209-] English Literature

209-] English Literature

Charles Dickens 

Posted By lifeisart in Dickens, Charles || 23 Replies

What do you think about Dickens realism?

Generally speaking there are two definitions of literary realism (More precise definitions or arguments are absolutely welcome): 1-It is the aim of some of the modern fiction to portray the fictional characters and their enviroments as closely as posible to the world of the readers in order to convince them of their plausibility. 2-It is a literary period (usually of the 19 C) specially devoted to paint "the world as it was". It was usually a very pessimistic trend. Some of its most famous representatives are Stendhal, Balzac and Flaubert (France), Eça de Queirós (Portugal) and Machado de Assis (Brazil). But Dickens highly imaginative (and sometimes phantastic) fiction is also considered r...

Posted By Danik 2016 in Dickens, Charles || 27 Replies

Favorite Charles Dickens novel

I'm a big fan of Charles Dickens. A Tale of Two Cities remains a powerful, exciting adventure novel with an epic and a prophetic voice behind it, with thoroughly allegorical and primeval feeling. A Christmas Carol has the energy of an allegory with the concise feature of a novella. Great Expectations is not a novel I immediately thrilled to while reading, but it has lingered in my memory as perhaps one of Dickens's most mature, retrospective, elegaic novels. David Copperfield was a bit too long for my taste, but I thought it was a great novel overall, filled with some of the best prose and some of my favorite literary characters - Mr. Micawber, David Copperfield, Betsy Trotwood, Uriah...

Posted By ajvenigalla in Dickens, Charles || 4 Replies

 An Accomplished writer

I'm reading Little Dorrit, and I find it fascinating. I've read 3 other books by Dickens: Oliver Twist, The Pickwick Papers, and A Tale of Two Cities. He was such an accomplished writer. I'm marveled at his delicacy in conveying his characters' feelings and thoughts. When I read him I find myself pausing and thinking: 'Oh Charles, how wonderful you were at describing and portraying.' Have you read any of the books I mention here? How did you like them?...

 Posted By Carmilla in Dickens, Charles || 48 Replies

 The letter

SPOILERS: I was slightly puzzelled by Dr Manette's letter that was read out in Charles Darnay's second trial. When I checked back to the chapter in which the Bastille was stormed, it seemed like M Defarge never found any letter. He sook out the tower in which Dr Manette had been imprisoned, but didn't find anything. So, was the letter a forgery? Why wasn't it produced at Darnay's first trial? OTOH, how is it that the story matched up with Mme Defarge's family history, and how come Dr Manette's face used to cloud over when he saw Charles Defarge?...

 Posted By kev67 in Dickens, Charles || 2 Replies

 Dickens' meeting with Dostoevsky

I was disappointed to read that the meeting between Dickens and Dostoevsky never happened. They were supposed to have met in 1862 when Dostoevsky was in London, but it seems the article in which the meeting was first referred to was a fraud. Still, it led to quite an amusing article in the TLS....

 Posted By kev67 in Dickens, Charles || 3 Replies

 Dickens' influence on society

How influential was Charles Dickens on society in the countries in which he was read? He seemed to be more than a popular author. He was a campaigner on social issues. The 19th century was one of great change and great social reform. For example, at the start of that century, you might be executed for dozens of not particularly serious offences. By the end of the century, you would only be hanged for premeditated murder. I don't think that had much to do with Dickens, but perhaps there were others issues in which he was more influential. For instance, children started to get some rights, including state provided education by the 1870s. Divorce laws were loosened just a little bit. Dickens wa...

 Posted By kev67 in Dickens, Charles || 2 Replies

Essays about Dickens

I recently read George Orwell's long essay on Charles Dickens, in which he referred to George Gissing's essay on the famous author, written in 1898. Gissing was a big Dickens fan too, at a time when Dickens' stock had fallen. When I searched for it, I noticed there was yet another essay about Dickens, written by G.K. Chesterton in 1906. Being a philistine and an ignoramus, I cannot remember having heard of G.K. Chesterton before, but he is esteemed enough to have his own forum on this site. Wouldn't it be a really great assignment to inflict on some English literature students to write an essay about essays on Dickens?...

Posted By kev67 in Dickens, Charles || 4 Replies

 Is it true quote by Charles Dickens about "Imam Hussain"

I would like to know if this quote by Charles Dickens about "Imam Hussain" is real or fake ?? If this is real, in which book he mentioned this quote?? “If Husain had fought to quench his worldly desires…then I do not understand why his sister, wife, and children accompanied him. It stands to reason therefore, that he sacrificed purely for Islam.”

 Posted By Alirez in Dickens, Charles || 2 Replies