Charles Dickens Books

Althoguh their histories are written from different viewpoints, both authors are a fun and enlightening read.

This was a present for my daughter. She's an english major and loved the book.

Charles Dickens wrote a detailed log of his trip to America--from the boat in England to his travels on early American trains. His style is very light and entertaining. If you are familiar with his novels about the dark side of London and the social problems that Dickens himself grew up with, this book is quite a contrast. He is writing the book as an Englishman for other Englishmen.

I was expecting to find a lot of satire against Americans. (His comic piece "Martin Chuzzelwit" had this). However, Dickens was very positive toward the social reforms that he saw in America. He also makes some interesting comments on seeing black slaves for the first time.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to travel far, so his impressions of America are limited. Nonetheless, this is a book that I enjoy reading and re-reading.

I can't imagine any actor not being transformed by this book. A must read for anyone interested in Dickens or theater.

A great children's version of the classic Christmas Carol story. Beautifully illustrated with a simple, yet heartwarming tale.
I highly recommend it!

Peggy Caravantes' Best Of Times: The Story Of Charles Dickens will reach into middle school and perhaps even high school with its 160-page in-depth survey of author Dickens' life. While Dickens' books are famous and assigned reading in almost every classroom across the country, his life hasn't received nearly the attention for young adult students. Best Of Times reveals Dickens' hard childhood, early experiences working in a factory, and more.

This provides some interesting critical essays of recent scholarship on Dickens work. A must have for any student of Dickens.

Very humorous. I did much laughing out loud.

I found this in a 2nd hand store (1875; 1st US edition), and it is a complete howl! I like reading old books, but I hadn't read much Dickens. The personality sketches, 2-3 pages each, do help us understand people of that era, and, with a little cultural translating for the norms of the day, I recognized people I know in them today!

I'm sure someone soon will publish this book at an affordable price. It would absolutely sell!

Also included in the book are drawings by (I'm guessing Dickens' pal) Charles Welsh. I believe they are cartoons of their day. They are mildly amusing, but the book wouldn't lose anything without them.

"Great Expectation" is a worldly renowned book written by Charles Dickens. The story takes place during the nineteenth century. Pip, an ordinary yet unexpected boy, is the main character of this distinguished book. Pip lived in a relatively poor family that consisted his older sister and his sister-in-law, Joe, a friendly blacksmith. Although his life was usual and common, Pip was a happy boy who showed enthusiasm to life and great respects to others. However, his personality changed significantly ever since he met Estella, a charming yet icy girl. To Pip, his beloved Estella was like a heaven, he would give up everything just to please her. He realized that in order for Estella to love or even take notice of him, it was compulsory for him to upgrade to the upper class. In reaching his great expectation, which was to satisfy Estella, Pip chose to neglect those who concerned him and deliberately went off to London to learn to be a real "gentleman." In the process of his learning, he gained valuable experiences on the perspectives of live and the definition of love. He has never thought of that this beloved darling; Estella was simply a trap or a revenge of an old lady, Miss. Havisham. This great book is filled with lots of exciting and unforgettable climax and plots. If you want to experience it yourself, I would highly recommend you go grab a "Great Expectation" as soon as possible!

SINCE I OWN THE 104 YEARS OLD SET OF BOOKS, I ENJOYED READING THIS AND WRITING NOTES [IN THE MARGINS] FOR SCHOOL CLASSES. THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH THE OLD BOOKS..IT WOULD DESTORY THEM...AND AMAZON WILL FIND A BOOK FOR ANYONE IF THE QUESTION IS ASKED. THANKS AMAZON FOR RESEARCH...DORAN E. FIGART

Oxford University Press, home of the Oxford English Dictionary has put out a highly successful Shorter Edition of the O.E.D. Perhaps somebody there heard that Professor Michael Slater was working on a major new biography of Charles Dickens (for Yale Press) and had the bright idea to ask Professor Slater to put out a "bite-sized" biography of The Inimitable. (Actually this book is based on Professor Slater's entry on Dickens for the massive Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.)

This new book is part of a series about "Very Interesting People." Shakespeare, Newton, Darwin and George Eliot have also been given this abbreviated treatment with promises of James Joyce, Milton, Austen and Churchill to have their mini-biographies forthcoming soon. You may have noticed that the notables are all British.

I don't know how the other subjects will fare with their biographers, but Dickens could have no better biographer than Professor Slater. In just ninety pages we are treated to a surprisingly complete biography by one of today's most eminent Dickensians. Especially surprising since Dickens was not only an author, but also an editor, journalist, playwright, actor and concluded his life with a new career in public readings. All these, plus Dickens's personal life are all admirably covered, as is his work with various charities. Still the emphasis of the biography is on Dickens's novels. Professor Slater concludes with a fourteen page chapter about Dickens's reputation and legacy after his death, exploring his after-fame, his impact on world literature and his continuing presence on the stage as well as in film, television and radio. Everything of importance is here. Professor Slater's lucid writing style is, of course, a great boon, and the biography is eminently readable.