Charles Dickens is one of the most widely read authors in English literature. This Companion, comprising essays written by leading Dickensian scholars from around the world, places Dickens' writings in their literary and historical contexts and offers the factual and referential knowledge to enable readers to approach his works with insight and understanding. Through Dickens' letters, journalism, and fiction, chapters examine the literary, visual, historical, ideological, and social forces that defined the world of his fiction. Individual essays explore a broad range of topics, including the role of illustrations in his novels, the literary tradition Dickens inherited, his unique facility with language, his uses of history and the extent to which Christian assumptions shaped him as a writer.Other contributions assess his attitude towards technology, the United States, law, gender, and political and social reform, while essays treating biographical matters and surveying Dickens criticism complete the volume. This unique Companion will help readers better understand Dickens' work and will be an invaluable resource for students and professionals alike.
Malden
Blackwell
c2008
xv, 515 p.: ill.; 26 cm
Blackwell companions to literature and culture
51
Includes bibliographical references and index
ISBN: 9781405130974
edited by David Paroissien
1
A sketch of the life / Michael Allen -- Dickens's use of the autobiographical fragment / Nicola Bradbury -- "Faithfully yours, Charles Dickens" : the epistolary art of the inimitable / David Paroissien -- Three major biographies / Catherine Peters -- The 81th-century legacy / D. Monika Fludernik -- Dickens and the gothic / Robert Mighall -- Illustrations / Malcolm Andrews -- The language of Dickens / Patricia Ingham -- The novels and popular culture / Juliet John -- Dickens as a reformer / Hugh Cunningham -- Dickens's evolution as a journalist / John Drew -- Dickens and gender / Natalie McKnight -- Dickens and technology / Trey Philpotts -- Dickens and America )2481( / Nancy Aycock Metz -- Dickens, the Crimean War, the Indian Mutiny, and the Jamaican Rebellion / Leslie. G. Mitchell -- Dickens and the uses of history / John Gardiner -- Dickens as a Christian / Valentine Cunningham -- Dickens and the law / Jan-Melissa Schramm -- The Pickwick papers / David Parker -- Oliver Twist / Brian Cheadle -- Nicholas Nickleby / Stanley Friedman -- The old curiosity shop / Gillian Ballinger -- Barnaby Rudge / John Mee -- Martin Chuzzlewit / Goldie Morgentaler -- Dombey and Son / Brigid Lowe -- David Copperfield / Gareth Cordery -- Bleak house / Robert Tracy -- Hard times / Anne Humphreys -- Little Dorrit / Philip Davis -- A tale of two cities / Paul Davis -- Great expectations / Andrew L. Sanders -- Our mutual friend / Leon Litvack -- The mystery of Edwin Drood / Simon J. James -- Dickens and the literary culture of the period / Michael Hollington -- Dickens and criticism / Lyn Pikett -- Casting long shadows / John O. Jordan
، Dickens, Charles,2181-0781 -- Criticism and interpretation