San Antonio College Library

A collection of essays relating to the life and writings of Charles Dickens.

"In this book we have examined several of Dicken's novels in the light of the conditions under which he wrote them. The surviving evidence of these conditions is extensive and has been generally neglected hitherto, but if we are right in our estimate of the importance of this material, it suggests more than one new direction in the criticism of his work..." - Preface.

"This wide-ranging book examines the writings of Dickens, not only in his time but also in ours. It looks at the author as a Victorian 'man of letters', and explores his cultural and critical impact both on the definition of the novel in the nineteenth century and the subsequent development of the form in the twentieth. Lyn Pykett focuses on Dickens as journalist, literary entrepreneur, the conductor of magazines, the shaper of the serial novel, the...

This collection is a state-of-the-art guide to Dickens studies. The editors have assembled a distinguished team of contributors, who clearly and succinctly set forth illuminating perspectives on crucial issues of modern scholarship. It also provides the student with a comprehensive collection of critical essays.

The Victorian age if often portrayed as an era of repressive social mores. Yet this simplified view ignores the context of Great Britain's profound shift, through rapid industrialization, from rural to metropolitan life during this time. Throughout his career, Charles Dickens addressed the numerous changes occurring in Victorian society. His portrayals of organized religion, class distinction, worker's rights, prison reform and rampant poverty resonated...

History - Benevolence - Economy : domestic and political - Religion - Changing scene - Politics.