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A Companion to Charles Dickens 2nd Edition
Author(s): David Paroissien (Editor), Leon Litvack
- Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
- Publication Date: November 3, 2025
- Edition: 2nd
- Language: English
- Print length: 560 pages
- ISBN-10: 1119602726
- ISBN-13: 9781119602729
Book Description
Provides an authoritative treatment of the life, work, and legacy of Charles Dickens
A Companion to Charles Dickens 2nd Edition is an essential resource for understanding one of the most celebrated authors in English literature. This extensively revised edition features a wealth of new essays alongside select, updated essays from the first edition. Written by leading Dickensian scholars from around the world, these contributions offer critical insights into Dickens’s life, works, and lasting influence. The Companion places Dickens’s writings within their literary, historical, and ideological contexts, equipping readers with the knowledge to engage with his fiction in a more informed and meaningful way.
New chapters examine Dickens’s attitudes to the city and to Europe, as well as his evolving literary reputation. Each of his fifteen novels, his Christmas Books, and his sketches is explored in depth, with scholars offering contemporary perspectives on their themes, style, and cultural impact. The contributors also consider Dickens’s engagement with visual culture, his use of history in fiction, and the ways his works continue to resonate in modern studies.
An indispensable guide for those seeking a deeper understanding of Dickens’s world and literary contributions, A Companion to Charles Dickens:
- Presents newly commissioned essays offering fresh critical perspectives on Dickens’s life and works
- Explores Dickens’s evolving reputation and critical reception over time
- Contains dedicated chapters exploring key themes and interpretations of all of Dickens’s novels
- Discusses Dickens’s literary style, narrative techniques, and innovations in storytelling
- Presents a broad range of perspectives, from biographical studies to thematic and ideological analyses
- Includes updated references, bibliographies, and recommendations for further reading
A Companion to Charles Dickens, Second Edition is an invaluable reference for undergraduate and graduate students studying English literature, Victorian studies, or cultural history. It is also a must-have for scholars, researchers, educators, and professionals engaged in Dickens studies, as well as general readers with a deep interest in his life and works.
Editorial Reviews
From the Back Cover
A Companion to Charles Dickens 2nd Edition
A Definitive Guide to Dickens’s Life, Works, and Legacy
Charles Dickens remains one of the most influential and widely read authors in English literature. A Companion to Charles Dickens 2nd Edition is a timely and authoritative examination of his works, placing them within their literary, historical, and social contexts. Featuring an extensive collection of newly commissioned essays alongside a selection of updated essays from the first edition, this volume presents fresh critical perspectives on Dickens’s fiction, journalism, and cultural impact.
Covering all fifteen of Dickens’s novels, as well as his engagement with law, social reform, and visual culture, the Companion explores the forces that shaped his imagination and storytelling. Contributors analyze Dickens’s literary style, thematic concerns, and evolving critical reception, while updated bibliographies and recommendations for further reading provide essential guidance for continued study.
An indispensable resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts, A Companion to Charles Dickens 2nd Edition is ideal for those studying English literature, Victorian studies, and cultural history. It serves as a key reference for researchers, educators, and literary critics, while also offering valuable insights for general readers eager to deepen their appreciation of Dickens’s enduring legacy.
About the Author
DAVID PAROISSIEN was Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Buckingham. A distinguished Dickens scholar, he was Editor of Dickens Quarterly and Co-Editor the Dickens Companions series.
LEON LITVACK is Professor of Victorian Studies at Queen’s University Belfast and a leading authority on Dickens’s manuscripts, handwriting, and photographic portraits. He is Principal Editor of The Charles Dickens Letters Project and Joint General Editor of The Oxford Edition of Charles Dickens.
