Charles Dickens Books

What a delightful experience! Written with whimsy and wisdom, this expansion on the life of Jacob Marley is a worthy addition to rich world of Dicken's literary characters. Thanks to Mr. Thomas for keeping the spirit of Jacob Marley "alive."

An excellent read. If you ever wondered where Jacob Marley came from, your questions will be answered. This story takes the class tale of A Christmas Carol, and embellishes the idea of Jacob Marley's character in a way most people would not imagine. The reader will feel as if this is an expansion of the classice tale. I would highly recommend this book to young adults and older. A perfect gift for the holidays!

I had always wished that Dickens had given more insight to the story of Jacob Marley when writing the "Christmas Carol". Since Scrooge's long dead partner made such an effort in his ghostly form to prevent Scrooge from suffering the same fate as he, I felt he deserved a few more lines. John Thomas has given Marley a life in his book "Jacob Marley, A Ghost's Story". John Thomas leads you with great skill through all the life events that formed the Jacob Marley we had a glimpse of in Dickens' story. Watching Marley progress from a child to an adult with all the joy and sadness that is part of his life made this a delightful read. I would certainly recommend "Jacob Marley, A Ghost's Story" to any Dickens fan who would like to know more about Marley.

This is the ultimate mystery story. The writing is Dickens at his best. He clearly was enjoying contructing a true mystery plot, strewn with red herrings, and...he died when the book was half finished, leaving behind no hint of "who did it." Indeed, it's not even clear that "it" has actually been done. A mystery indeed!
A good word for the edition also. The binding is handsome, the text clear and easy to read.

There are so many things to like about this novel- there are quite a few very well-drawn characters, and many that are incredibly sympathetic (like the Landlesses and Mr. Crisparkle) without being irritatingly perfect. Besides this, the villain is not only terrifying, but not as obvious as in some of Dickens' other novels.
For the most part, it is quite convincing as well. The only thing that I could not quite figure out was why so many men would fall in love with Rosa Bud. To me, Rosa was very silly and childish and really had nothing going for her except being young and pretty. I would think that Helena Landless is infinitely more appealing- she is not only brave, but compassionate and devoted to her brother. Despite this, I would definitely recommend it- I give it 4 stars only because it is unfinished!

Set in Cloisterham, a cathedral town, Dickens's final novel, unfinished, introduces two elements unusual for Dickens--opium-eating and the church. In the opening scene, John Jasper, music teacher and soloist in the cathedral choir, awakens from an opium trance in a flat with two other semi-conscious men and their supplier, an old woman named Puffer, and then hurries off to daily vespers.

Jasper, aged twenty-six, is the uncle and guardian of Edwin Drood, only a few years younger. Drood has been the fiancé of Rosa Bud for most of his life, an arrangement made by his and Rosa's deceased fathers to honor their friendship, and the wedding is expected within the year. Jasper, Rosa's music teacher, is secretly in love with her, though she finds him repellent.

When two orphans, Helena and Neville Landless, arrive in Cloisterham, Helena and Rosa become friends, and Neville finds himself strongly attracted to the lovely Rosa. Ultimately, the hot-tempered Neville and Drood have a terrible argument in which Neville threatens Drood before leaving town on a walking trip. Drood vanishes the same day. Apprehended on his trip, Neville is questioned about Drood's disappearance, and Jasper accuses him of murder.

Tightly organized to this point, the novel shows Jasper himself to be a prime suspect, someone who could have engineered the evidence against Neville, but Dickens unexpectedly introduces some new characters at this point--the mysterious Dick Datchery and Tartar, an old friend of Rev. Mr. Crisparkle, minor canon at the cathedral. Puffer, the opium woman, is reintroduced and appears set to play a greater role, since she solicits information from the semi-conscious Jasper and secretly follows him. This is the halfway point in the projected novel, and Dickens clearly planned to develop these new (or reintroduced) characters to deepen the mystery.

More modern in many ways than his previous novels, the characters here are not simple stereotypes--some are good people who have real flaws and make mistakes. Dickens's tying of Jasper to the church choir, where he was a soloist, suggests some examination of the theme of hypocrisy, in which the good Mr. Crisparkle would be Jasper's antithesis. The opium scenes, vividly drawn, carry the unusual suggestion that opium leads to a kind of intoxication similar to that of alcohol, and Dicken does not use these scenes to offer dire warnings about the drug--at least at this point. Especially intriguing because it is unfinished, this novel continues to fascinate mystery lovers and literary scholars more than a century after its first publication. Mary Whipple

Oliver Twist is a great novel by Charles Dickens. The story starts in the 1830s in London, England. Oliver is kind and friendly and he is also an orphan. Other characters in the story are Fagin, Jack Dawkins, Bill Sikes, Nancy, Rose Maylie, Monks, Agnes, Mrs. Mann, and Mr. Bumble. The only thing Oliver wants is a family. His problem is that his real parents are dead. Also nobody wants to be his parents. The solution to the problem is when Oliver finds out that Monks is Oliver's half brother and Rose is his aunt. After Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin take Oliver as their own, his problem is solved. At the end Oliver meets Fagin in his cell for Oliver's father's will. After that Oliver leaves the prison. Outside a crowd gathers around a scaffold to see Fagin be hanged.

I would recommend this book to kids above 3rd grade. I would not recommend this book to kids below 3rd grade because of the violent parts in this book. I liked this book because it showed what it was like in London at that time. The audio cd was very helpful because it told me how to pronounce the words I didn't know. The writing was very descriptive.

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens is a novel about an orphan named Oliver. The setting is inside London. Oliver needs a home. However, it's not easy to find a home because robbers want to use or steal him. Monks wants to make Oliver a thief. Fagin wants to use him to steal the things he wants. Oliver gets a home with two people: Mr. Brownlow and Mrs. Bedwin.

I liked this book a little because of some happy parts. I don't like the sad parts. I recommend this book to people who can handle it. People who can handle the violence in this book should read this book. The photos were helpful to me because they told a lot of information to me.

This book is taking place in London and little towns outside of London. There is an orphan named Oliver Twist who gets in a lot of trouble. Also, there are people who have helped Oliver- well, kind of helped him. There is Mr. Brownlow, an old man who helps Oliver; Fagin, a cruel, mean person who tries to make Oliver a thief; Monks is also trying to make Oliver a thief; Nancy is a woman thief who is trying to help Oliver; and the Artful Dodger, who is one of Fagin's thieves and who teaches Oliver to become a thief; Bill Sikes is a man who is crueler than Fagin and beats his own dog.

Oliver goes on an adventure to London and meets the Artful Dodger and he brings him to Fagin and they teach him to become a thief. Then, when Oliver finds out what they're doing to him, he runs away. Then, the police catch him and he reports the other kids for stealing but the police blame him. The man that owns the shop had seen the other kids steal but not Oliver. Then Oliver gets out of jail and Mr. Brownlow sees him and takes care of him. After, when he gets better, Mr. Brownlow sends him to do a favor for him but he doesn't return. Bill Sikes finds him and he takes him back to Fagin. Fagin puts him in a room and starts to beat on him for running away. After, Nancy comes in and says that she is going to help him. There is a secret about Oliver's true identity- you have to read the book to find out.

I recommend this book to other kids because it has a lot of detail and the author is describing parts of London and how the people acted in London. Also, I liked this book because how realistic the author describes places in London. Another thing is that how things can happen in the world that a person can make kids thieves. There is a CD to hear and also a movie you can watch and see how cruel people were in London.

The Baron Of Grogzwig is a wonderfully original Charles Dickens ghost story that is adeptly edited into a picturebook format by Shirley Greenway and charmingly illustrated by Rowan Barnes-Murphy. It's the story of young Baron Von Koeldwethout of Grogzwig, Germany, who lives in a fine, old crumbling castle with excellent hunting. But the baron grows discontented with simply doing what he likes every day and decides to get married. He woos the daughter of the Baron Von Swillenhausen and takes up the joys of family life. But by the time he is a fat and hearty forty-eight years of age the baron finds himself saddled with an unhappy wife, thirteen children, and no fortune, feasting, revelry, or hunting! Depressed, the baron decides to end it all. As he sat and thought about his present troubles and the happy days of his bachelorhood, he sees the apparition of the "Genius of Despair and Suicide" before him. Can the baron defeat this ghastly apparition and retain his contented good humor -- or is this the end? An engaging picturebook story, beautifully illustrated and wonderfully told.

For the first time in picture book form, The Baron of Grogzwig by Charles Dickesn is a pleasingly spine-tingling saga. It is splendidly brought to life by incomparable illustrations.

Versatile English artist Barbes-Murphy has painted pictures to be treasured, vivid, evocative, and memorable.

This work contains full detailed synopses of all the novels, character sketches, biographical details of Dickens and his family, themes in Dickens work, information about contemporary writers, illustrators and publishers, literary criticism, social themes , background details on the evils of slavery and crime that Dickens contended with , explanations of literary forms and terms.
It is a treasure-chest of information about Dickens.

Charles Dickens A to Z by Paul Davis is a competent, handy guide covering all aspects of the life and writing of the eminent author. For every major work Davis provides a commentary and thorough chapter-by-chapter synopsis. Individual entries for each character contain a desciption and overview of actions. Includes details of Dickens's family, friends and contemporaries. Nice selection of illustrations.

I often consult this guide while reading Dickens. This is a good choice for beginners or casual Dickensians.

Part of the reason Dickens uses his "flowery" language, despite the effectiveness in creating vivid imagery, was that he was paid by the word. Therefore, his wordiness should not solely be considered an artistic choice, which makes you a bit more sympathetic to how long winded this book can seem. It is however a classic for good reason, with a compelling plot, even without very memorable characters. Still a good book to read for its historical context, and if you can handle the language it, for its good story.

Probably the first thing I thought about when I first read Charles Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities was, 'There's WAY too much detail in thing dumb novel!' Well, as I read on it occurred to me that Dicken's uses his amazing flowery language for a reason. It gives you the 'reality' feeling, like you can actually see and picture in your mind what is going on. The novel grabs you in places and lets you feel the sorrow or happiness the characters feel. His rendition of London and Paris are extraordinary because he lets you see the injustice and the anguish that the peasant class felt at that time. The use of detail and language in this novel is one of its most effective elements and truely I would rate this book as one of the best.

i thought this book was really good. its a biography about the life of charles dickens. it would be great for younger kids to read.

I wish all biographies were this interesting ... whether they're written for adults or for kids. My 9-year-old daughter was studying the Industrial Revolution and this book was suggested as an optional assignment. We had a great time reading it together. It is so well written and beautifully illustrated, I don't think she realized she was learning! But later that evening she talked her daddy's ear off with all she'd learned about the life of Charles Dickens (it covers his childhood, his first love, his marriage and children -- lots of children! -- his writing career, his fame, his travels, and his death). The book also served to help her see what the effects of the industrial revolution were on the regular folks of London. I will look into all the other books that these authors have written.

This was a very excellent book & I had a hard time putting it down to do my chores. Very well worth the purchase!

If you are looking for just a simple book of classic ghost stories, thie this is a good book to buy. Cheap and small it contains works by classic authors. Not a a bad buy at all

William J. Palmer's literary mystery stretches the form without crossing the line. Charles Dickens tackles impressively (readers with ancient leg injuries which occasionally act up may wish to avert their eyes) & swims fairly well under pressure. Wilkie Collins conquers a potentially disastrous case of priggishness & may be making serious advances against chronic foppery. Inspector William Field, Irish Meg Sheehey, & the extravagantly gifted Talley Ho Thompson, some sort of grinning dervish genius pickpocket Robin Hood, but watch your watch, all come to life easily & naturally, unburdened by heavy novelistic responsibilities. Ellen Ternan is only awfully pretty so far, but may turn interesting as she ages up nearer to legal. Read the next one, if you can procure a copy anywhere (Amazon seems out), & there may be a third. Palmer can write, & knows how to drop an occasional pearl of wisdom lightly, without needlessly infuriating his patrons. There is a single profoundly unfortunate multi-layer allusion & one short example of illicit typography, but these petty faults are easily overbalanced by genuinely sane handling of the early death of Dickens' daughter Dora plus the best Victorian wenchfight I have ever read. A bonafide romp. This fun is serious. Buy it.

Dr. Joe Palmer was one of my English professors at Purdue University. This novel (and the two "sequels") display the same enthusiasm and love of the Victorian era he brought to the classroom. These books provide interesting historical and biographical details, but are by no means too high-brow or scholarly for mystery fans. If you like Anne Perry, you must read Joe Palmer.

These comments refer to the Norton Critical Editions version of Hard Times edited by Monod and Kaplan. Hard Times was originally published in instalments in Dickens' periodical Household Words in 1854.

This well-known Dickens' satire criticises utilitarianism as advocated by the likes of Mills and Bentham. In part due to its publishing format, Hard Times is somewhat less verbose that other Dickens' work. I see this as a strength - opinions differ. From my perspective, what makes the Norton Critical Addition especially worthwhile is the contextual information supplied in the second part of the text regarding 19th century British political, philosophical and economic thought.

I recommend the Norton Critical Addition to anyone looking for a good version of this classic.

Or so says Stephen Blackpool. Like many of the Hands (factory workers), Stephen Blackpool feels stuck in a life of mediocrity. He and others like him are trampled by the Mr. Gradgrinds and Mr. Bounderbys of the world...

Hard Times is Dickens' critique of just how evil capitalism is at its heart. Before modifications of capitalism (like sexual harassment laws, child labor laws, civil rights, the 40-hour work week), commercial life, especially factory work, was dangerous to not only the body, but the mind (some would argue that this still is the case). And when someone wants out of that life, it isn't always as easy as walking away.

Dickens also criticizes the Gradgrind philosophy of Fact, Fact, Fact! There is no pleasure found in Fancy or imagination according to Mr. Gradgrind, and Gradgrind drills this into his students and children. The results of his philosophy do not surface right away. However, soon his daughter lapses into indifference, his son rebels and becomes a selfish thief, and a student of Gradgrind's (Bitzer) shows the coldness of Fact, Fact, Fact.

The symbolism is often blatant and comical (such as the name of one teacher, Mr. M'ChoakumChilde), but there is also some very disturbing criticism (reality will take a "wolfish turn, and make an end of you") that still gives me the chills.

Also, there is a mass of scholarly criticism that rivals the novel in length, a very nice addition.

This is truly one of Dickens' great works. It is just as powerful as "A Tale of Two Cities."