The Life of the Author: Charles Dickens

Combining academic biography and literary analysis, The Life of the Author: Charles Dickens explores the relationship between Dickens' lived experience and his works. This accessible introduction to Dickens scholarship discusses the themes within and key influences on A Tale of Two Cities, David Copperfield, Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, Bleak House , and other literary classics. Organized thematically, the book provides the necessary background about the author's life while encouraging readers to critically analyze Dickens' works and afterlife, including Dickens' most adapted story, A Christmas Carol , and his unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood . Concise, highly engaging chapters each focus on a particular aspect of Dickens' life, from the author's childhood and personal relationships to his professional networks, charitable works, financial issues, and more. Throughout the book, archival material from the Charles Dickens Museum in London is presented alongside the latest scholarship on Dickens' lesser-known roles as a journalist, an editor, and a professional reader. Featuring end-of-chapter case studies that demonstrate the similarities between events in Dickens' own life and the literature he was writing, The Life of the Author: Charles Dickens is an ideal introductory textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in English Literature and Victorian Literature courses, as well as a valuable resource for Dickens scholars and enthusiasts.