New Releases by Charles Dickens

Hard Times is a novel written by Charles Dickens. Set in the fictional industrial town of Coketown, the story explores the harsh realities of life during the Victorian era, particularly the impact of industrialization, utilitarianism, and social inequality on individuals and society as a whole. The plot revolves around several characters, including Thomas Gradgrind, a strict and utilitarian schoolmaster who emphasizes facts and logic over emotions and imagination in the upbringing of his children, Louisa and Tom. As the story unfolds, the Gradgrind family becomes entangled with other inhabitants of Coketown, such as Josiah Bounderby, a wealthy industrialist, and Stephen Blackpool, a humble and honest factory worker. Through the experiences of these characters, Dickens critiques the dehumanizing effects of industrialization and the rigid social structures of Victorian society. He explores themes of compassion, empathy, and the importance of embracing the complexities of human nature beyond mere utilitarian values. Hard Times is celebrated for its vivid characters, sharp social commentary, and exploration of moral and ethical dilemmas. It remains a powerful indictment of the injustices and inequalities of the Industrial Revolution and continues to resonate with readers as a timeless work of literature.

In Charles Dickens''s ''Oliver Twist; or, The Parish Boy''s Progress. Illustrated'', the captivating tale of a young orphan boy navigating the harsh realities of Victorian society is told with a unique blend of social commentary and dark humor. The novel is characterized by its intricate plot, vivid characters, and rich descriptions of London''s slums, highlighting the disparities between social classes. Dickens''s use of irony and satire adds depth to the story, making it a timeless classic in English literature. The illustrations throughout the book provide a visual representation of the characters and settings, enhancing the reader''s experience. Dickens''s eloquent writing style and attention to detail make ''Oliver Twist'' a must-read for those interested in 19th-century British novels.

Hard Times - For These Times (commonly known as Hard Times) is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1854.The book surveys English society and satirises the social and economic conditions of the era.Hard Times is unusual in several ways. It is by far the shortest of Dickens'' novels, barely a quarter of the length of those written immediately before and after it.Also, unlike all but one of his other novels, Hard Times has neither a preface nor illustrations. Moreover, it is his only novel not to have scenes set in London.Instead the story is set in the fictitious Victorian industrial Coketown, a generic Northern English mill-town, in some ways similar to Manchester, though smaller. Coketown may be partially based on 19th-century Preston.

Great Expectations is the thirteenth novel by Charles Dickens and his penultimate completed novel. It depicts the education of an orphan nicknamed Pip (the book is a bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story). It is Dickens''s second novel, after David Copperfield, to be fully narrated in the first person. The novel was first published as a serial in Dickens''s weekly periodical All the Year Round, from 1 December 1860 to August 1861. In October 1861, Chapman and Hall published the novel in three volumes. The novel is set in Kent and London in the early to mid-19th century and contains some of Dickens''s most celebrated scenes, starting in a graveyard, where the young Pip is accosted by the escaped convict Abel Magwitch. Great Expectations is full of extreme imagery - poverty, prison ships and chains, and fights to the death - and has a colourful cast of characters who have entered popular culture. These include the eccentric Miss Havisham, the beautiful but cold Estella, and Joe, the unsophisticated and kind blacksmith. Dickens''s themes include wealth and poverty, love and rejection, and the eventual triumph of good over evil. Great Expectations, which is popular both with readers and literary critics, has been translated into many languages and adapted numerous times into various media. Upon its release, the novel received near universal acclaim. Although Dickens''s contemporary Thomas Carlyle referred to it disparagingly as that "Pip nonsense," he nevertheless reacted to each fresh installment with "roars of laughter. Later, George Bernard Shaw praised the novel, as All of one piece and consistently truthful. During the serial publication, Dickens was pleased with public response to Great Expectations and its sales; when the plot first formed in his mind, he called it "a very fine, new and grotesque idea. In the 21st century, the novel retains good ratings among literary critics and in 2003 it was ranked 17th on the BBC''s The Big Read poll.

A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is the second historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. It depicts the plight of the French proletariat under the brutal oppression of t+E3he French aristocracy in the years leading up to the revolution, and the corresponding savage brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former aristocrats in the early years of the revolution. It follows the lives of several protagonists through these events, most notably Charles Darnay, a French once-aristocrat who falls victim to the indiscriminate wrath of the revolution despite his virtuous nature, and Sydney Carton, a dissipated English barrister who endeavours to redeem his ill-spent life out of love for Darnay''s wife, Lucie Manette.

Hard Times - For These Times (commonly known as Hard Times) is the tenth novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1854.The book surveys English society and satirises the social and economic conditions of the era.Hard Times is unusual in several ways. It is by far the shortest of Dickens'' novels, barely a quarter of the length of those written immediately before and after it.Also, unlike all but one of his other novels, Hard Times has neither a preface nor illustrations. Moreover, it is his only novel not to have scenes set in London. Instead the story is set in the fictitious Victorian industrial Coke town, a generic Northern English mill-town, in some ways similar to Manchester, though smaller. Coke town may be partially based on 19th-century Preston.

"The Mystery of Edwin Drood" is one of the finest novels of Charles Dickens but the novel could not be completed by Dickens because he kissed death before the completion of the novel. Charles Dickens''s final, unfinished novel, and one that has puzzled readers and inspired writers since its publication, The Mystery of Edwin Drood is edited with an introduction by David Paroissien in Penguin Classics. The identity of the murderers in the novel is still a matter of debate. Though the name of the novel is inspired by the character of Edwin Drood but the story actually revolves around Edwin''s uncle Mr. John Jasper who falls in love with his pupil who is also Edwin''s fiancé. Rosa Bud; Edwin''s fiancé also catches the attention of Neville Landless who comes with his twin sister Helena from Ceylon. Neville is madly in love with Rose and the result is as anyone can possibly expect; both Neville and Edwin become enemies. The story takes an unexpected turn when Edwin disappears under mysterious circumstances. Before Edwin goes missing, a lot of things happen which consequently ends in a mystery which is unsolved till date because of the death of Dickens. Edwin and Rose are madly in love with each other and they are not bothered about the fact that Edwin''s uncle and Neville re madly in love with Rose. Mr. Grewgious gives Edwin the ring which Rose''s father gave to her mother and now Edwin makes Rose wear the ring. They are too much in love to notice what is going around them. One fine day Rosa, Edwin and Neville meet at a party and Edwin casually goes to a nearby shop. There he meets a mysterious woman who asks his name. When he says that his name is Edwin, the woman says that if his name would have been Ned, he would be in danger. Edwin ignores this lady''s strange talk and leaves the place nodding happily to the woman. Edwin and Neville go down to the steaming river next day and since then, Edwin goes missing. Neville is obviously suspected as the murderer but he denies all the allegations stating that he did love Rose but that did not mean that he will end up killing her fiancé. Mr. John Jasper now enters again in the scenario. He proposes marriage to Rose and when she disagrees he blackmails her by saying that he will threaten the life of Neville, her best friend Helena''s twin brother.

One of the masterpieces of the written world. A must-read. Illustrated with doodles Complete and unabridged One of the most celebrated and influential novels of the past two centuries tells the vivid and unforgettable coming-of-age story of the orphan Pip In the marsh country of Victorian England, young Pip lives with his sister and her husband, the kindly blacksmith Joe, eking out a hardscrabble life. Pip''s one true aspiration is to apprentice for Joe and become a blacksmith himself, a dream that sustains him and gives him hope. But though he doesn''t know it, Pip''s fates are about to turn. Alone in a graveyard one night, he encounters a grizzled and mud-smeared escaped convict. Dragging a heavy shackle from an injured leg, the man demands that Pip steal him food and help him remove the clanging iron. Cowed, Pip accommodates his commands without resistance. It isn''t until years later, after Pip has forged a tender relationship with the eccentric Mrs. Havisham, fallen into unexpected prosperity in London, and found himself gripped by love for the charming-yet-fickle Estella, that the true consequences of that night in the graveyard finally come to light. Celebrated for its vibrant characters, engrossing plot, and universal themes of ambition and hope, Great Expectations stands as a pillar of Victorian literature and a preeminent entry in the Dickensian oeuvre.

Continue your journey through the complex, fog-filled world of Dickens with Bleak House Vol 2 by Charles Dickens. As the story unfolds, secrets are revealed and destinies are shaped, all under the shadow of the never-ending Jarndyce and Jarndyce lawsuit. This volume delves deeper into the characters'' lives, drawing readers further into their joys, sorrows, and secrets. With its engaging narrative and profound social commentary, Bleak House Vol 2 stands as a testament to Dickens'' narrative prowess. Continue your journey through Dickens'' London with Bleak House Vol 2. Order your copy today and uncover the secrets that lie within the walls of Bleak House.

A Christmas Carol - a story by Charles Dickens referring to Christmas Eve. The book was first published on December 19, 1843. Translated many times and published as A Christmas Carol or, in keeping with the original title, as a Christmas Carol in Prose.

In one of his most energetic and enjoyable novels, Dickens tells the life story of David Copperfield, from his birth in Suffolk, through the various struggles of his childhood, to his successful career as a novelist. The early scenes are particularly masterful, depicting the world as seen from the perspective of a fatherless small boy, whose idyllic life with his mother is ruined when his mother marries again, this time to a domineering and cruel man. The novel is partly modelled on Dickens''s own experiences, but that is not to say that it is in any way a direct autobiography. Indeed, one of the great joys of the book lies in its outlandish cast of characters, which includes the glamorous Steerforth, the cheerful, verbose Mr Micawber, the villainous Uriah Heep, and David''s eccentric aunt, Betsey Trotwood. Dickens described it as his ''favourite child'' among his novels and it is easy to see why.

Oliver Twist or, the Parish Boy''s Progress is author Charles Dickens''s second novel, and was first published as a serial 1837-39. The story centres on orphan Oliver Twist, born in a workhouse and sold into apprenticeship with an undertaker. After escaping, Twist travels to London, where he meets "The Artful Dodger", a member of a gang of juvenile pickpockets led by the elderly criminal, Fagin. Oliver Twist is notable for its unromantic portrayal by Dickens of criminals and their sordid lives, as well as for exposing the cruel treatment of the many orphans in London in the mid-19th century. The alternative title, The Parish Boy''s Progress, alludes to Bunyan''s The Pilgrim''s Progress, as well as the 18th-century caricature series by William Hogarth, A Rake''s Progress and A Harlot''s Progress.In this early example of the social novel, Dickens satirises the hypocrisies of his time, including child labour, the recruitment of children as criminals, and the presence of street children. The novel may have been inspired by the story of Robert Blincoe, an orphan whose account of working as a child labourer in a cotton mill was widely read in the 1830s. It is likely that Dickens''s own youthful experiences contributed as well.Oliver Twist has been the subject of numerous adaptations for various media, including a highly successful musical play, Oliver!, and the multiple Academy Award-winning 1968 motion picture. Disney also put its spin on the novel with the animated film called Oliver & Company in 1988.

Oliver Twist is the story of a young orphan, Oliver, and his attempts to stay good in a society that refuses to help. Oliver is born in a workhouse, to a mother not known to anyone in the town. She dies right after giving birth to him, and he is sent to the parochial orphanage, where he and the other orphans are treated terribly and fed very little. When he turns nine, he is sent to the workhouse, where again he and the others are treated badly and practically starved. The other boys, unable to stand their hunger any longer, decide to draw straws to choose who will have to go up and ask for more food. Oliver loses. On the appointed day, after finishing his first serving of gruel, he goes up and asks for more. Mr. Bumble, the beadle, and the board are outraged, and decide they must get rid of Oliver, apprenticing him to the parochial undertaker, Mr. Sowerberry. It is not great there either, and after an attack on his mother''s memory, Oliver runs away.Oliver walks towards London. When he is close, he is so weak he can barely continue, and he meets another boy named Jack Dawkins, or the artful Dodger. The Dodger tells Oliver he can come with him to a place where a gentleman will give him a place to sleep and food, for no rent. Oliver follows, and the Dodger takes him to an apartment in London where he meets Fagin, the aforementioned gentleman, and Oliver is offered a place to stay. Oliver eventually learns that Fagin''s boys are all pickpockets and thieves, but not until he is wrongfully accused of their crime of stealing an old gentleman''s handkerchief. He is arrested, but the bookseller comes just in time to the court and says that he saw that Oliver did not do it. The gentleman whose handkerchief was taken, Mr. Brownlow, feels bad for Oliver, and takes him in.Oliver is very happy with Mr. Brownlow, but Fagin and his co-conspirators are not happy to have lost Oliver, who may give away their hiding place. So one day, when Mr. Brownlow entrusts Oliver to return some books to the bookseller for him, Nancy spots Oliver, and kidnaps him, taking him back to Fagin.Oliver is forced to go on a house-breaking excursion with the intimidating Bill Sikes. At gun point Oliver enters the house, with the plan to wake those within, but before he can, he is shot by one of the servants. Sikes and his partner escape, leaving Oliver in a ditch. The next morning Oliver makes it back to the house, where the kind owner, Mrs. Maylie, and her beautiful niece Rose, decide to protect him from the police and nurse him back to health.Oliver slowly recovers, and is extremely happy and grateful to be with such kind and generous people, who in turn are ecstatic to find that Oliver is such a good-natured boy. When he is well enough, they take him to see Mr. Brownlow, but they find his house empty--he has moved to the West Indies. Meanwhile, Fagin and his mysterious partner Monks have not given up on finding Oliver, and one day Oliver wakens from a nightmare to find them staring at him through his window. He raises the alarm, but they escape.Nancy, overhearing Fagin and Monks, decides that she must go to Rose Maylie to tell her what she knows. She does so, telling Rose that Monks is Oliver''s half-brother, who has been trying to destroy Oliver so that he can keep his whole inheritance, but that she will not betray Fagin or Sikes. Rose tells Mr. Brownlow, who tells Oliver''s other caretakers, and they decide that they must meet Nancy again to find out how to find Monks.They meet her on London Bridge at a prearranged time, but Fagin has become suspicious, and has sent his new boy, Noah Claypole, to spy on Nancy. Nancy tells Rose and Mr. Brownlow how to find Monks, but still refuses to betray Fagin and Sikes, or to go with them. Noah reports everything to Fagin, who tells Sikes, knowing full well that Sikes will kill Nancy. He does. Mr. Brownlow has in the mean time found Monks, who finally admits everything that he has done, and the true...

"David Copperfield is the eighth novel by Charles Dickens. The novel''s full title is The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account).[N 1] It was first published as a serial in 1849-50, and as a book in 1850.The novel features the character David Copperfield, and is written in the first person, as a description of his life until middle age, with his own adventures and the numerous friends and enemies he meets along his way. It is his journey of change and growth from infancy to maturity, as people enter and leave his life and he passes through the stages of his development.It has been called his masterpiece, ""the triumph of the art of Dickens"",[2][3] which marks a turning point in his work, the point of separation between the novels of youth and those of maturity.[3][4] Though written in the first person, David Copperfield is considered to be more than an autobiography, going beyond this framework in the richness of its themes and the originality of its writing, which makes it a true autobiographical novel.[4][5] In the words of the author, this novel was ""a very complicated weaving of truth and invention"".[6] Some elements of the novel follow events in Dickens''s own life.[7] It was Dickens'' favourite among his own novels. In the preface to the 1867 edition, Dickens wrote, ""like many fond parents, I have in my heart of hearts a favourite child. And his name is David Copperfield."

★★★About★★★ Our Mutual Friend, written in the years 1864-65, is the last novel completed by Charles Dickens and is one of his most sophisticated works, combining savage satire with social analysis. It centres on, in the words of critic J. Hillis Miller, quoting from the character Bella Wilfer in the book, "money, money, money, and what money can make of life."[1] Most reviewers in the 1860s continued to praise Dickens'' skill as a writer in general, though not reviewing this novel in detail. Some found the plot too complex, and not well laid out.[2] The Times of London found the first few chapters did not draw the reader into the characters. However, in the 20th century reviewers have found much to approve in the later novels of Dickens, including Our Mutual Friend.[3] In the late 20th and early 21st century, some reviewers suggested that Dickens was experimenting with structure, [4][5] and that the characters considered somewhat flat and not recognized by the contemporary reviewers[6] were true representations of the Victorian working class and key to understanding the structure of the society depicted by Dickens in this novel.

★This Book has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability★ ◆Well Illustrated ◆One of the best Book to read ◆Well Formatted ◆Attractive matte Finished cover A Tale of Two Cities (1859) is a historical novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel tells the story of the French Doctor Manette, his 18-year-long imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris and his release to live in London with his daughter Lucie, whom he had never met. The story is set against the conditions that led up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror.

Great Expectations follows the young protagonist Pip, a lower-class orphan who lives with his sister and her husband in Kent. At the beginning of the novel, Pip is visiting his parents'' graves when a mysterious stranger-clearly an escaped prisoner-grabs ahold of him and makes several demands of the young boy. Following these demands, Pip steals food and a file (items the prisoner requests), but the man is caught by authorities anyway. This deed serves as the inciting incident of the novel, as it is later revealed in the text that this escaped prisoner, Magwitch, is Pip''s anonymous benefactor.

"My satire is against those who see figures and averages, and nothing else," proclaimed Charles Dickens in explaining the theme of this classic novel. Published in 1854, the story concerns one Thomas Gradgrind, a "fanatic of the demonstrable fact," who raises his children, Tom and Louisa, in a stifling and arid atmosphere of grim practicality.Without a moral compass to guide them, the children sink into lives of desperation and despair, played out against the grim background of Coketown, a wretched community shadowed by an industrial behemoth. Louisa falls into a loveless marriage with Josiah Bouderby, a vulgar banker, while the unscrupulous Tom, totally lacking in principle, becomes a thief who frames an innocent man for his crime. Witnessing the degradation and downfall of his children, Gradgrind realizes that his own misguided principles have ruined their lives.Considered Dickens'' harshest indictment of mid-19th-century industrial practices and their dehumanizing effects, this novel offers a fascinating tapestry of Victorian life, filled with the richness of detail, brilliant characterization, and passionate social concern that typify the novelist''s finest creations.Of Dickens'' work, the eminent Victorian critic John Ruskin had this to say: "He is entirely right in his main drift and purpose in every book he has written; and all of them, but especially Hard Times, should be studied with close and earnest care by persons interested in social questions."

Kent, England, late 19th century. The orphan Pip lives a humble existence with his sister and brother-in-law, whom he helps in his blacksmith shop. When the wealthy Miss Havisham calls on Pip to be her and her beautiful daughter''s companion, the young man will realize the hardships of his social class and will increasingly desire to move up the ranks of the social ladder. Pip will then receive a visit from a London lawyer, who will inform him that an anonymous benefactor wants to turn him into a gentleman. However, Pip will discover that the value of friendship and morals cannot be bought with money.The human heart is an instrument with many strings; the perfect connoisseur of men knows how to make them all vibrate, like a good musician. " Charles dickens

A satiric masterpiece about the allure and peril of money, Our Mutual Friend revolves around the inheritance of a dust-heap where the rich throw their trash. When the body of John Harmon, the dust-heap''s expected heir, is found in the Thames, fortunes change hands surprisingly, raising to new heights "Noddy" Boffin, a low-born but kindly clerk who becomes "the Golden Dustman." Charles Dickens''s last complete novel, Our Mutual Friend encompasses the great themes of his earlier works: the pretensions of the nouveaux riches, the ingenuousness of the aspiring poor, and the unfailing power of wealth to corrupt all who crave it. With its flavorful cast of characters and numerous subplots, Our Mutual Friend is one of Dickens''s most complex--and satisfying--novels.

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol during a period when the British were exploring and re-evaluating past Christmas traditions, including carols and newer customs such as Christmas trees. He was influenced by the experiences of his own youth and by the Christmas stories of other authors including Washington Irving and Douglas Jerrold. Dickens had written three Christmas stories prior to the novella, and was inspired following a visit to the Field Lane Ragged School, one of several establishments for London''s street children.

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A Christmas CarolBrown book cover bearing the words "A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens" in gold.First edition cover (1843)AuthorCharles DickensOriginal titleA Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas.IllustratorJohn LeechCountryEnglandPublished19 December 1843PublisherChapman & HallTextA Christmas Carol at WikisourceA Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, commonly known as A Christmas Carol, is a novella by Charles Dickens, first published in London by Chapman & Hall in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. A Christmas Carol recounts the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, an elderly miser who is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. After their visits, Scrooge is transformed into a kinder, gentler man.

Little Dorrit is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. It satirises the shortcomings of both government and society, including the institution of debtors'' prisons, where debtors were imprisoned, unable to work, until they repaid their debts. The prison in this case is the Marshalsea, where Dickens''s own father had been imprisoned. Dickens is also critical of the lack of a social safety net, the treatment and safety of industrial workers, as well the bureaucracy of the British Treasury, in the form of his fictional "Circumlocution Office". In addition he satirises the stratification of society that results from the British class system.

The Chimes: A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In, a short novel by Charles Dickens, was written and published in 1844, one year after A Christmas Carol and one year before The Cricket on the Hearth. It is the second in his series of "Christmas books": five short books with strong social and moral messages that he published during the 1840s. In addition to A Christmas Carol and The Cricket on the Hearth, the Christmas books include The Battle of Life (1846) and The Haunted Man and the Ghost''s Bargain (1848)

A Christmas Carol is one of Charles Dickens most cherished and loved stories. Loved by both adults and children. The story of Ebenezer Scrooge on a cold Christmas Eve Night, three ghosts take him on a scary journey and show him the error of his ways. Showing him his past, present and future. Scrooge eventually learns to love Christmas and everyone around him! A must read at Christmas time.

I HAVE endeavoured in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season, or with me. May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no one wish to lay it.

It is regarded as one of his greatest and most sophisticated novels, and is one of his most enduringly popular, having been adapted for stage and screen over 250 times. Great Expectations is written in a semi-autobiographical style, and is the story of the orphan Pip, writing his life from his early days of childhood until adulthood. The story can also be considered semi-autobiographical of Dickens, like much of his work, drawing on his experiences of life and people.

After eighteen years as a political prisoner in the Bastille, the ageing Doctor Manette is finally released and reunited with his daughter in England. There the lives of two very different men, Charles Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton, a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From the tranquil roads of London, they are drawn against their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror, and they soon fall under the lethal shadow of La Guillotine. This edition uses the text as it appeared in its serial publication in 1859 to convey the full scope of Dickens''s vision, and includes the original illustrations by H. K. Browne (''Phiz''). Richard Maxwell''s introduction discusses the intricate interweaving of epic drama with personal tragedy.