Books by Charles Dickens

This coming of age tale follows the adventures of David Copperfield and his friends as he grows and matures out of his cruel circumstances.

"Out-and-out young gentlemen may be divided into two classes – those who have something to do, and those who have nothing."In Sketches of Young Gentlemen Charles Dickens presents this list of types of men that young ladies might encounter in society; a sort of Buzzfeed article of the 19th century. How’s about The Censorious Young Gentlemen, who expresses all opinions "with a dubious sneer, accompanied with a half smile"? No? Maybe The Poetical Young Gentleman, who "is lounging on a sofa with his eyes fixed upon the ceiling" then? or maybe The Domestic Young Gentleman, "who lives at home with his mother"?Dickens isn’t too impressed with these bachelors and doesn’t think the ladies should be either. Sketches of Young Gentlemen is an excellent and quick read, just as amusing as it is accurate.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"When I began to settle down in this right-principled and well-conducted House, I noticed, under the bed in No. 24 B (which it is up an angle off the staircase, and usually put off upon the lowly-minded), a heap of things in a corner."When a waiter in a hotel stumbles upon some luggage that has been left behind, he searches through it to identify its owner only to find a handful of stories instead. The writing is so good that he gets the stories published. One day, a visitor comes calling...Somebody's Luggage is a thoroughly entertaining and cleverly written mystery, and as always with Dickens’ work, the characters and places come alive on the page.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"No landlord is my friend and brother, no chambermaid loves me, no waiter worships me, no boots admires and envies me."Let the character of The Uncommercial Traveller take you on a journal through Britain, Europe and America, into pubs, workhouses and graveyards to meet tramps, lawyers and everyone in between. These sketches, which Charles Dickens wrote late in life, are based on his own travel experiences. In true Dickensian form it is apparent that his sympathies lie with the hidden underclass of Victorian England. But in between the dark and poignant stories, his wit and humour shines through as always.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"The total number of legs belonging to the manufacturing population of one great town in Yorkshire was, in round numbers, forty thousand, while the total number of chair and stool legs in their houses was only thirty thousand (...) Ten thousand individuals were either destitute of any rest for their legs at all, or passed the whole of their leisure time sitting upon boxes."The Mudfog Papers is a collection of sketches about the very local politics of the town of Mudfog (originally the hometown of Oliver Twist). Follow the shenanigans of its crazy mayor and sit in on the meetings of the Society for the Advancement of Everything. The Mudfog Papers is Dickensian satire at its best.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"The village street was like most other village streets: wide for its height, silent for its size, and drowsy in the dullest degree."In Tom Tiddlers Ground – the name of an ancient children’s game – Dickens introduces us to a hermit named Mr. Mopes. An interesting and reflective story, it talks about solitude and how different people respond to it.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

Near the English colony of Belize, a silver mine is attacked by pirates. They murder a number of the British colonist and take the rest hostage. When all hope seems lost, the colonists’ survival is suddenly down to a couple of remarkable and brave imprisoned English women.Co-written by Dickens’ friend Wilkie Collins, The Perils of Certain English Prison is a thrilling adventure novel filled with murder, intrigue and strong female characters. Told in the first person and with the same sense of adventure, the novel is similar in style to Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"Remember to the last, that while there is life there is hope."Onboard the ship The Golden Mary we meet a dignified woman in black, a man who wants to try his luck in the gold rush in California, a mother and her daughter heading to meet the father, and of course Captain Ravender, a great believer in duty before self. When the ship is struck by an iceberg and sinks, the crew and passengers are moved to lifeboats. But they are still far from safety.Like in the 1997 movie about the Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, The Wreck of the Golden Mary lets us get well-invested in its passengers before things start to derail. It’s an emotional and bleak story at times, but one little girl represents a glimmer of hope for the passengers and for the reader that will make it all worth it.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"Mother had the gripe and clutch of poverty upon her face, upon her figure, and not least of all upon her voice."After a traumatic childhood spent locked in a cellar, the orphaned George Silverman embarks on adolescence with the belief that he is completely worthless and that the people he cares about are better off without him. Not even when he falls in love with his beautiful student does he allow himself the luxury of happiness. And people like George are easy to take advantage of...One of Dickens’ last writings, George Silverman's Explanation is one of his finest psychological achievements. A dark and fascinating story.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. With well over 200 million copies sold, it is among the most famous works of fiction. The novel depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralized by the French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, the corresponding brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution, and many unflattering social parallels with life in London during the same time period. It follows the lives of several protagonists through these events. The most notable are Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton. Darnay is a French once-aristocrat who falls victim to the indiscriminate wrath of the revolution despite his virtuous nature, and Carton is a dissipated British barrister who endeavours to redeem his ill-spent life out of his unrequited love for Darnay's wife, Lucie Manette.

"Strictly speaking, there were only six poor travellers; but, being a traveller myself, though an idle one, and being withal as poor as I hope to be, I brought the number up to seven."A poor traveller discovers a humble inn that offers six poor travellers a bit of money and free lodgings for the night of Christmas Eve. Though poor himself, the narrator is determined to contribute something as well and secures a delicious Christmas meal for everyone.The Seven Poor Travellers is a heart-warming Christmas story about sharing and helping others even you do not have much for yourself.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"That sprung up between us. You are not truly happy"Before their deaths, Edwin and Rosa’s fathers made them betrothed to one another. Now that they are of age, though, Edwin finds that he does not want to marry Rosa, and they break off the engagement. Shortly thereafter, on Christmas, Eve Edwin disappears without a trace.The Mystery of Edwin Drood was Dickens’ final, unfinished novel. But despite its abrupt ending it leaves the reader with a clear picture of a killer. The novel has been adapted to film four times and was referenced in a 2005 episode of Doctor Who starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

Charles Dickens shared excessive interest in the machinations of the ghostly and the supernatural. Many of his ghost stories include a sense of justice or rational explanation in the end. "The Hanged Man’s Bride" is such a story that is rich in vivid descriptions of nature, murder mystery, and a restless spirit. Dickens does a great job in portraying the background in minutest of details, adding a layer of veracity and truthfulness to the supernatural occurrences. A chilling and recommended reading for the fans of ghost stories.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"Treachery don't come natural to beaming youth; but trust and pity, love and constancy, –they do, thank God!"In this follow-up to Mrs. Lirriper’s Lodgings, in which Mrs. Lirriper took in lodgers to make ends meet following her husband’s death, the sweet and heart-warming stories of life in Mrs. Lirriper’s house continue. Amidst trouble with her brother-in-law, a continuous rivalry and a neighbourhood fire, Mrs. Lirriper discovers that a dying man in Paris is trying to get a hold of her.All the hopefulness of the first book come to fruition in Mrs. Lirriper’s Legacy and it is a worthy conclusion.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"Minerva House ... was ‘a finishing establishment for young ladies,’ where some twenty girls of the ages from thirteen to nineteen inclusive, acquired a smattering of everything and a knowledge of nothing."In Sketches by Boz you will meet a group of scientists, who have researched and invented the most useless and absurd things imaginable. You’ll meet Mr. Minns, who hates children and dinner parties but ends up in his cousin's loud and tumultuous house. And you’ll meet Mrs. Tibbs, who walks all over her stupid husband. And so, in this collection of short pieces, a young Dickens establishes himself, not only as the sharpest political commentator of his time, but also one of the wittiest and most insightful.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"Society, taken in the lump, is all dwarfs (...) And when you’ve no more left to give, they’ll laugh at you to your face..."A man sets up a circus in a respectable neighbourhood and draws an audience with the main attraction: a dwarf, named Mr. Chops. One day, Mr. Chops wins the lottery and leaves. But life outside the circus is not as he imagined.Going into Society is a dark story about naivety, humiliation and the disappointing importance of money. It is believed that Vladimir Nabokov’s short story The Potato Elf (1929) about a dwarf named Fred who works in a circus, was inspired by this classic Charles Dickens story.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"The couple who dote upon their children have usually a great many of them (...) The children are either the healthiest in all the world, or the most unfortunate in existence. In either case, they are equally the theme of their doting parents, and equally a source of mental anguish and irritation to their doting parent’s friends."If you thought annoying couples was a thing of the present, think again! In this collection of short stories from 1840 you’ll meet, among others, The Contradictory Couple, The Plausible Couple and The Couple Who Coddle Themselves. All various degrees of annoying. Full of dry humour and realism, Dickens sharp observations prove that human nature doesn’t change much at all. In fact, you might as well be reading a script for a romantic Netflix show.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

It is a wonder Charlie ever leaves home considering how many disastrous stays at inns and hotels he has had. This time around, though, his leaving is with good reason. His sweetheart and his best friend are in love. Or so he thinks. Stranded at The Holly Tree Inn for Christmas on his way to America, Charlie recounts past inn experiences – an attentive reader might spot a reference to the urban legend Sweeney Todd is based on – and through his musings he discovers that things at home may not be what they seem.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"But while she was still very young, oh, very, very young, the sister drooped, and came to be so weak that she could no longer stand in the window at night."Every night, a brother and a sister look at the same star in the sky and muse over life and death. When the sister dies, the brother starts dreaming of her living in that star, present but out of reach, and all through his life his biggest wish is to join her.Like Hans Christian Andersen’s Steadfast Tin Soldier, A Child's Dream of a Star is a poetic and deeply moving story of devotion and love. Simple, but beautiful.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"There were two Popes at this time (as if one were not enough!), and their quarrels involved Europe in a great deal of trouble."If only history could always be this fun! Unlike Shakespeare’s history plays before him, Charles Dickens doesn’t fictionalize British history here as much as he just makes it incredibly readable and entertaining. A Child's History of England is written chronologically with no complicated analysis, but full of great stories and anecdotes. It reads like a novel but is fairly accurate, and any child as well as adult will come away from it with good knowledge of basic English history.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

While on holiday, four children let their imaginations run wild and tell each other fantastical stories. They picture themselves married to one another, living at sea, having magic godmothers, and one imagines a land without grownups in which they are parents to their own parents!Holiday Romance is an endearing story with amazing insight into children’s way of thinking. Written in such authentically childish voices, you almost forget that Charles Dickens is in fact behind all of it. Fun and charming, Holiday Romance transports you to the time and place of these four children’s lives , and it’s truly the place to be.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

Doctor Marigold is a traveling salesperson and a good man. But his wife beats their daughter Sophy and he is too weak-willed to do anything about it. When Sophy dies, Marigold is soon left with nothing. Life gives him a second chance at happiness when he adopts a deaf and mute girl from the owner of a traveling circus. He names her after Sophy and invents a sign language. But, however much he wants to protect and keep her to himself, he can’t stop her from living her own life.Doctor Marigold is a treasure of a short story; funny, touching and wonderfully written. A perfect introduction to Dickens.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

"Their good humour and delight know no bounds - for it is a delightful morning, all blue over head, and nothing like a cloud in the whole sky."Under the pseudonym of Timothy Sparks, the then 24 year-old Dickens wrote this pamphlet, in which he defends the people’s right to pleasure. Always a protector of the poor, Dickens describes what a Sunday morning would look like if the Christian "fanatics" in Parliament had been able to pass a recent bill. And he describes what a Sunday morning ought to look like. It gives a humorous picture of London Society and was dedicated to the Bishop of London, without permission.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) was an English author, social critic, and philanthropist. Much of his writing first appeared in small instalments in magazines and was widely popular. Among his most famous novels are Oliver Twist (1839), David Copperfield (1850), and Great Expectations (1861).

Charles Dickens' haunting novel explores socio-economical theories and philosophies of 19th century England. Rich descriptions and characterizations make this work a classic, asking questions of morality, truth, and status.