A Companion to Charles Dickens

A Companion to Charles Dickens concentrates on the historical, ideological, and social forces that defined Dickens's world. * Puts Dickens's work into its literary, historical, and social contexts * Traces the development of Dickens's career as a journalist and novelist * Includes original essays by leading Dickensian scholars on each of Dickens's fifteen novels * Explores a broad range of topics, including criticisms of his novels, the use of history and law in his fiction, language, and the effect of political and social reform * Examines Dickens's legacy and surveys the mass of secondary materials that has been generated in response and reverence to his writing

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations. Notes on Contributors. Preface. Acknowledgments. Abbreviations. Part I: Perspectives on the Life:. 1. A Sketch of the Life: Michael Allen. 2. Dickens's Use of the Autobiographical Fragment: Nicola Bradbury (University of Reading). 3. 'Faithfully Yours, Charles Dickens': The Epistolary Art of the Inimitable: David Paroissien (University of Massachusetts, Amherst). 4. Three Major Biographies: Catherine Peters. Part II: Literary/Cultural Contexts:. 5. The Eighteenth-century Legacy: Monika Fludernik (University of Freiburg). 6. Dickens and the Gothic: Robert Mighall. 7. Illustrations: Malcolm Andrews (University of Kent). 8. The Language of Dickens: Patricia Ingham (St. Anne's College, Oxford). 9. The Novels and Popular Culture: Juliet John (University of Liverpool). Part III: English History Contexts:. 10. Dickens as a Reformer: Hugh Cunningham (University of Kent). 11. Dickens's Evolution as a Journalist: John M. L. Drew (University of Buckingham). 12. Dickens and Gender: Natalie McKnight (Boston University). 13. Dickens and Technology: Trey Philpotts (Arkansas Tech University). 14. Dickens and America (1842): Nancy Aycock Metz (Virginia University Tech). 15. Dickens and Government Ineptitude Abroad, 1854-1865: Leslie Mitchell (University College, Oxford). 16. Dickens and the Uses of History: John Gardiner (Highsted Grammar School). 17. Dickens and Christianity: Valentine Cunningham (Corpus Christi, Oxford). 18. Dickens and the Law: Jan-Melissa Schramm (Trinity Hall, Cambridge). Part IV: The Fiction:. 19. The Pickwick Papers: David Parker (Kingston University). 20. Oliver Twist: Brian Cheadle. 21. Nicholas Nickleby: Stanley Friedman (City University of New York). 22. The Old Curiosity Shop: Gill Ballinger (University of the West of England). 23. Barnaby Rudge: Jon Mee (University of Warwick). 24. Martin Chuzzlewit: Goldie Morgentaler (University of Lethbridge). 25. Dombey and Son: Brigid Lowe (Trinity College, Cambridge). 26. David Copperfield: Gareth Cordery (University of Canterbury, New Zealand). 27. Bleak House: Robert Tracy (University of California, Berkeley). 28. Hard Times: Anne Humpherys (City University of New York). 29. Little Dorrit: Philip Davis (University of Liverpool). 30. A Tale of Two Cities: Paul Davis (University of New Mexico). 31. Great Expectations: Andrew Sanders (Durham University). 32. Our Mutual Friend: Leon Litvack (Queen's University, Belfast). 33. The Mystery of Edwin Drood: Simon J. James (Durham University). Part V: Reputation and Influence:. 34. Dickens and the Literary Culture of the Period: Michael Hollington (University of Toulouse-Le Mirail). 35. Dickens and Criticism: Lyn Pykett (Aberystwyth University). 36. Postcolonial Dickens: John O. Jordan (University of California, Santa Cruz). Index

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).

Review :
"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)