The Letters of Charles Dickens Vol. 1, 1833-1856

by Charles Dickens, Georgina Hogarth, Mamie Dickens

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery.

Genres: Classics, Nonfiction, History

459 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 23, 1982

About the author

Charles John Huffam Dickens (1812-1870) was a writer and social critic who created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era. His works enjoyed unprecedented popularity during his lifetime, and by the twentieth century critics and scholars had recognised him as a literary genius. His novels and short stories enjoy lasting popularity.

Dickens left school to work in a factory when his father was incarcerated in a debtors' prison. Despite his lack of formal education, he edited a weekly journal for 20 years, wrote 15 novels, five novellas, hundreds of short stories and non-fiction articles, lectured and performed extensively, was an indefatigable letter writer, and campaigned vigorously for children's rights, education, and other social reforms.

Dickens was regarded as the literary colossus of his age. His 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol, remains popular and continues to inspire adaptations in every artistic genre. Oliver Twist and Great Expectations are also frequently adapted, and, like many of his novels, evoke images of early Victorian London. His 1859 novel, A Tale of Two Cities, set in London and Paris, is his best-known work of historical fiction. Dickens's creative genius has been praised by fellow writers—from Leo Tolstoy to George Orwell and G. K. Chesterton—for its realism, comedy, prose style, unique characterisations, and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term Dickensian is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters.

On 8 June 1870, Dickens suffered another stroke at his home after a full day's work on Edwin Drood. He never regained consciousness, and the next day he died at Gad's Hill Place. Contrary to his wish to be buried at Rochester Cathedral "in an inexpensive, unostentatious, and strictly private manner," he was laid to rest in the Poets' Corner of Westminster Abbey. A printed epitaph circulated at the time of the funeral reads: "To the Memory of Charles Dickens (England's most popular author) who died at his residence, Higham, near Rochester, Kent, 9 June 1870, aged 58 years. He was a sympathiser with the poor, the suffering, and the oppressed; and by his death, one of England's greatest writers is lost to the world." His last words were: "On the ground", in response to his sister-in-law Georgina's request that he lie down.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of the letters of Dickens. I was initially dubious about reading them, feeling I would not understand their context, who was being addressed nor why that should matter. Fortunately the compilers foresaw this problem and began each year of letters with a narrative section explaining the missing context. This made them much more enjoyable, and Dickens' humour was often on display in these, especially in the indulgent letters to younger writers.

We discover a lot about Dickens, his likes and dislikes (for instance he did not like the Crystal Palace very much, and had an "invincible objection to the multiplication of [his] countenance in the shop-windows". All very interesting and no doubt invaluable to historians.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are letters written by Dickens from 1833 thru 1856, in the first volume collected by his daughter Mamie and sister-in-law Georgina. This is by no means a complete collection, because, just for one example, his daughter Kate lost all of those written to her, in a fire at her home. But there are still many letters here. So many that you wonder how Dickens found the time to also write novels, stories, articles, and do everything else he did. Some are first letters written to several people who would appear often in Dickens' life afterwards, such as W.C. Macready, Wilkie Collins and Henry Austin. Many are to family members, especially his wife and her sister. Some are letters written to someone just once.
The letters detail so many things. His books, of course, and talk of the characters and how they were progressing, or problems he was having with moving things along. The many trips he took, both for pleasure and to do his readings, etc. Houses he lived in, or rented, pets they had, projects he was commissioning to have done here or there. He was a very busy man.
I found myself most interested in the mention of his characters (my favorite things about his books) but also his trip with his wife to America. 18 days by boat from Liverpool to Boston in 1842, with the passage being, according to the ship's officers, "the worst they have ever known", with a terrible storm involved. Dickens was sick for five days and his wife for six. He visited several cities and while he liked the people he met, he was disgusted by certain things he saw here, among them the chewing of tobacco and the obvious slavery. He stated that "however much I like the ingredients of this great dish...the dish itself goes against the grain with me, and I don't like that."
The trip lasted for several months, going to several states, and his opinions of everything he encountered are well worth reading. The crowds around him all the time, full of questions, exhausted him, while also being very welcoming. The places they stayed in were either like mansions or the opposite. The weather was sometimes too cold in the mornings and so hot he could barely breathe during the day. The food, the parties, there is so much detail in perfect Dickens style, full of wit and occasional sarcasm.
So while this book was a bit overwhelming at times, going into things that sometimes left you curious but not really resolved for you, because you didn't have the other person's letters back to Dickens concerning what he wrote, bits of it were almost like reading one of his novels.
Maybe someday I'll get to Volume 2.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to finish this one. When I'm reading through an author I try to read some of their letters, because I feel like it really sets the tone for the personality of the writer and their style of writing. You can also find quite a bit of insight into why the person wrote the way they did and why they wrote about particular things. Many people already know the history of Dickens, his relationship with his mother, his father, how he views society and debtor's prison, etc. But the smaller insights and the relationships he has with individuals really shines in these letters.

There are three volumes and this is the first, covering 1833 - 1856. The impact he had on his friends is significant and can be seen throughout all these letters. You also get to see the thought process and progress of some of his more noteworthy works such as The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge.

For those looking into a deeper insight into Dickens other than the usual drivel that's spouted on the back of all his covers, I'd recommend diving into some of his letters. It really shows more of the man than some of his novels do, and you might find it more enjoyable than you anticipated. I plan on getting and reading Volume's II and III as well. Highly recommended.