Dickens as a Fiction Writer

A rambling tale about the adventures of the naive good-natured Mr Pickwick and his travelling companions. The streetwise Sam Weller, recruited along the way by Pickwick, helps them to survive. Full of fun, capturing the exuberant spirit of the young Dickens, this work built on his earlier Sketches by Boz to catapult him to fame and is still one of the best loved books in English Literature. … [Read more...]

With a serious theme, to expose the abuse and corruption suffered by children, this second major work is nevertheless full of humour, but of a satirical kind. The orphan Oliver Twist manages to survive the worst that the authorities and criminal fraternity put him through. The scene of Oliver's plea in the workhouse for more to eat is familiar to countless millions, even to those who have never … [Read more...]

A tale of how the young Nicholas Nickleby and his sister make good after they and their mother are left penniless. Following a bad start working under Wackford Squeers, the cruel schoolmaster of a Yorkshire boarding school, Nicholas comes eventually to thrive, thanks in great measure to the help of Newman Noggs, clerk to his hateful uncle, and to the goodwill of the Cheeryble brothers, benevolent … [Read more...]

This story, written for the shortlived magazine Master Humphrey's Clock, has a young girl, Little Nell, fleeing with her grandfather from the clutches of the repulsive Quilp, a malicious moneylender. Their flight exposes them to a variety of experiences and characters, many having to do with the vagabonds and itinerant entertainers of the time. The death of Little Nell is among the best known … [Read more...]

The first of Dickens's two historical novels, set in the period that led up to the Gordon Riots of 1780 against Roman Catholicism. Barnaby is a half-witted young man who becomes caught up in the mayhem, but escapes the gallows through the intervention of Gabriel Varden, a locksmith. Dolly Varden, the coquettish daughter of Gabriel, is a creation whose name was subsequently used for a style of … [Read more...]

Selfishness, as typified by the young Martin Chuzzlewit, and hypocrisy, as typified by Mr Seth Pecksniff, who purports to be an architect, are among the themes of this work. Martin is chastened and humbled by his experiences in the USA, which Dickens portrays as a country full of vulgar, brash and boastful people. This work contains one of Dickens's great creations: the often intoxicated Mrs … [Read more...]

The first of five Christmas books written by Dickens in the 1840s, this is one of the best known and best loved of all his works. It tells of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge from a tight-fisted curmudgeon to a generous and genial man. This is brought about by a haunting and visions at Christmas that remind him of happier days, demonstrate the generous spirit of others in adversity, and … [Read more...]

Pervading this work are the pride and cold-hearted obduracy of Mr Paul Dombey Senior, a businessman. Following the death of his first wife, he invests all of his hopes in Paul, their only son, neglecting their daughter, Florence. But the fragile boy dies. Dombey marries again, but his will is thwarted by stubborn resistance and treachery, and he loses his fortune. A broken man, he is eventually … [Read more...]

This story, narrated in the first person, of a man who becomes a successful author, is partially autobiographical. It is generally considered to be a masterpiece. Leo Tolstoy, who was greatly influenced by it in his early writing, accorded it the highest of rankings. The quality of writing is especially evident in the description of a storm. Among a number of memorable characters is that of Mr … [Read more...]

A prolonged law case concerning the distribution of an estate, which brings misery and ruin to the suitors but great profit to the lawyers, is the foundation for this story. Told in part through the eyes of the principal character, Esther Summerson, it is a complex one involving a good many secrets, a murder and a number of investigators. Among these is a professional detective, Inspector Bucket. … [Read more...]