Imagined by one of the world's foremost Dickens scholars, this fictionalised conversation presents the essential biography of Britain's most beloved novelist.
Sheltering from a summer downpour, you encounter the ghost of Charles Dickens. Join him for a chat in the inn beloved by Mr Pickwick and be swept away by his vigour, warmth and humanity. You'll feel as if you've known him all your life.
The great novelist Charles Dickens attracted international adulation on an unprecedented scale. He cultivated a genial intimacy with his readers, and after he died many of his admirers felt that they had lost a personal friend. Sit back and listen to this master conversationalist talk about everything from work in a boot-polish factory to lecture tours in America.
Who could possibly ask for more?
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Imagined by one of the world's foremost Dickens scholars, this fictionalised conversation presents the essential biography of Britain's most beloved novelist.
| Foreword |
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vii | |
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| Introduction |
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1 | (4) |
| Charles Dickens (1812--1870): His Life in Short |
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5 | (14) |
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Now Let's Start Talking ... |
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19 | (8) |
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27 | (8) |
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An Inky Quill Pen and Two Duelling Toads |
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35 | (8) |
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43 | (8) |
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Literary Chums, and a Select Group of Ladies |
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51 | (6) |
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A Paltry, Wretched, Miserable Sum |
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57 | (8) |
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65 | (8) |
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Do to Others as You Would Have Them Do to You |
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73 | (4) |
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77 | (4) |
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Not the Republic of My Imagination |
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81 | (4) |
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The Attraction of Repulsion |
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85 | (6) |
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Why Oliver Asked for More |
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91 | (6) |
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Growing Up to Be a Learned Man |
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97 | (6) |
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103 | (4) |
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107 | (6) |
| Notes |
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113 | (3) |
| Further Reading |
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116 | |
Paul Schlicke, Senior Lecturer in English at the University of Aberdeen, has served as President of the Dickens Society of America and the International Dickens Fellowship. He is currently chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Charles Dickens Museum in London.
Peter Ackroyd is a renowned novelist, critic and biographer. He has written 13 novels, including Hawksmoor, The Fall of Troy and Chatterton, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987. His biographies include works on Dickens, William Blake and Shakespeare.
