The Penguin Dickens Companion

The Penguin Dickens Companion is the indispensable companion to the life and work of Charles Dickens, one of our greatest storytellers, social reformers and chroniclers of Victorian life. Containing all the essential information any student or general reader of Dickens might need, it provides: full, detailed synopses of all the novels; character sketches; biographical details, including Dickens's family, work and travels; themes in Dickens's work; information about contemporary writers, illustrators and publishers; literary criticism and details of adaptations of each major work; social themes, such as the Industrial Revolution, Chartism, the Poor Law; background details on crime and slavery; and explanations of literary forms and terms. A comprehensive work of reference that will enhance any reader's enjoyment of Dickens's work as well as providing a helpful background to it, The Penguin Dickens Companion is an invaluable addition to any bookshelf.