a dark and stormy night at a lonely railroad junction.
Impressionist Sketches-many taken from Dickens' early work "Sketches from Boz" include short articles on an election for parish beadle, Seven Dials area of London and the best of the lot: The Christmas Tree. A few other short pieces are included in this section.
This reviewer found most interesting the third section of the Penguin edition dealing with dramatic monolgues by fascinating characters drawn with Dicken's unmatched skill:
Somebody's Luggage deals with a man finding old luggage containing a mansucript. Mrs Lirriper is a cockney owner of a London lodging. She and her friend raise a small boy after the child's mother dies in the room she has rented in the Lirriper hotel. This story is very sentimental but is touching without being treacly!
Doctor Marigold's prescriptions is another touching tale about a dealer in cheap merchandise who adopts a young girl who is deaf and dumb.
Mugby Junction pokes fun at the atrocious refreshment establishments available to the British train traveler.
Charles Dickens is a genius of the printed word. These little known stories are worthy of being wider known.

Everyone knows the fairy tale story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But few know what happened after the handsome prince found her, and brought her home to his castle to live happily ever after. Well now, thanks to dwarf, Stephane, we do. When the king's messenger arrives at their little cottage at the edge of the forest to invite the dwarfs to the royal wedding, they are eager to see their beloved Snow White again. Here is the story of that wonderful reunion, told in detail by Stephane, as he looks back and remembers the past, is fascinated and enticed by Snow White's life in the present, and finally looks forward to going back to their simple life at the edge of the forest, in the future..... Written in the first person as a journal or diary entry, Etienne Delessert has authored a unigue continuation of this much-loved fairy tale from the viewpoint of the dwarfs. His quiet, gentle, lyrical text is personal, sometimes poignant, sometimes amusing, and complemented by charming and engaging, detailed artwork in rich tones. Together word and art present an evocative story, full of imagery and magic, that will delight readers of all ages. Perfect for youngsters 4-8, The Seven Dwarfs is an endearing and entertaining story, complete with feel-good, satisfying ending, that ties up all the Snow White loose ends, and leaves you smiling.