“Pykett’s chapter is preceded by a rewarding chapter on the literary culture of the day by Michael Hollington and followed by the final essay on ‘Postcolonial Dickens’. As if to insist that any competition in the Dickens Companion industry is essentially good-natured, John O. Jordan has contributed this, rather wonderful, last word to close the book.” (Oxford Journal Clippings, 1 November 2012)
"Several of these pieces should be indispensable reading for undergraduates... Each of the three Companions to Charles Dickens now available is a valuable resource for students, but Paroissien's is certainly the richest, and-- with simultaneous electronic publication- likely to be of most immediate and beneficial assistance to students." (Notes and Queries, March 2010) "It is difficult to overstate the importance of A Companion to Charles Dickens. The whole provides a rich seam of knowledge, placing Charles Dickens' writings in their literary and historical contexts, a serious work of scholarship. A copy should be placed in every library, whether public, college or academic. Not only is it an invaluable and multifaceted resource for students, teachers and scholars of Dickens, it is a cornucopia of delight for everyone who loves to read Dickens for pleasure alone." (Reference Reviews, Issue 8 2008)
“This is an excellent book, to read with intellectual profit, stimulation, and pleasure. Distinctive in its own right in permitting long essays on a wide range of Dickensian topics. Volumes with a particular outwards-facing intention and stylistic accessibility such as this one, with their imagined audiences that include undergraduates and general readers as well as scholars, show it with clarity. A welcome and valuable book, an engaging collection to read, and a volume worthy of its subject.” (Dickens Quarterly, September 2008)
“Students of Dickens will find this handbook useful. In particular, the entries on the individual novels take the reader to the most important issues. Recommended.” (Choice, November 2008)
“A handy … reference book for a graduate course on Dickens or more advanced studies, this Companion is indeed companionable. Organized both logically and comprehensively, the book is divided into five categories. In short, this Companion inspires one to go back and read all of Dickens’s novels again.” (English Literature in Transition)
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’s 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’s 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’s work and will be an invaluable resource for students and professionals alike.
About the Author
David Paroissien is Emeritus Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Professorial Research Fellow at the University of Buckingham. He edits Dickens Quarterly and co-edits, with Susan Shatto, the Dickens Companions series. He is the author of The Companion to Oliver Twist (1992), The Companion to Great Expectations (2000), and has edited The Mystery of Edwin Drood for Penguin (2002).
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